A

• Adapter
  Adapter
  An adapter or adaptor is a person that adapts or a device that converts attributes of one device or system to those of an otherwise incompatible device or system.Some adapters may only affect physical attributes:...
  
  : plumbing accessories for connecting hoses and pipes of incompatible diameter, thread, or gender. See also reducer, increaser, double male, double female, water thief
  Water thief
  This term refers to three devices: one ancient and two modern.1. A water thief is a rubber fitting that attaches to an unthreaded faucet on one end and a common garden hose on the other. It is commonly used to fill fresh water tanks in recreational vehicles when a threaded hose bib is not...
  
  . May contain combinations, such as a double-female reducer. Adapters between multiple hoses are called wye
  Wye
  Wye is a historic village in Kent, England, located some from Canterbury, and is also the main village in the civil parish of Wye with Hinxhill...
  
  , Siamese, or distributor, which see below.
• ADSU
  PASS device
  A PASS device also known as an ADSU , is a personal safety device used primarily by firefighters entering a hazardous environment such as a burning building, which sounds a loud audible alert to notify others in the area that the firefighter is in distress.The PASS device will automatically...
  
  : Automatic Distress Signal Unit An alarm device that signals that a firefighter is in trouble. It can be activated manually by the firefighter, or activates automatically if the firefighter stops moving. May be integral to SCBA or separately activated. Also known as a PASS device
  PASS device
  A PASS device also known as an ADSU , is a personal safety device used primarily by firefighters entering a hazardous environment such as a burning building, which sounds a loud audible alert to notify others in the area that the firefighter is in distress.The PASS device will automatically...
  
   (Personal Alert Safety System).
• Aerial apparatus: fire truck, meeting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1901, Motor Fire Apparatus, Chapter 6 and Chapter 18, having a multi-section extending ladder, raised using power shifted from the truck's propulsion engine. May also carry other portable ladders and tools.
• Aerial Firefighting Elevating Platform: An extending or articulating power-operated boom mounted on a fire truck with a basket or bucket on the upper end designed to carry firefighters to heights for fire suppression or rescue, powered by the truck's propulsion engine, and meeting NFPA 1901 Standard For Automotive Fire Apparatus, Chapter 6 and Chapter 18, Section 18.7.
• Air monitoring meter
  Gas detector
  A gas detector is a device which detects the presence of various gases within an area, usually as part of a safety system. This type of equipment is used to detect a gas leak and interface with a control system so a process can be automatically shut down...
  
  : electronic device for measuring the presence of one or more chemicals in air, such as oxygen
  Oxygen
  Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
  
  , carbon monoxide
  Carbon monoxide
  Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
  
  , hydrogen sulfide
  Hydrogen sulfide
  Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
  
   or volatile organic compound
  Volatile organic compound
  Volatile organic compounds are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapor pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and...
  
  s; may have preset danger threshold alarms.
• Airbags: (1) inflatable device used for lifting or spreading; (2) vehicle safety device with potential explosion hazard during vehicle extrication
  Vehicle extrication
  Vehicle extrication is the process of removing the vehicle from around a person that has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, when conventional means of exit are impossible or unadvisable. A delicate approach is needed to minimize injury to the victim during the extrication...
  
   if not already blown.
• Airpack: jargon for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
• Apparatus: Fire Apparatus
  Fire apparatus
  A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
  
   is divided into seven categories by NFPA Standard 1901: Pumper Fire Apparatus, Initial Attack Apparatus, Mobile Water Supply Apparatus, Aerial Apparatus, Quint Fire Apparatus, Special Service fire apparatus, and Mobile Foam fire apparatus. Each category is defined in detail by the NFPA Standard that applies to all fire apparatus in the United States. Note: There is no separate category for Rescue Truck; rescue trucks are covered under Special Service Apparatus.
• Appliance:Term for fire suppression equipment used by firefighters to manage or direct a water stream.
• APW: Air-pressurized water fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  , partially filled with water and then pressurized with an air pump; popular in the US in the 2½-gallon size, rated 2A.
• Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) : bubbles that act as surfactant to coat and penetrate ordinary fuels (e.g., wood, paper) to prevent them from burning at normal temperatures; also used on "Class B" (oil/gasoline) fires to spread a non-volatile film over the surface of the fuel. Applied using eductor or Compressed air foam system
  Compressed Air Foam System
  A compressed air foam system is a system used in firefighting to deliver fire retardant foam for the purpose of extinguishing a fire or protecting unburned areas from becoming involved in flame.-Description:...
  
   (CAFS) and pumped through fire hose
  Fire hose
  A fire hose is a high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it is attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can be permanently attached to a building's standpipe or plumbing system...
  
   to a foam nozzle (or sometimes a less-effective fog nozzle).
• Attack hose: (Attack Line) A use classification of a fire fighting hose
  Firehose
  A fire hose is a high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it is attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can be permanently attached to a building's standpipe or plumbing system...
  
   connected to output of a pump or other pressure source (e.g., gravity). Firehose used to apply water or other fire fighting agent directly to a fire or burning substance. Typically of 2½ inches (65 mm) diameter or less in the United States. Historically 1.5 inch hose was the primary initial attack line but has been supplanted in most of the US by 1.75 inches (44.5 mm) hose that carries 175 gallons per minute. Two-inch hose is available as an option.
• Attic ladder
  Attic ladder
  Attic ladders are retractable ladders that are installed into the floor of an attic and ceiling of the floor below the attic. They are used as an inexpensive and compact alternative to having a stairway that ascends to the attic of a building....
  
  : narrow, collapsible ladder used to access an attic space via a scuttle hole, which are often found in closets and other narrow passages. Also known as a closet ladder, folding ladder or "pencil ladder." Required to be carried on pumpers by NFPA 1901.
• Automatic sprinkler
  Fire sprinkler
  A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected...
  
  : system of pipes serving fire sprinklers, for automatically directing water to a fire when the sprinkler is heated to its actuation tempereature (usually 155 deg F). The piping may be normally pressurized with water ("wet") or with air ("dry"), depending upon the application. When a sprinkler-head (or heat sensor) detects heat from a fire, the sprinkler opens, automatically spraying water onto the fire area.

B

• Big Guns: Reference the term applied to high volume water/foam delivery devices typically associated with Footprint(TM) process methodologies for storage tank firefighting.
• BA: Royal Navy abbreviation for Breathing Apparatus. Otherwise known as SCBFR
• Bed Section: the non-extending section of an extension ladder
  Ladder
  A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
  
  .
• Bomb Line: A preconnected attack line, typically 2½ inch in diameter, used in the same manner and purpose as a Trash Line. Bomb Lines are stored either on the front bumper of the apparatus or in an exterior (exposed) side well. Bomb Lines are typically shorter length than Cross Lays, and are intended for use against dumpster fires, etc., where a longer length of hose (and consequent rebedding after the suppression is complete) is not desired.
• Booster hose: Small-diameter fire hose (3/4–1 inch), often carried on booster reel, preconnected to pump of an engine (and the booster tank) for putting out small fires near the truck without having to connect to a fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  ; easily recovered with a motorized reel. Also known as "red line" for the common red rubberized outer layer. Booster hose is also used for High Pressure Fog (HPF) applications.
• Branch Pipe: See Nozzle
  Nozzle
  A nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe via an orifice....
  
  
• Bresnan cellar nozzle: Rotating nozzle tip having two or more outlets forming water jets that propel the tip while spraying water in a circular pattern; conveniently attached to several feet (a meter) of rigid pipe with handles or legs for supporting the nozzle while it is suspended through a hole in the floor above.
• Bulk tank: Large tank designed to be transported to an incident and left; larger than a tote tank.
• Bunkers (or "bunker gear
  Bunker gear
  Bunker Gear or "Turnout Gear" are terms used by many firefighters to refer to their system of outer protective clothing. "Bunker gear" and "turnout gear" can refer, depending on the context, to just the trousers and boots, and jacket, or the entire combination of personal protective equipment and...
  
  "): colloquial term for protective pants and boots kept near a firefighter’s bunk (cot) for rapid deployment; more modernly includes firefighting jacket. Basis for command to "Bunker up!" in preparation for hazardous duties. May also refer to entire protective clothing ensemble. Also known as "turnouts" or "turnout gear."

C

• Cellar fire: Cellar fires are difficult to attack directly because firefighters have to pass through the hot gasses and smoke accumulated on the cellar's ceiling to gain access to the cellar space. Cellars typically do not have good emergency egress points, adding to the danger.
• Cellar pipe: Cellar Nozzle. The Bresnan Nozzle is a distributing type nozzle that is inserted through an opening in the floor and into the space below, typically a basement or cellar. The nozzle directs a broken stream horizontally, either extinguishing or controlling the fire enough to allow a direct attack to be safely made. The Baker Cellar Pipe consists of an smoothbore, straight stream nozzle on the end of a brass pipe 36-inches long or more that can be remotely angled from the floor above by firefighters to direct the stream to the desired cellar location.
• Charged line: fire hose under pressure from the pump at the engine.
• CFA 3-Thread: A type of coupling used by the CFA
  CFA
  -Science and technology:* Cfa is one of two symbols for the Humid subtropical climate under the Köppen climate classification system* cfa is the file extension for an Adobe Premiere Pro audio file...
  
