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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

Term Steward Status Definition
tank trailer ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Specialized trailer on which is mounted a tank, fire pump, hose, and ancillary equipment.
target ASSC Aerial Supervision Subcommittee Approved Specific portion of the fire on which fire retardant or water is to be dropped by airtankers or helitankers.
target hazard FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved Facilities in which there is great likelihood of loss of life or property.
task QMC Qualifications Management Committee, LTSC Leadership Training Subcommittee, LDSC Leadership Development Subcommitte Approved A specific description of a unit of work activity that is a logical and necessary action in the performance of a behavior; how the behavior is demonstrated or performed in a particular context.   From PMS 310-1  
Task Force QMC Qualifications Management Committee, NISC NIMS Integration Subcommittee Approved Any combination of single resources assembled for a particular tactical need, with common communications and a leader. A task force may be pre-established and sent to an incident, or formed at an incident.
temperature coefficient FISC Fire Investigation Subcommittee Approved The relative change of some measurable quantity with change of temperature, like burning time per unit length, mostly expressed as mean change per degree in percentage of mean temperature within a certain range.
temporary IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved An appointment/agreement that meets the following conditions: Employing office is a government entity Term of appointment is not to exceed one year Employee receives compensation for work
Ten-hour Timelag Fuel Moisture (10-h TL FM) FASC Fire Analysis Subcommittee Approved The moisture content of the l0-hour timelag roundwood fuels.
ten-hour timelag fuels FASC Fire Analysis Subcommittee Approved Dead fuels consisting of roundwood 1/4 to l-inch (0.6 to 2.5 cm) in diameter and, very roughly, the layer of litter extending from immediately below the surface to 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) below the surface.
tender type (water source) Approved Largest tender type that can use the water source.
tentative release DCSC Dispatch Coordination Subcommittee Pending A resource may be tentatively released from At Incident so that a dispatcher can have a view of where resources are and their availability to be assigned to an incident.
Terra Torch ® ETSC Equipment/Technology Subcommittee Approved Device for throwing a stream of flaming liquid, used to facilitate rapid ignition during burn out operations on a wildfire or during a prescribed fire operation.
terrorism QMC Qualifications Management Committee, NISC NIMS Integration Subcommittee Archived Any premeditated, unlawful act dangerous to human life or public welfare that is intended to intimidate or coerce civilian populations or governments.
test fire FMSC Fuels Management Subcommittee Approved A prescribed fire set to evaluate such things as fire behavior, fire effects, detection performance, or control measures.
thermal belt IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved An area of mountainous slope (characteristically the middle third), where the top of the radiation inversion intersects the slope. It typically experiences the least variation in diurnal temperatures and has the highest average temperatures and, thus, the lowest relative humidity. Its presence is most evident during clear weather with light wind. 
thermal imagery IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved The display or printout of an infrared scanner operating over a fire.
thin layer IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Layer of clouds whose ratio of dense sky cover to total sky cover is 1/2 or less.
thin sky cover IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Sky cover through which higher clouds or the sky can be detected.
third-degree burn SRC Safety/Risk Management Committee Approved A flesh burn in which charring occurs.
third-party case FBC Finance/Business Management Committee Approved An injury or illness/disease caused by a person or object under circumstances that indicate there may be a legal liability on a party other than the federal or state government.
threat IFPC Interagency Fire Planning Committee Approved An incident likely to cause damage or danger to protected lands.
threat fire IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved Any uncontrolled fire near to or heading toward an area under organized fire protection.
throw out IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Archived Soil pushed over the edge of a fireline by a tractor plow or dozer.
thunderstorm IWSC Incident Weather Subcommittee Approved Localized storm characterized by one or more electrical discharge(s).
tie-in IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved Act of connecting a control line to another fireline or an intended firebreak.
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