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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
performance oriented objectives PMC Fire Planning Management Committee, QMC Qualifications Management Committee, QSSC Qualifications Systems Subcommittee, LMC Logistic and Equipment Management Committee Archived On-the-job performance enhancement is a result of online training. Performance oriented objectives or learning objectives for this training is developed, agreed to, and tested to ensure skill transfer. The purpose of learning objectives is to define the type of learning or performance outcomes that will occur at the conclusion of instruction and how learning will be assessed. Both objectives and performance outcomes should be written as precisely as possible in order to best determine whether they have been achieved. 
perimeter access IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Archived Any road, trail, or route that will allow firefighting forces to reach the perimeter of a wildland fire.
perimeter date time IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee, GISC Geospatial Information Subcommittee Approved The date and time that the fire perimeter was collected (mapped).
perimeter extant GISC Geospatial Information Subcommittee Approved Identifies if a related wildland fire perimeter polygon exists for the wildland fire location point feature.
period of alert IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Archived Period of time when suppression crews, equipment, and aircraft are kept ready for deployment on short notice; usually employed when fire danger reaches a predetermined severity index.
permafrost IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved A short term for 'permanently frozen ground'; any part of the earth's crust, bedrock, or soil mantle that remains below 32° F (0° C) continuously for a number of years.
permission hierarchy IMC Integration Management Committee, DISC Data Integration Subcommittee Requested A system created to rank create, read, update, delete actions on business applications to ensure a system can only take those actions when they are considered an authoritative data source, which varies based on the state of the incident.
permission state IMC Integration Management Committee, DISC Data Integration Subcommittee Approved The authorization stage of create, read, update and delete actions in an application based on where the incident is occurring within the life cyle.
perpendicular lane technique FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved A search technique dividing the specific origin area into lanes that are perpendicular to the advancing fire progression for the purpose of a systematic examination.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved That equipment and clothing required to mitigate the risk of injury from or exposure to hazardous conditions encountered during the performance of duty. PPE includes but is not limited to: fire resistant clothing, hard hat, flight helmets, shroud, goggles, gloves, respirators, hearing protection, chainsaw chaps, and shelter. 
personnel accountability IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved The ability to account for the location and welfare of personnel, accomplished when supervisors ensure that the ICS principles and processes are functional and personnel are working within these guidelines.
personnel pool QMC Qualifications Management Committee, NISC NIMS Integration Subcommittee Archived Personnel who have reported to the incident without an assignment (i.e., they are not assigned to an increment, strike team, or organizational unit).
photo point FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved The documented location where a photograph was taken.
photophobia EMSC Emergency Medical Subcommittee Approved Intolerance to light; especially: painful sensitiveness to strong light.
pick MFES Mobile Fire Equipment Subcommittee Approved Circular yarn woven between longitudinal warp ends that form a pick on one turn of the finished jacket.
piling and burning FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Piling slash resulting from logging or fuel management activities and subsequently burning the individual piles.
Pilot Balloon Operation (PIBAL) IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved A method of determining winds aloft by periodically reading the elevation and azimuth angles of a theodolite, usually at one-minute intervals, while tracking the ascent of a small free-lift balloon. A PIBAL is commonly used for constructing a wind profile. 
pilot-in-command AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Pilot responsible for the operation and safety of an aircraft during flight time.
pilotage AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Navigation of aircraft by visual reference to landmarks.
pin flags FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved Colored flags attached to metal or plastic pins to designate the location of fire pattern indicators, evidence, and other items of interest.
pin lug coupling ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved A hose coupling with one or more cylindrical studs on its outside rim. The studs allow the use of a spanner wrench to tighten the coupling.
pincer action IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved Direct attack around a fire in opposite directions by two or more attack units. Usually conducted from the fire's tail to head.
ping-pong ball system AMC Aviation Management Committee, ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Mechanized method of dispensing DAIDs (Delayed Aerial Ignition Devices) at a selected rate. The DAIDs are polystyrene balls, 1.25 inches in diameter, containing potassium permanganate. The balls are fed into a dispenser, generally mounted in a helicopter, where they are injected with a water-glycol solution and then drop through a chute leading out of the helicopter. The chemicals react thermally and ignite in 25-30 seconds. The space between ignition points on the ground is primarily a function of helicopter speed, gear ratio of the dispenser, and the number of chutes used (up to four).
pithy stalk FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved A vascular plant that has a usually continuous central internal stand of spongy tissue in the stem.
plan of attack IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved The selected course of action and organization of personnel and equipment in fire suppression, as applied to a particular fire or to all fires of a specific type.
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