  , it is used mainly on the Australian 64 mm hose, it provides a very secure coupling, obviously the threading of the coupling is repeated 3 times, it is non-hermaphrodite.
• Check valve
  Check valve
  A check valve, clack valve, non-return valve or one-way valve is a mechanical device, a valve, which normally allows fluid to flow through it in only one direction....
  
  : see backflow preventer
• Cistern
  Cistern
  A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
  
  : underground water storage tank
  Water tank
  A Water tank is a container for storing water. The need for a water tank is as old as civilized man, providing storage of water for drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many...
  
   that is intended for firefighting use in areas with inadequate water supply
  Water supply
  Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
  
  .
• Class A, B, C, D, K: Classes of fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
   and corresponding type of fire
  Fire
  Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
  
   they extinguish.
• Closed-circuit SCBA: See SCBA.
• Closet hook: pike pole under 5 ft long
• Closet ladder: See Attic ladder
  Attic ladder
  Attic ladders are retractable ladders that are installed into the floor of an attic and ceiling of the floor below the attic. They are used as an inexpensive and compact alternative to having a stairway that ascends to the attic of a building....
  
  .
• CO₂
  Carbon dioxide
  Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
  
   extinguisher: Fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
   that releases carbon dioxide gas to displace oxygen to smother and cool a fire, such as a flammable liquid.
• Combination nozzle: A low pressure Fog Nozzle (usually 120 to 150 lbf/in² or 820 to 1030 kPa that can be adjusted to produce a near straight stream. Also commonly referred to as a Taskforce Tip (TFT).
• Compressed Air Foam System
  Compressed Air Foam System
  A compressed air foam system is a system used in firefighting to deliver fire retardant foam for the purpose of extinguishing a fire or protecting unburned areas from becoming involved in flame.-Description:...
  
   (CAFS): A water / surfactant (foam) mixture, with compressed air forced into the mix. The result is a very homogeneous, small "air bubble" distribution; the resulting suppression agent is the consistency of soggy shaving cream, consisting of relatively pure surface area and little actual water. CAF is gaining favor in selected compartmental fire scenarios because of its high (explosive) conversion rate, on top of the penetrative advantages of the surfactant. It is also inappropriate for many fire scenarios because of that conversion rate, as an unmanaged steam expansion path may cook the firefighters. Secondary advantages are a graceful degradation during equipment failure; CAFs, without a compressed air supply, emit classic foam; without foam, water!

D

• Deck gun
  Deluge gun
  A deluge gun, fire monitor, master stream, or deck gun is an aimable controllable high-capacity water jet used for manual firefighting or automatic fire protection systems. Fire monitors are often designed to accommodate foam which has been injected in the upstream piping...
  
  : A master stream device mounted to top deck of pumper.
• Delivery: Term for any hose that conveys water to a fire e.g., each outlet from a fire appliance supplies a delivery with water.
• Deluge gun
  Deluge gun
  A deluge gun, fire monitor, master stream, or deck gun is an aimable controllable high-capacity water jet used for manual firefighting or automatic fire protection systems. Fire monitors are often designed to accommodate foam which has been injected in the upstream piping...
  
  : A master stream device that can be positioned on the ground based on the need of the incident commander.
• Deluge system: Type of sprinkler system where sprinkler heads do not have individual valves, and the water (or other extinguishing agent) is disbursed from all sprinkler heads simultaneously when a central (or zoned) valve is triggered by a sensor (or manually). This is typically reserved for industrial areas where rapid fire spread must be prevented at the cost of damaging non-burning materials.
• Denver Door opener: heavy pry bars connected with a hinge, one with an adjustable foot, used for prying open doors.
• Denver tool
  Denver tool
  The TNT Tool is a multi-purpose tool used by firefighters, emergency personnel, and law enforcement officers to gain forcible entry to buildings, automobiles, etc. during emergency situations. It is a combination axe, sledgehammer, pry tool, ram, and D-handle pull tool...
  
   (also called TNT tool): A combination axe, sledgehammer, pry tool, ram, and D-handle pull tool used to gain forcible entry to buildings, automobiles, etc. during emergency situations.
• Detection system: See Alarm
  Alarm
  An alarm device or system of alarm devices gives an audible or visual alarm signal about a problem or condition.Alarm devices include:* burglar alarms, designed to warn of burglaries; this is often a silent alarm: the police or guards are warned without indication to the burglar, which increases...
  
   system.
• Detergent foam: See Aqueous Film Forming Foam.
• Distributor pipe: Portion of fire hydrant or sprinkler system connecting main loops to smaller loops where outlets are located.
• Divisional valve: a valve isolating a segment of a (usually underground) piping system. This may be useful for dealing with impairments or maintenance.
• Double female: fire hose
  Fire hose
  A fire hose is a high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it is attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can be permanently attached to a building's standpipe or plumbing system...
  
   adapter for connecting two "male" couplings together; may also adapt different sizes on either side.
• Double male: hose coupling adapter with two male-threaded connectors back-to-back; used for connecting two female couplings together.
• Dry chemical: A fire extinguishing agent. It works by breaking the chemical chain reaction in the "fire tetrahedron".
• Dry hydrant: A fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
   with a valve located at the bottom of the barrel, near the water main. The barrel of the hydrant remains dry until used. The prevents the hydrant from freezing in sub-zero temperatures. A dry hydrant is also an unpressurized pipe that can be used to draft
  Draft (water)
  The term drafting water refers to the use of suction to move a liquid such as water from a vessel or body of water below the intake of a suction pump. A rural fire department or farmer might draft water from a pond as the first step in moving the water elsewhere...
  
   (or draw) water from a pond or lake.
• Dry powders: Fire extinguishing agents for use on flammable metals. Each agent is typically designed for use on either a single metal or very similar metals.
• Dry sprinkler: A sprinkler system having pressurized air (rather than water) in the distribution pipes until a heat-activated sprinkler head opens and releases the stored air pressure, which in turn opens the main water valve (and possibly an accelerator valve) to flow water to the open sprinler(s); used where the protected premises are not heated during freezing temperatures.
• DSU: Distress Signal Unit
  Distress signal unit
  A Distress Signal Unit, or D.S.U , is a piece of equipment used by firefighters while working in hazardous areas. Normally used in conjunction with breathing apparatus, it is a small, battery powered item attached to the breathing apparatus harness and enables the firefighter to summon help by...
  
   another term for a type of PASS device.

E

• Eckert hook: Sharp hook on pike pole for cutting metal siding or roofs.
• Engine: A vehicle outfitted for firefighting, specifically one outfitted to pump water. Many rural fire engines carry a reservoir of water to pump, and use drafting
  Draft (water)
  The term drafting water refers to the use of suction to move a liquid such as water from a vessel or body of water below the intake of a suction pump. A rural fire department or farmer might draft water from a pond as the first step in moving the water elsewhere...
  
   and water tenders to obtain further supply. Historically, an "enjin" was a machine that only pumped water.
• Eductor: Venturi
  Venturi
  -People:*Giovanni Battista Venturi , physicist*Ken Venturi , professional golfer*Remo Venturi , Italian motorcycle racer*Rick Venturi , American football coach*Robert Venturi , architect...
  
   device through which water flows under 200 psi pressure to create a partial vacuum in a tube attached at 90-degrees and open to the water stream passing overhead. The vacuum draws liquid foam concentrate from a reservoir, which mixes with the water stream through a metering device on the discharge side of the eductor where a firefighting hose is connected. Typically the 200 psi inlet water pressure is reduced to 95 psi discharge pressure as a result of the narrowness of the venturi in the eductor device.
• Ejector: see Smoke ejector.
• Ejector Pump: Pumps that use the venturi principle to pump water on a fire ground. Can be used for salvage by removing flood waters or supply water to a fire appliance from an open water source. Water in the appliance is used to supply a flow of water to the ejector pump, which uses high pressure nozzles to entrain an increased volume of water in the hose returning to the fire appliance.
• Elevator key: control panel override key to take elevator
  Elevator
  An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
  
   car to desired floor. May also refer to special tool used to open elevator shaft-protection doors from outside.
• Encapsulated suit: HAZMAT
  Hazmat
  Hazmat, HazMat and similar terms can refer to:* Hazardous materials and items—see Dangerous goods** Hazchem—a system of hazardous chemical classification and firefighting modes** A hazmat suit is a type of protective clothing...
  
