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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
short-term FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved Persons or work for which employment is less than 12 months (excluding firefighters hired for a particular fire).
short-term fire retardant ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Fire retardant that inhibits combustion primarily by the cooling and smothering action of water. Chemicals may be added to the water to alter its viscosity or retard its evaporation, thereby increasing its effectiveness.
shoulder carry ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Method of carrying hose on the shoulders.
shrub FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved A woody perennial plant differing from a perennial herb by its persistent and woody stem; and from a tree by its low stature and habit of branching from the base.
shrub type FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved The two-category (evergreen, deciduous) classification of shrubs vegetation in the 1988 version of NFDRS.
shutoff nozzle ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Common type of fire hose nozzle permitting stream flow to be controlled by the firefighter at the nozzle rather than only at the source of supply.
shutoff pressure ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Maximum pressure a centrifugal pump will attain when water flow is clamped or shut off.
Siamese ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Hose fitting (preferably gated) for combining flow from two or more lines of hose into a single stream; one male coupling to two female couplings.
significant events IRSC Incident Reporting Subcommittee Approved In the ICS209, observed fire behavior or significant incident events for the current reporting period.
significant fire event IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved An event measured by the occurrence of fire(s) that requires mobilization of additional resources from outside the fire event area.
significant fire potential IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved The likelihood a wildland fire event will require mobilization of additional resources from outside the area in which the fire situation originates.
significant weather trigger IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved A weather phenomenon resulting in an environment that has a significant impact on fire spread, intensity, or occurrence. Example: strong wind, unstable air mass, etc.
Simms bucket AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Self-leveling helibucket slung under a helicopter which can be filled by hovering over a water source.
simple hose lay ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved A hose lay consisting of consecutively coupled lengths of hose without laterals. The lay is extended by inserting additional lengths of hose in the line between pumps and nozzle.
simulation PMC Fire Planning Management Committee, QMC Qualifications Management Committee, QSSC Qualifications Systems Subcommittee, LMC Logistic and Equipment Management Committee Archived An activity that imitates something real, but it is not real itself and it can be altered by users for the specific purpose of providing an experiential learning environment. Examples: Sand Table Exercise or CBT/WBT Forest Service Wildland Fire Simulation Scenario Editor. 
single arsonist FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved An offender who intentionally sets one fire.
single door drop AMC Aviation Management Committee Approved Technique whereby fire retardant is released from only one compartment of an airtanker.
Single Resource QMC Qualifications Management Committee, NISC NIMS Integration Subcommittee Approved An individual, a piece of equipment and its personnel complement, or a crew/team of individuals with an identified work supervisor that can be used on an incident.
Single Resource Boss (Crew Boss) Archived A supervisor of a single fire resource such as a handcrew, engine company, dozer crew, or firing crew.
single shift FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved Equipment is staffed with 1 operator or crew. A normal shift could be up to 16 hours long and may cross calendar days.
single stage pump ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Centrifugal pump with a single impeller.
site preparation FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Removal or killing of unwanted vegetation, residue, etc. by use of fire, herbicides, or mechanical treatment in preparation for reforestation and future management.
site preparation burning FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved Fire ignited to expose adequate mineral soil and control competing vegetation until seedlings of the desired species become established.
situation analysis IFPC Interagency Fire Planning Committee Approved Analysis of factors which influence suppression of an escaped fire from which a plan of attack will be developed; includes development of alternative strategies of fire suppression and net effect of each.
Situation Awareness (SA) QMC Qualifications Management Committee, LTSC Leadership Training Subcommittee, LDSC Leadership Development Subcommitte Approved An on-going process of gathering information by observation and by communication with others. This information is integrated to create an individual's perception of a given situation.
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