   protective clothing used with SCBA inside the suit to protect a firefighter (HAZMAT technician) from gaseous contaminants. Also known as a Gas Suit.
• Encoder: (1) Device for converting an input to a coded output; (2) tone-generating system for broadcasting one or more tone codes on a radio frequency to alert selected pagers and alarms; (3) alarm-system component that transmits coded sensor and subscriber information to a monitoring center to be processed into address and alarm-type information.
• Extension ladder: A 20–60 foot ladder
  Ladder
  A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
  
   with one or more movable sections that extend beyond a base section, typically using a halyard
  Halyard
  In sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line that is used to hoist a sail, a flag or a yard. The term halyard comes from the phrase, 'to haul yards'...
  
   rope and pulley mechanism for lifting and locking cams to latch the moving sections at a selected height.
• Extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  : Device containing fire suppressant, often pressurized to expel suppressant when triggered by operator or an automatic release mechanism. Important to properly select type of extinguisher appropriate to type of material burning (wood, grease, electrical, etc.). May be portable or permanently installed for special suppression purposes, such as fires in recreational vehicles, boats, aircraft engines, restaurant exhaust hoods, or computer rooms.
• Extrication glove
  Glove
  A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...
  
  s: Gloves designed for vehicle extrication
  Vehicle extrication
  Vehicle extrication is the process of removing the vehicle from around a person that has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, when conventional means of exit are impossible or unadvisable. A delicate approach is needed to minimize injury to the victim during the extrication...
  
   and other rescue applications, but not rated for fighting fires. They resemble mechanics gloves but are usually made from a stronger material, such as Kevlar
  Kevlar
  Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
  
  , and designed to protect a firefighter's hands from cuts or scrapes that may occur from glass or metal.

F

• Footprint: Application method for extinguishing large diameter storage tank fires or fuels in product depth.
• Fire alarm control panel
  Fire alarm control panel
  A Fire Alarm Control Panel , or Fire Alarm Control Unit , is the controlling component of a Fire Alarm System. The panel receives information from environmental sensors designed to detect changes associated with fire, monitors their operational integrity and provides for automatic control of...
  
  : System for receiving and announcing location of fire based upon input from smoke
  Smoke detector
  A smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
  
  , flame or heat detectors, or manual call points or pull stations.
• Fire axe: There are two main types of axes used in firefighting, a flathead axe, which has a single wedge for cutting into objects, and a pickhead axe, which has a cutting wedge on one side and a pointed pick on the other.
• Fire department keys: Special keys provided to firefighters to access a Knox Box
  Knox Box
  A Knox Box, known officially as the KNOX-BOX Rapid Entry System is a small, wall-mounted safe that holds building keys for fire departments, Emergency Medical Services, and sometimes police to retrieve in emergency situations...
  
   or other lockbox, located on some commercial buildings, containing additional keys required for entry or other safety features.
• Fire extinguisher
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
  : See Extinguisher above.
• Fire bike
  Fire bike
  A fire bike is a motorcycle used by a fire department. Several countries around the world use fire bikes, often to beat traffic congestion, and the equipment carried ranges from simple extinguishers to jet guns with hose rigs...
  
   or firefighting motorcycle: A motorcycle that is equipped to fight fires or used as support. Commonly used in Japan.
• fire hose
  Fire hose
  A fire hose is a high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it is attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can be permanently attached to a building's standpipe or plumbing system...
  
  : See also hose, below.
• Fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  : See hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  .
• Fireman's key: keys used for manually operating elevators during fires to prevent occupied elevators from answering calls from floor call buttons and potentially opening on fire floors exposing elevator occupants to fire. Keys vary by manufacturer.
• Fire pump
  Fire pump
  A fire pump is a part of a fire sprinkler system's water supply and can be powered by electric, diesel or steam. The pump intake is either connected to the public underground water supply piping, or a static water source . The pump provides water flow at a higher pressure to the sprinkler system...
  
   a pump installed in a building specifically for sprinkler and standpipe water systems.
• Fire station alert system: fire department
  Fire department
  A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
  
   dispatching system using radio controls to activate remote signals at designated fire stations and to transmit emergency information via audio or digital channels.
• Fire streams: Water
  Water
  Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
  
   (possibly mixed with foam
  Foam
  -Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
  
  ) emitted at nozzle and directed at burning materials.
• Fit 5: Handheld fire suppression device designed to be thrown into needed area. Fit stands for Fire
  Fire
  Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
  
   Interruption Technology. Effective against Class A, B, or C fires.
• FFFP: Fluoroprotein film forming foam
  Foam
  -Definition:A foam is a substance that is formed by trapping gas in a liquid or solid in a divided form, i.e. by forming gas regions inside liquid regions, leading to different kinds of dispersed media...
  
  .
• Fly: The moving portions of an extension ladder
  Ladder
  A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
  
  .
• Fog nozzle
  Fog nozzle
  A fog nozzle is a firefighting hose spray nozzle that breaks the water that flows through it into tiny droplets of water. The theory is that small droplets of water create more surface area than a solid stream created by a smooth bore nozzle. The water absorbs the heat, turns into steam, and...
  
  : A nozzle that discharges water in small droplets. Often, the nozzles are adjustable, permitting the pattern to range from a straight stream to a narrow fog to a wide fog stream. Can also be designed to automatically adjust pressure depending upon selected pattern.
• Fog Stream: A fire stream characterized by small droplets of water. The droplets are unable to travel very far, but absorb heat very quickly because of the high surface area they present.
• Foot valve
  Check valve
  A check valve, clack valve, non-return valve or one-way valve is a mechanical device, a valve, which normally allows fluid to flow through it in only one direction....
  
  : Backflow preventer at inlet of suction hose used in drafting
  Draft (water)
  The term drafting water refers to the use of suction to move a liquid such as water from a vessel or body of water below the intake of a suction pump. A rural fire department or farmer might draft water from a pond as the first step in moving the water elsewhere...
  
  ; helps avoid losing prime by keeping water from running back out of the suction hose.
• Fully Involved: Commonly referred to as a structure fire
  Structure fire
  A structure fire is a fire involving the structural components of various residential buildings ranging from single-family detached homes and townhouses to apartments and tower blocks, or various commercial buildings ranging from offices to shopping malls...
  
   that is showing fire and smoke in greater than 50% of the structure.

G

• Glas-Master tool: brand of specialized vehicle extrication tool, most notably including a glass cutting saw for removal of automobile windshields.
• Gamewell: brand of wind-up, fire alarm telegraph system for sending coded pulses to alert central alarm station of fire alarm activation; often still found in red boxes on street corners.
• Gate valve
  Gate valve
  The gate valve, also known as a sluice valve, is a valve that opens by lifting a round or rectangular gate/wedge out of the path of the fluid. The distinct feature of a gate valve is the sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are planar, so gate valves are often used when a straight-line flow...
  
  : (See also Hydrant Gate) Valve in which the shutoff device slides across the flow of liquid to seal the orifice, usually activated by a screw mechanism. (Compare to ball valve.)
• Gravity tank: Water storage tank for fire protection; arranged above protected area to provide flow of water by gravity when needed.
• Green line: a garden hose.
• Fire grenade: glass bottle filled with carbon tetrachloride or similar fire extinguishing fluid; meant to be thrown and shatter at base of fire to mix with air to produce non-combustible mixture; Similar to extinguishers made of glass fixtures with spring-loaded clapper released by heat-fusible link. Limited effectiveness, and phased out in 1950s when better extinguishers became available.
• Ground ladder
  Ladder
  A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
  
  : A portable ladder designed to rest on the ground. Compare aerial ladder
  Aerial ladder
  An aerial ladder is one of the three basic categories of aerial apparatus.The aerial ladder:* can telescope out to increase its length.* primary functions include: ventilation, rescue, elevated master streams, and access to upper floors....
  
   and roof ladder.

H

• Halligan tool
  Halligan bar
  A Halligan bar is a special forcible entry tool commonly used by firefighters and law enforcement. It was designed by and named after Hugh Halligan, a First Deputy Fire Chief in the New York City Fire Department, in 1948...
  
   (or "Hooligan"): forcible entry tool with a pointed pick and a wedge at right angles on one end of a shaft and a fork or cat's paw at the opposite end. Used in combination with maul or flat-headed axe for forcing padlocks, doors and windows. Based upon original design by Hugh Halligan of FDNY. Forms "the irons" when nested with a flathead axe. Various shaft lengths provide mechanical advantage. Derived from the claw tool (fork and hook).
• Halon
  Halon
  Halon can refer to:* Haloalkane, or halogenoalkane, a group of chemical compounds consisting of alkanes with linked halogens. In particular, bromine-containing haloalkanes.* Halomethane fire extinguishing systems...
  
  : chemical gas fire extinguishing
  Fire extinguisher
  A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
  
   or liquid agent for diminishing the combustion
  Combustion
  Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
  
   reaction rate by acting as a thermal ballast; used mainly in closed computer rooms, aircraft, and other high-value installations where corrosive chemicals or water extinguishers are judged inappropriate. Effective at low concentrations (5%) as compared with CO₂
  Carbon dioxide
  Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
  
   (34%). Being phased out with suitable replacements in most applications, with very restricted exemptions, due to international environmental concerns with this and other CFCs.
• Halyard: utility rope for raising or lowering moving parts of extension ladder.
• Hard suction hose
  Hard suction hose
  Hard suction hose is a specific type of fire hose used in drafting operations, when a fire engine uses a vacuum to draw water from a portable water tank, pool, or other static water source. It is built to withstand vacuum, rather than pressure, abrasion, and heat...
  
  : Non-collapsible sections of hose, usually 10 feet (3 m) long, used when drafting.
• Helmet: developed in the early 19th century, the original firefighter helmets were felt caps and did nothing more than keep water off the firefighters face. Later editions of the fire helmet included leather, metal, fiberglass, and most departments are currently using a form of plastic composite. More information under Bunker gear
  Bunker gear
  Bunker Gear or "Turnout Gear" are terms used by many firefighters to refer to their system of outer protective clothing. "Bunker gear" and "turnout gear" can refer, depending on the context, to just the trousers and boots, and jacket, or the entire combination of personal protective equipment and...
  
  .
• Higbee cut ('Higby cut': A tapered thread termination in a firehose coupling for avoiding cross-threading, the location of which is indicated by a notch cut into a single lug on a hose coupling. If the notches are aligned on mating couplings, the Higbee cuts are aligned and the threads immediately engage when the swivel fitting is turned.
• High Pressure Fog (HPF): A suppression technique consisting of finely atomized water droplets at several hundred pounds per square inch of pressure. By far, one of the most efficient suppression techniques available. Advantages include a *very* high conversion rate, unmatched atmospheric cooling and control of thermal layers, very little wasted water (and consequent water damage), and the ease of managing a small diameter booster line (defined above) during application. Disadvantages are lack of distance, lack of penetration into various materials, and high risk of burns to the attack crew. HPF is quite popular in Europe, but was discarded in the U.S. due to different building construction and the resulting increase in disadvantages.
• High-rise pack: Hose bundle prepared for carrying to a standpipe in a high-rise building, usually consisting of 50 or more feet of 1¾-inch hose and a combination nozzle.
• Hook: forged steel
  Steel
  Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
  
   hook at end of insulated pole of varying lengths; used for piercing and pulling building materials away from walls and ceilings. Similar to nautical gaff hook. Short hook with a pointed tip is a pike pole; longer hook on a San Francisco hook; two offset hooks on either side of tip is a universal hook; long p-shaped hook is a Boston rake for pulling plaster and lath; short hook with claw on opposite side of tip is either a gypsum hook or the narrower ceiling hook; pike pole with a short handle is a somewhat useless closet hook.
• Hose
  Firehose
  A fire hose is a high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it is attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can be permanently attached to a building's standpipe or plumbing system...
  
  : flexible conduit for moving liquids under pressure; made of various materials including cotton, rubber or plastic (such as PVC
  Polyvinyl chloride
  Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
  
  ); construction may be braided, woven, wrapped or extruded, often in layers (liner and jacket); hose construction and size differs according to its intended use (e.g., hard suction, attack, forestry, booster); typically stocked in standard lengths and coupled together with standardized fittings. See hose coupling.
• Hose bed: part of fire engine (or hose wagon) where hose is stored for transport and easy access; stocked in layers or rows for quick selection of the desired length, diameter and type of hose; may include hoses "pre-connected" to pump outlets on the engine.
• Hose bridge: mechanical ramps permitting vehicle tires to roll over top of hose without pinching or damaging the hose. Sudden hose-pinch can cause dangerous backpressures in a running hose and at the pump and release of the pinch can cause a staggering surge at the nozzle end.
• Hose cart: See Hose wagon.
• Hose coupling
  Hose coupling
  A hose coupling is a connector on the end of a hose to connect it with another hose or with a tap or a hose appliance, such as an irrigation sprinkler...
  
  : rigid interlocking end-pieces on fire hose; used for connecting hose to hydrants or fire engine pumps and other hose appliances (nozzles, wyes, manifolds, strainers, etc.); standardized sizes and threads or other (non-threaded) pressure-sustaining interlocks (e.g., "Storz
  Storz
  For the beer, see Storz Brewing Company.Storz is a type of hose coupling invented by Carl August Guido Storz in 1882 that connects using interlocking hooks and flanges. It is sometimes referred to as a sexless coupling, because rather than having a male and a female end connected by screw threads,...
  
  " or other "quarter-turn" connectors); lugs, cams, or pins are used to tighten and loosen couplings by hand or with a hose wrench.
• Hose Pack
  Hose Pack
  Hose Pack A hosepack is a backpack containing fire hose in a preconfigured arrangement, sometime completely made from fire hose without a bag, which is used to quickly facilitate the construction of a hose lay. In the context of wildland fire fighting hosepacks are wildly use in areas where fire...
  
  : A general term covering all types of hose configurations a person would carry to deploy.
• Hose roller: rigid frame with rollers designed to fit over windowsill or roof parapet to prevent chafing as hose is pulled across it. Can also refer to a machine designed for rolling hoses in preparation for storage.
• Hose strap
  Hose strap
  A hose strap is a piece of firefighting equipment. It can be "a short length of rope with an eye loop at one end and a metal hook at the other" or a piece of "flat nylon webbing sewn into a four-foot loop". Such a tool is routinely carried by firefighters in their structural turnout gear as a...
  
  : Similar in purpose to a Rope Hose Tool, a hose strap is typically a single closed loop of nylon webbing, which can be secured to a hose via a girth hitch to aid with hose control and movement.
• Hose tower: structure for hoisting hoses to permit them to drain and dry.
• Hose wagon: a handcart, vehicle, or trailer adapted for storing and hauling hose and related equipment; used by industrial fire brigades with large buildings, or where supplemental hoses are needed beyond that normally carried on a fire engine; also used for taking attack hose into a high-rise and for returning dirty, wet hose to the station instead of loading the hose bed with the along with dirt and corrosive
  Corrosion
  Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...
  
   moisture. Vehicular hose wagon may carry 1,000 to 3000 feet (914.4 m) of hose. May also include small booster pump.
• Hose wrench: tool for holding hose couplings against opposite turning forces (tighten/loosen); may be one of several designs for different shapes of cleats or lugs on couplings (round, flat, recessed, etc.), and also of different sizes according to the couplings being handled, and come in various combinations to minimize the number of different tools necessary on the fire ground. Also known as a "Spanner wrench".
• Hose Vacuum : A small pneumatic vacuum generator that removes air from the inside of a fire hose making it smaller and firm, it is therefore easier to pack and takes up less space.
• HPF: See High Pressure Fog.
• Hurst tool: See Hydraulic spreader.
• Hux tool: largely obsolete hydrant wrench made of stamped metal with holes sized for the hydrant valve.
• Hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  : pressurized water source for fire engine. May also be a "dry hydrant" for drafting
  Draft (water)
  The term drafting water refers to the use of suction to move a liquid such as water from a vessel or body of water below the intake of a suction pump. A rural fire department or farmer might draft water from a pond as the first step in moving the water elsewhere...
  
   from static water source. Compare "standpipe".
• Hydrant Assist Valve: a valve connected to the hydrant by the first due engine allowing the second due engine to boost the pressure in the intake line. Used for hydrants with low pressure, attaching multiple engines to one hydrant, or boosting pressure in the intake line to accommodate for friction loss.
• Hydrant Gate: A gate valve
  Gate valve
  The gate valve, also known as a sluice valve, is a valve that opens by lifting a round or rectangular gate/wedge out of the path of the fluid. The distinct feature of a gate valve is the sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are planar, so gate valves are often used when a straight-line flow...
  
   used to control water flow through one of the discharge ports on a hydrant with two or more ports. Typically, one fire hose is initially connected to one discharge and the hydrant gate is connected to one or more of the other outlets. This allows a second hose to be connected to a hydrant that is flowing water without shutting down the main valve to make the connection.
• Hydraulic Platform: An aerial appliance with an elevating platform like a Cherry picker
  Cherry picker
  A cherry picker , is a type of aerial work platform that consists of a platform or bucket at the end of a hydraulic lifting system.- Design :...
  
  .
• Hydrant wrench
  Hydrant wrench
  A hydrant wrench is a tool used to remove fire hydrant caps and open the valve of the hydrant. They are usually adjustable so as to fit different sized hydrant nuts.-In France:...
  
  : tool for opening valve of fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  ; may be simple spanner, box wrench, or adjustable wrench, or a specialized tool for use on "anti-vandalism" valves. For example, some valves require that a magnet activate a cam for the valve to turn on.
• Hydraulic spreader, (Jaws of Life): mechanical levering device with hydraulic cylinders powered by a pump; used for forcible entry or spreading vehicle or structure parts to permit extrication
  Vehicle extrication
  Vehicle extrication is the process of removing the vehicle from around a person that has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, when conventional means of exit are impossible or unadvisable. A delicate approach is needed to minimize injury to the victim during the extrication...
  
   of a victim. Also called Hurst Tool, which is a type that includes cutter and ram/jacking features.

I

• IAFF: Acronym, "International Association of Fire Fighters
  International Association of Fire Fighters
  The International Association of Fire Fighters is a labor union representing professional firefighters in the United States and Canada. The IAFF was formed in 1918 and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO in the United States and the Canadian Labour Congress in Canada. The IAFF is headquartered in...
  
  ".
• IFSTA: Acronym, "International Fire Service Training Association
  International Fire Service Training Association
  International Fire Service Training Association is an association of fire service personnel who are dedicated to upgrading fire fighting techniques and safety through training. The mission of IFSTA is to identify areas of need for training materials and to foster the development and validation of...
  
  ". A major publisher of firefighter training materials.
• Indian pump: (aka Indian Tank) A brand of five-gallon water can, or back-pack bladder, featuring a short hose and hand pump for use in wildland firefighting.
• Intake: Part of pump where water enters when pump forms partial vacuum.
• Irons, or Set of irons
  Set of irons
  Set of irons can refer to:* a set of iron clubs* Fetters* a "married set" used by firefighters, consisting of a halligan bar and a flathead axe...
  
  : Pairing of a flat-head axe and a Halligan tool
  Halligan bar
  A Halligan bar is a special forcible entry tool commonly used by firefighters and law enforcement. It was designed by and named after Hugh Halligan, a First Deputy Fire Chief in the New York City Fire Department, in 1948...
  
  . A common combination used in forcible entry operations to gain access for search and rescue as well as interior fire attack.

J

• Jaws of Life: A Hurst tool. See hydraulic spreader.
• J-bar: a stiff, j-shaped tool for reaching an inside door handle.
• Jet siphon: A venturi appliance used for moving large amounts of water from one reservoir tank to another by pumping a small amount of pressurized water into the jet to create a vacuum to move larger amounts of water.
• Jockey pump: A small pump connected to a fire sprinkler system.

K

• K-tool
  K-tool
  The K-tool is a tool used by many fire departments for forcible entry. It is used in conjunction with a Halligan bar and a flat-headed axe or maul to remove a cylinder lock...
  
  : A forcible entry tool for disabling cylinder locks; used with a Halligan bar
  Halligan bar
  A Halligan bar is a special forcible entry tool commonly used by firefighters and law enforcement. It was designed by and named after Hugh Halligan, a First Deputy Fire Chief in the New York City Fire Department, in 1948...
  
  .
• Kelly tool
  Kelly tool
  Not to be confused with K-tool.The Kelly tool is a tool used in fire and rescue service for forcible entry and other prying and striking tasks. The predecessor of the Halligan bar, it has largely been superseded by the latter, but still sees some use....
  
  : A prying tool much like a Halligan tool
  Halligan bar
  A Halligan bar is a special forcible entry tool commonly used by firefighters and law enforcement. It was designed by and named after Hugh Halligan, a First Deputy Fire Chief in the New York City Fire Department, in 1948...
  
   without the right-angle pointed tip.
• Knox Box
  Knox Box
  A Knox Box, known officially as the KNOX-BOX Rapid Entry System is a small, wall-mounted safe that holds building keys for fire departments, Emergency Medical Services, and sometimes police to retrieve in emergency situations...
  
  : A box secured to the outside (esp. of a commercial occupancy) containing master keys, accessible by a high-security key available to responding firefighters.

L

• Ladder truck: A truck outfitted with an apparatus-mounted aerial ladder
  Aerial ladder
  An aerial ladder is one of the three basic categories of aerial apparatus.The aerial ladder:* can telescope out to increase its length.* primary functions include: ventilation, rescue, elevated master streams, and access to upper floors....
  
  , not necessarily outfitted to pump water. Not to be confused with engine. Known as a "Turntable Ladder" in the United Kingdom.
• Ladder pipe: Nozzle attached to an aerial ladder
  Aerial ladder
  An aerial ladder is one of the three basic categories of aerial apparatus.The aerial ladder:* can telescope out to increase its length.* primary functions include: ventilation, rescue, elevated master streams, and access to upper floors....
  
   and used to direct heavy stream from advantageous height.
• Landing Valve: Globe Valves that are installed on hydrants, a branch and hose is connected to a coupling on it.
• Large Diameter Hose: (LDH) Fire hose with a diameter of 3½ inches or greater. LDH is typically used to supply water from a fire hydrant to fire apparatus such as an engine or tanker.
• Leatherhead (helmet)
  Leatherhead (helmet)
  For centuries, firefighters have worn helmets to protect them from heat, cinders and falling objects.-Modern structural helmet:Modern structural helmets are worn in the United States and Canada, as well as Britain, Australia and in parts of Asia...
  
  : a cover or protective device worn by fire fighters in some countries, also slang denoting a fire fighter.
• Left Handed Smoke Shifter
  Snipe hunt
  A snipe hunt, a form of wild-goose chase that is also known as a fool's errand, is a type of practical joke that involves experienced people making fun of credulous newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task...
  
  : A non-existent device used to haze probationary firefighters during an overhaul phase. A crew chief sends his Probie to fetch one, but no such device actually exists. Each truck the probie visits consequently does "...not have one", or "...another crew just took it," but each truck operator knows for certain that, "THAT truck might have one, over there..." The process repeats until the probie has been to each truck looking for the device, while the crew chief increasingly chides him to "hurry up" over the radio. This is similar to military non-objects such as 'relative bearing grease' or 'winter air' for tires, or a trainee nurse being asked to fetch a 'neck tourniquet'.
• Level A, B protective clothing: Different levels of encapsulation of firefighters used during HAZMAT
  Hazmat
  Hazmat, HazMat and similar terms can refer to:* Hazardous materials and items—see Dangerous goods** Hazchem—a system of hazardous chemical classification and firefighting modes** A hazmat suit is a type of protective clothing...
  
   incidents to minimize contamination.
• Life net: Portable net for attempting to catch victims falling or jumping from upper floors of burning structure.
• Life safety line: A rope used where its failure could result in serious injury; a rope used for connecting a firefighter/rescuer to a fixed anchor point or to another person.
• Light Water: An additive to use with water
  Water
  Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
  
   in the extinguishing of petroleum and similar fires.
• LMR: Abbreviation for Land Mobile Radio. Component of New Zealand Fire Service
  New Zealand Fire Service
  The New Zealand Fire Service is New Zealand's national fire fighting body. While its founding legislation, the Fire Service Act 1975, only provides for this role, the organisation has assumed responsibility for several other areas.-Strategic Direction:The New Zealand Fire Service has defined for...
  
   communications system between a communications centre and a fire appliance over a radio network

M

• Mattydale: A volunteer fire department, located north of Syracuse, NY, credited with the invention of the Mattydale Lay
  Mattydale Lay (firefighting)
  A Hose Lay or hose load is a preconfigured arrangement of fire hose that facilitates deployment under high stress, high danger situations.A Mattydale lay, also called "cross-lay", "speedlay", and "transverse lay", is a method of storing hose on a fire engine. This method of storing hose is...
  
  . The Mattydale Lay is often simply referred to as a "Mattydale", or (now) a "Cross Lay". The engine on which the Mattydale was invented and installed is currently on display at the FASNY museum; a brief blurb and photo of the piece can be seen near the bottom of http://www.fasnyfiremuseum.com/fireapparatus.php .
• Mattydale Lay
  Mattydale Lay (firefighting)
  A Hose Lay or hose load is a preconfigured arrangement of fire hose that facilitates deployment under high stress, high danger situations.A Mattydale lay, also called "cross-lay", "speedlay", and "transverse lay", is a method of storing hose on a fire engine. This method of storing hose is...
  
   (Mattydale Load) : The concept of storing preconnected Attack Lines on an engine, as well as storing them such that they are presented at the sides of the apparatus instead of the rear. Commonly called a Cross Lay, the technique allows for rapid deployment of attack lines from either side of the apparatus.
• Medium-diameter hose: A hose with diameter between 2½ and 3 inches (76.2 mm).
• Monitor: Firefighting delivery that is established and left unattended. Typical uses include ground monitors, which deliver water onto large fires or provide a water curtain. Also known as deluge gun
  Deluge gun
  A deluge gun, fire monitor, master stream, or deck gun is an aimable controllable high-capacity water jet used for manual firefighting or automatic fire protection systems. Fire monitors are often designed to accommodate foam which has been injected in the upstream piping...
  
  s, Deck Monitors tend to be attended and deliver large water volumes onto the fire.
• Multigas detector
  Gas detector
  A gas detector is a device which detects the presence of various gases within an area, usually as part of a safety system. This type of equipment is used to detect a gas leak and interface with a control system so a process can be automatically shut down...
  
  : Measuring device designed to indicate concentrations of multiple (typically four) selected gases, such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen cyanide, etc.
• MDT: Abbreviation for Mobile Data Terminal, often a specialized personal computer
  Personal computer
  A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
  
   using a radio network for data transmission between communication centres and fire apparatus. Often connected to Computer-assisted dispatch
  Computer-assisted dispatch
  Computer-assisted dispatch, also called Computer Aided Dispatch , is a method of dispatching taxicabs, couriers, field service technicians, or emergency services assisted by computer. It can either be used to send messages to the dispatchee via a mobile data terminal and/or used to store and...
  
   system. May be used with a Global Positioning System
  Global Positioning System
  The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
  
   receiver to locate apparatus and map routes to call locations.

N

• NFPA: National Fire Protection Association
  National Fire Protection Association
  The National Fire Protection Association is a United States trade association that creates and maintains private, copywrited, standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments...
  
  . A standards and "best practice" body for the fire service.

Slang: Not For Practical Application. This is firefighter slang referring to the seemingly 'useless' regulations of the NFPA. This phrase is commonly used by rural fire departments whose chiefs or officers operate by traditional methods, instead of "by the book"

Slang: No Free Publications Available, referring to publications that "all are encouraged to practice" yet are prohibitively expensive, as in "That standards document is NFPA." The NFPA slang is typically used in smaller fire departments, where such a purchase is a non-reimbursed out of pocket personal expense

Out-of-pocket expenses

Out-of-pocket expenses are direct outlays of cash which may or may not be later reimbursed.In operating a vehicle, gasoline, parking fees and tolls are considered out-of-pocket expenses for the trip...

. Q.v. http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/dept.asp?dept_id=3111 .

• NH: National Hose thread, also known as NST (National Standard Thread). Commonly used in fire hose couplings, it has a slightly larger thread diameter and coarser pitch (fewer threads per inch) than the alternative NPSH thread. The threads specified in NFPA 1963 are "NH".
• NIFTI: Naval InFrared Thermal Imager. A device used aboard naval ships to help locate hotspots where fire or personnel may be located in a dense smoke environment.
• Nozzle
  Nozzle
  A nozzle is a device designed to control the direction or characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits an enclosed chamber or pipe via an orifice....
  
  : A device attached to the end of a fire hose that directs, shapes and regulates the flow of the water or fire fighting agent pumped into the hose. May have a control valve. Can also be referred to as a Branch Pipe.
• Nozzle tip: Portion of firehose that forms the fire stream as it leaves the hose. Can be solid, fog, or other specialty nozzle (e.g., piercing, Bresnan cellar nozzle, wand tip, etc.).
• NPSH: National Pipe Straight Hose thread, also known as IPT (Iron Pipe Thread, or International Pipe Thread). Like NH threads, NPSH threads are commonly used in fire hose couplings, but the two types are not interchangeable with each other and cannot be connected together without adapters. NPSH threads have a slightly smaller diameter and more threads per inch than NH, but NPSH hoses can be fitted to NPT (National Pipe Tapered) plumbing fixtures, as the diameters and thread pitches are similar.

O

• Open-circuit SCBA: See SCBA. Exhaled air is not reused by the system.
• Outside stem and yoke valve (OS&Y): Type of gate valve
  Gate valve
  The gate valve, also known as a sluice valve, is a valve that opens by lifting a round or rectangular gate/wedge out of the path of the fluid. The distinct feature of a gate valve is the sealing surfaces between the gate and seats are planar, so gate valves are often used when a straight-line flow...
  
   actuator arranged such that the valve stem moves in and out of the handle, thus externally indicating whether the valve is open or shut, unlike the more common gate valve wherein the stem rotates and only the gate moves up and down inside the fixture.

P

• Panic doors, panic hardware: Fire safety appliance permitting locked doors (typically self-closing) to be opened from the inside when pressed with sufficient force, thus permitting a person to open the door without having to turn a knob or lever.
• PASS device
  PASS device
  A PASS device also known as an ADSU , is a personal safety device used primarily by firefighters entering a hazardous environment such as a burning building, which sounds a loud audible alert to notify others in the area that the firefighter is in distress.The PASS device will automatically...
  
  , personal alert safety system: An alarm device that signals that a firefighter is in trouble. It can be activated manually by the firefighter, or activates automatically if the firefighter stops moving. May be integral to SCBA or separately activated. Also known as an ADSU (Automatic Distress Signal Unit).
• Passport (accountability): System in which each firefighter has an identification document that is collected by the person in charge of accounting for the respective individuals in a dangerous area, and returned to the firefighter when he or she leaves the dangerous area.
• Pike pole
  Pike pole
  Pike poles are long poles usually 4-12 feet in length used by firefighters to search for fires hidden behind the sheetrock in the walls and ceiling. These days they are made out of fiberglass with metal hooks on the end, and are used to pull items from an area of intense heat and flame, and...
  
  : See Hook.
• Penetrator Nozzle: A long narrow nozzle with a hardened steel tip designed to be forced through a wall or other obstruction to deliver water to a fire on the other side when other modes of access aren't possible or carry an unacceptable degree of risk. Also commonly used in aircraft fires to rapidly deliver water or foam to the interior of an aircraft.
• Pickheaded axe
  Axe
  The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
  
  : Standard fire axe having a 6 or 8 pound
  Pound (mass)
  The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
  
   (2.7 to 3.6 kg) steel head with a cutting blade on one edge and a square, pointed pick on the opposite side. Come in various handle lengths.
• Plec-Tron: Jargon, brand-name of early radio-frequency paging system for summoning firefighters.
• Pineapple:Tool used to help suppress a basement fire.
• Pipeman:The firefighter who is on the nozzle attacking the fire.
• Plug: Slang term for a fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  . This survives from the days when water mains actually had holes in the tops that were plugged. Many firefighters want to keep this word while many others think it should be replaced with the accurate term, "hydrant".
• Pompier ladder
  Hook ladder
  The hook ladder was once a very important tool of the fire department as firefighters could theoretically reach every floor of a building with it. It consists of a simple 2.5-metre ladder with a long, flat hook on its top, with serrations on the underside which gripped the sill...
  
  :A style of ladder that is also known as a "Scaling Ladder". It is used to climb from one window to another. It differs from other ladders in that it does not rest on the ground it instead uses a large hook at the top to attach to a window sill. The word "Pompier" is French for fireman.
• Pony Section: A shorter length of fire hose, especially large diameter hose, used to connect an apparatus to a hydrant or another apparatus.
• Portable water tank
  Portable water tank
  A portable water tank is a collapsible temporary tank designed for the reserve storage of water in firefighting, emergency relief, and military applications. These tanks can be either supported or unsupported. The supported tanks have a steel or aluminum frame and range in size from 600 to 5000 US...
  
  : Collapsible reservoir used for storing water transported to fireground by tanker. May be inflatable or supported by a frame.
• Positive pressure ventilation (PPV): Ventilation of an area by the use of a fan to push clean air into that space and controlled use of openings for the escape of smoke and gasses.
• Post indicator valve (PIV): A type of valve used for underground piping, having a lockable actuator atop a post with a window indicating "open" or "shut" status of the valve. It can be used to control a sprinkler system, hydrant or other device, or may be used as a divisional valve. Post indicator valves are also used for process and domestic water systems, and when this occurs on the same property, they are distinguished by color - red for fire, blue green or yellow for process water.
• Preconnect: Firehose on a fire engine that has one end connected to a pump outlet, and usually a nozzle on the other end. May also be a preconnected inlet hose (e.g., soft suction). Reduces steps at scene of fire.
• Pulaski: a tool that combines an axe and a mattock in one head, similar to that of the cutter mattock, with a rigid handle of wood, plastic, or fiberglass
• Pumper: Vehicle apparatus for pumping water and other fire suppressants. See fire engine.

Q

• Quint
  Quint (fire apparatus)
  A quintuple combination pumper or quint is a fire service apparatus that serves the dual purpose of an engine and a ladder truck. The name quint is derived from the Latin prefix quinque-, meaning five, and refers to the five functions that a quint provides: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial...
  
  : Type of firefighting apparatus with five defining attributes.

The Quint truck is both a Pumper and a Ladder truck. A "Quint" has: 1. a pump, 2. hose, 3. a water tank, 4. ground ladders, and 5. an aerial ladder.

R

• Rabbet
  Rabbet
  A rabbet is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of machineable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface into which it is cut....
  
   Tool: A hand powered portable hydraulic ram, specially designed for insertion between a door and its frame for rapid forcible entry
  Forcible entry
  Forcible entry is defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law as the unlawful taking of possession of real property by force or threats of force or unlawful entry into or onto another's property, especially when accompanied by force....
  
  .
• Red Line: See "Booster Hose"
• Reducer: Plumbing adapter for connecting hoses of two different diameters; may also be double male or double female connections of different sizes.
• Relief valve
  Relief valve
  The relief valve is a type of valve used to control or limit the pressure in a system or vessel which can build up by a process upset, instrument or equipment failure, or fire....
  
  : A valve
  Valve
  A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
  
   set to open at a specified pressure so as to not exceed safe operating pressure in hoses or pumps.
• Rescue Engine: A single piece of fire apparatus that can operate as either a rescue or an engine. This apparatus normally is outfitted with heavy rescue equipment, hoselines, pump, water tank, etc.
• Ringdown (telephone): An Automatic ringdown circuit
  Ringdown
  -Operator signaling:In telephony, ringdown is a method of signaling an operator in which telephone ringing current is sent over the line to operate a lamp or cause the operation of a self-locking relay known as a drop...
  
   consists of two phones at different locations. When either phone goes off-hook, the one at the other end instantly rings.
• Ringdown (radio): A radio
  Two-way radio
  A two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive , unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. The term refers to a personal radio transceiver that allows the operator to have a two-way conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency...
  
  , incorporating a selective calling capability, has an attention-getting device triggered by a dispatching center. A triggered device emits a sound alerting staff at a fire station, in an ambulance, on a vehicular radio or at a vehicular data terminal that an emergency call is pending. The act of ringing down a station may ring bells, activate a klaxon, turn off gas-fired cooking appliances, activate a volunteer alerting siren
  Siren (noisemaker)
  A siren is a loud noise making device. Most modern ones are civil defense or air raid sirens, tornado sirens, or the sirens on emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, police cars and fire trucks. There are two general types: pneumatic and electronic....
  
  , turn on lights, and activate loudspeaker
  Loudspeaker
  A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
  
  s over which the call details are announced. Some systems use the voice path of a private line
  Private line
  In wired telephony, a private line or tie line is a service that involves dedicated circuits, private switching arrangements, and/or predefined transmission paths, whether virtual or physical, which provide communications between specific locations. Most private lines connect only two locations...
  
   telephone circuit or a voice channel on a microwave radio instead of a two-way radio. Ringing down a vehicle may cause the radio or data terminal itself to beep continually until an "acknowledge" button is pressed.
• Rope hose tool: Short strap or rope with a hooks at both ends for wrapping around a charged hose to secure it in position or to assist in moving it.
• Roof ladder: A single-section ladder with hooks on one end. The hooks are put over the ridge or peak of a roof to hold the ladder in place. Compare with aerial ladder and ground ladder.

S

• Salvage cover: Tarps used to protect property (contents) during overhaul.
• SCBA: Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, or air-pack, worn by firefighters to protect against toxic fumes and smoke, or where the air has insufficient oxygen. Often incorrectly called "oxygen mask" by laypersons. These are typically open circuit style, with a supply of compressed air, where expired air is exhausted, rather than closed circuit where it is filtered, re-oxygenated from compressed oxygen, and inhaled again—which is used where an air supply is needed for an extended period (up to four hours).
• Self-contained breathing apparatus: see SCBA
• Shove knife: semi-rigid metallic blade of various shapes and sizes used for forcing spring latches during forcible entry.
• Siamese: hose coupling for merging two streams into one, i.e., two female coupling inlets and one male coupling outlet.
• Skid unit
  Skid Unit
  A Skid Unit is the common name used to refer to a complete self-contained fire fighting apparatus designed for use on/in commercially available vehicle platforms. Vehicles such as pickup trucks, flat bed trucks, vans, off-road vehicles, trailers and others can easily be fitted with a proper size...
  
  : A Skid unit or Slip-on is the common name used to refer to a self-contained fire fighting rig that includes hose, water tank, pump, and an engine to drive the pump, all mounted on a skid, designed to be slid into or onto the open or flat bed of a suitable truck.
• Slip-on: See Skid Unit.
• Small-diameter hose: Generally accepted to be fire hose 3" or less in diameter.
• Smoke detector
  Smoke detector
  A smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
  
  : (1) part of a fire alarm system
  Fire alarm control panel
  A Fire Alarm Control Panel , or Fire Alarm Control Unit , is the controlling component of a Fire Alarm System. The panel receives information from environmental sensors designed to detect changes associated with fire, monitors their operational integrity and provides for automatic control of...
  
   that detects and signals presence of smoke; (2) self-contained household device for same purpose as (1) but with its own noisemaking device.
• Smoke ejector: Powerful fan
  Fan (mechanical)
  A mechanical fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the air. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing or case. This may direct the airflow or increase safety by preventing...
  
   for moving large amounts of air and smoke as part of ventilation task while fighting fire in a burning structure. May be operated by electricity or gas motor for positive or negative pressure ventilation
  Ventilation (firefighting)
  In firefighting, ventilation is an important part of structural firefighting tactics, and involves the expulsion of heat and smoke from fire building, permitting the firefighters more easily and safely find trapped individuals and attack the fire...
  
  .
• Soda-acid extinguisher: Weak water
  Water
  Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
  
  /acid
  Acid
  An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
  
   solution
  Solution
  In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of only one phase. In such a mixture, a solute is dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. The solvent does the dissolving.- Types of solutions :...
  
   inside a pressure vessel, which activates bicarbonate of soda when triggered, expelling "water" (mixture) under pressure from the resulting carbon dioxide
  Carbon dioxide
  Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
  
  . These are obsolete and usually replaced with an APW or multipurpose extinguisher.
• Soft suction hose, soft sleeve: A short piece of fire hose, usually 10 to 20 feet (6.1 m) long, of large diameter, greater than 2.5 inches (65 mm) and as large as 6 inches (152.4 mm), used to move water from a fire hydrant to the fire engine, when the fire apparatus is parked close to the hydrant.
• Solid Stream: A fire-fighting water stream emitted from a smooth-bore nozzle. This fire-fighting stream has the greatest reach and largest drops of water.
• Spanner
  Wrench
  A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning....
  
  : rigid tool for tightening or loosening firehose couplings.
• Special egress control device: Locking device on doors used for delaying opening for short period (10–15 seconds) after release is pressed. Permitted as panic hardware in limited circumstances. May also refer to a security system that releases electronic door locks when a fire alarm is activated, such as in stairwells of a high-rise building.
• Spray nozzle
  Spray nozzle
  A spray nozzle is a precision device that facilitates dispersion of liquid into a spray. Nozzles are used for three purposes: to distribute a liquid over an area, to increase liquid surface area, and create impact force on a solid surface...
  
  : See fog nozzle
  Fog nozzle
  A fog nozzle is a firefighting hose spray nozzle that breaks the water that flows through it into tiny droplets of water. The theory is that small droplets of water create more surface area than a solid stream created by a smooth bore nozzle. The water absorbs the heat, turns into steam, and...
  
  .
• Sprinkler system
  Fire sprinkler
  A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection measure, consisting of a water supply system, providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, onto which fire sprinklers are connected...
  
  : fire suppression system in a building, typically activated by individual heat-sensitive valves, or remotely controlled by other types of sensors, releasing water onto the fire. May be "wet" (water-filled) or "dry" (air-pressurized).
• Standpipe: system of pipes inside a building for conducting water for fire hose
  Fire hose
  A fire hose is a high-pressure hose used to carry water or other fire retardant to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it is attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant. Indoors, it can be permanently attached to a building's standpipe or plumbing system...
  
   attachments; may be pressurized with water ("wet") or remain "dry" until activated in an emergency; supplied either from a fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
   attachment or from a fire engine
  Fire apparatus
  A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
  
  's pump. Permits firefighters to reach higher levels of tall buildings without having to run hoses up the stairs. Known as "wet riser" and "dry riser" respectively in the United Kingdom.
• Steamer connection: A Siamese inlet to a standpipe or sprinkler system. Named for early application of steam engines for pumps.
• Steamer outlet: Large outlet of fire hydrant
  Fire hydrant
  A fire hydrant , is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water...
  
  .
• Storz
  Storz
  For the beer, see Storz Brewing Company.Storz is a type of hose coupling invented by Carl August Guido Storz in 1882 that connects using interlocking hooks and flanges. It is sometimes referred to as a sexless coupling, because rather than having a male and a female end connected by screw threads,...
  
   coupling: A type of coupling used on fire hose. The coupling is sexless, and secures with a 1/4 turn of the coupling. The coupling may or may not have some sort of locking device.
• Straight Stream: A fire-fighting water stream generated by a combination nozzle, characterized by a long reach and large water drops. It is essentially the narrowest of fog patterns that can be produced.
• Strainer
  Hard suction hose
  Hard suction hose is a specific type of fire hose used in drafting operations, when a fire engine uses a vacuum to draw water from a portable water tank, pool, or other static water source. It is built to withstand vacuum, rather than pressure, abrasion, and heat...
  
  : 1) A large metal device attached to the end of a suction hose that prevents debris from entering the hose or the pump when drawing water from a pond or other body of water. 2) A stationary accumulation of debris in a moving body of water.
• Stream Straightener: A smoothbore pipe with baffles inside of the pipe. Usually a stream straightener is used on a master stream device between the outlet housing of the device and a smooth bore tip to reduce the agitation of water traveling to the tip so as to produce a better stream.
• Suction hose
  Hard suction hose
  Hard suction hose is a specific type of fire hose used in drafting operations, when a fire engine uses a vacuum to draw water from a portable water tank, pool, or other static water source. It is built to withstand vacuum, rather than pressure, abrasion, and heat...
  
  : A large, semi-flexible and non collapsible hose used to move water from a static source such as a pond, pool or storage tank to a fire pump by means of suction. The whole process is often known as "drafting". Should not be used to connect pressurized hydrants to pumps.
• Supply line, supply hose, large-diameter hose: fire hose, usually larger than 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) in diameter, used to transport water from one source to another, such as from a hydrant to a fire engine or from one engine to another. Short pieces of this hose used to attach to a hydrant are often called "Soft Suction" (see above).

T

• Tag accountability: System in which each firefighter is issued two identification tags, one of which is then collected by a safety officer and held while the firefighter is in a hazardous area. To reclaim the tag, the firefighter must present the matching tag upon exit from the hazard. Any unclaimed tags after an "event" (such as a collapse or explosion) means the corresponding firefighters are missing. May be implemented as passport system in which first tag is presented to staging officer upon arrival (for tracking) and second tag is held by IDLH
  IDLH
  IDLH is an initialism for Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health, and is defined by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as exposure to airborne contaminants that is "likely to cause death or immediate or delayed permanent adverse health effects or prevent escape from such...
  
   safety officer, as above.
• Tanker, Tender
  Water tender
  A water tender, also known as a tanker in some regions, is a specialized firefighting apparatus designed for transporting water from a water source to a fire scene...
  
   – Large, mobile tank of water or other firefighting agent; may be airborne, as used in wildland firefighting, or truck-mounted. Essential in rural areas lacking hydrant
  Hydrant
  A hydrant is an outlet from a fluid main often consisting of an upright pipe with a valve attached from which fluid can be tapped. Depending on the fluid involved, the term may refer to:*Fire hydrant*Oil depot*Yard hydrant...
  
  s.
• Taskforce Tip: (TFT) Task Force Tips
  Task Force Tips
  Task Force Tips is a company that engineers, manufactures, and sells fire fighting equipment for international and US markets. Task Force Tips is currently based out of Valparaiso, Indiana....
  
   a popular brand of adjustable fog stream Combination Nozzle, now a ubiquitous term for that type of nozzle.
• Thermal imaging camera
  Thermal imaging camera
  A Thermal Imaging Camera is a type of thermographic camera used in firefighting. By rendering infrared radiation as visible light, such cameras allow firefighters to see areas of heat through smoke, darkness, or heat-permeable barriers. Thermal imaging cameras are typically handheld, but may be...
  
   (TIC) – Ruggedized infrared equipment used by some firefighters to detect hidden people, animals, heat sources (i.e., fire) and structural compromise.
• Tones : A series of two or three musical notes, used as an auditory alert over a radio or radio-paging system to indicate that a particular fire company, district, or territory is dispatched to service on a particular incident.
• Toned out : A term used to indicate when a fire company is or was dispatched to an incident. See tones above. Can be used in present tense ("We've been toned out, I've got to go.") or past tense ("We were toned out at 2300 on that run.")
• Tower ladder: See aerial ladder.
• Trash Line: A preconnected attack line that is typically 1¾" diameter, and stored either on the front bumper of the apparatus or in an exterior (exposed) side well. Trash Lines are typically shorter length than Cross Lays, and are intended for use against dumpster fires, etc., where a longer length of hose (and consequent rebedding after the suppression is complete) is not desired.
• Triple combination engine company – apparatus carries water, pumps water, carries hose and other equipment; firefighters who may carry out direct attack or support other engine companies.
• Triple Lay("Triple Fold", "Triple Load") : A method of loading preconnected attack line into a hose bed or crosslay, often facilitating rapid hose deployment in a pre-flaked configuration.
• Truckie: A member of a truck company, typically responsible for tactical aerial operations, ventilation, search, and overhaul.
• Turnout gear: The protective clothing worn by firefighters, made of a fire-resistant material such as Nomex
  Nomex
  Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
  
   or Aramid
  Aramid
  Aramid fibers are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated body armor fabric and ballistic composites, in bicycle tires, and as an asbestos substitute. The name is a portmanteau of "aromatic polyamide"...
  
  , and designed to shield against extreme heat. Sometimes called bunker gear. See PPE. Includes helmet, jacket and boots, and some departments include fire-resistant pants.
• Turntable – rotating base of an aerial ladder
  Aerial ladder
  An aerial ladder is one of the three basic categories of aerial apparatus.The aerial ladder:* can telescope out to increase its length.* primary functions include: ventilation, rescue, elevated master streams, and access to upper floors....
  
   that permits the ladder to be elevated and extended in any direction from a fixed location.

U

• UL listing: A certification standard. This listing means the product has been safety certified by the Underwriter's Laboratory.

• Utility rope
  Rope
  A rope is a length of fibres, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength...
  
  : A rope not designed or maintained for life safety purposes.

V

• Valve
  Valve
  A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
  
  : mechanical means for stopping and starting flow in a conduit; many types used in firefighting, including gate–, foot–, clapper– (backflow preventers), sprinkler-heads, etc.
• Ventilation saw: A high-powered saw with metal-cutting teeth or disc for quickly making large openings in roofing materials. Often, a chain saw with an attached guard to limit the depth of cut.

W

• Wagon: See Hose wagon.
• Wall-indicator valve: Type of control valve for sprinkler systems that is mounted to an outside wall and indicates "open" or "shut" in an indicator window on the valve body.
• Water curtain nozzle: A nozzle designed to throw a fan of water droplets to form a "curtain" in an attempt to reduce the risk of radiated heat igniting a nearby exposure.
• Water flow alarm: An audible alarm indicating that one or more sprinkler heads have been activated. "Flow" is often detected by a change in pressure, subjecting these systems to false alarms if anything affects the water pressure feeding the system, however transient.
• Water mist fire suppression A sprinkler-like system that uses a very fine mist featuring much lower water flow than conventional sprinklers to suppress, rather than extinguish a fire. http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309057825/html/85.html
• Water tender
  Water tender
  A water tender, also known as a tanker in some regions, is a specialized firefighting apparatus designed for transporting water from a water source to a fire scene...
  
   or tanker: A vehicle that contains a substantial tank of water and perhaps a pump, primarily for drafting
  Draft (water)
  The term drafting water refers to the use of suction to move a liquid such as water from a vessel or body of water below the intake of a suction pump. A rural fire department or farmer might draft water from a pond as the first step in moving the water elsewhere...
  
   or bulk transfer to a portable water tank
  Portable water tank
  A portable water tank is a collapsible temporary tank designed for the reserve storage of water in firefighting, emergency relief, and military applications. These tanks can be either supported or unsupported. The supported tanks have a steel or aluminum frame and range in size from 600 to 5000 US...
  
  .
• Water thief
  Water thief
  This term refers to three devices: one ancient and two modern.1. A water thief is a rubber fitting that attaches to an unthreaded faucet on one end and a common garden hose on the other. It is commonly used to fill fresh water tanks in recreational vehicles when a threaded hose bib is not...
  
   (valve): Type of gated wye
  Wye
  Wye is a historic village in Kent, England, located some from Canterbury, and is also the main village in the civil parish of Wye with Hinxhill...
  
   having one or more outlets smaller than the largest outlet.
• Wedges: Wooden blocks for temporary shut-off of activated sprinkler heads or holding doors open during firefighting or rescue operations.
• Wet pipe sprinkler system: Sprinkler system containing pressurized water rather than air, such that water flows immediately upon release of a heat-sensitive head.
• "Wet water": Water into which a surface tension reducing agent has been introduced. The resultant mixture, with its reduced surface tension, is more able to penetrate burning product more deeply and extinguish deep-seated fire.
• Wye: hose coupling for splitting one line into two or more outlets, often a larger line split into two smaller ones; often a gated wye having separate valves for each outlet. Not to be confused with Siamese, which is used to bring two smaller lines together into one.

Z

• Z-adapter: Large hose appliance for connecting supplemental pumps into long supply lines, in the form of a "Z"; may be improvised from two gated wye
  Wye
  Wye is a historic village in Kent, England, located some from Canterbury, and is also the main village in the civil parish of Wye with Hinxhill...
  
   valves and a double female between two of the gated outlets or from a siamese that has one inlet connected to one outlet of a gated wye.

See also

• Glossary of firefighting terms
  Glossary of firefighting terms
  Firefighting jargon includes a diverse lexicon of both common and idiosyncratic terms. One problem that exists in trying to create a list such as this is that much of the terminology used by a particular department is specifically defined in their particular standing operating procedures, such that...
  
  
• List of basic firefighting topics
• Women in firefighting