Glossary: Wildland Fire Terminology
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Supplementary material Occup Environ Med Glossary: Wildland Fire Terminology Wildland Fire Term Definition Active Wildland A wildland firefighter fully qualified to perform duties and responsibilities for Firefighter their specified position who is currently employed and available to be assigned to wildland fire incidents. Agency An administrative division of a government with a specific function, or a non- governmental organization (e.g., private contractor, business, etc.) that offers a particular kind of assistance. A federal, tribal, state or local agency that has direct fire management or land management responsibilities or that has programs and activities that support fire management activities. Assigned Crews Wildland fire crews checked in and assigned work tasks on an incident. Assignments Tasks given to crews to perform within a given operational period (work shift). Backfire A fire set along the inner edge of a fireline to consume the fuel in the path of a wildfire or change the direction of force of the fire's convection column. Crew A type of wildland fire resource. An organized group of firefighters under the leadership of a crew boss or other designated official that have been trained primarily for operational assignments on wildland fire incidents. General term for two or more firefighters organized to work as a unit. Direct attack A suppression tactic applied directly to burning fuel such as wetting, smothering, or chemically quenching the fire or by physically separating the burning from unburned fuel. Direct Fireline Fireline constructed directly on the active fire edge. Engine Crew Firefighters that specialize in the use of engines for tactical operations. The Fireline Handbook (https://www.nifc.gov/PUBLICATIONS/redbook/2019/RedBookAll.pdf) defines the minimum crew makeup by engine type. Equipment Weight The combined weight of a wildland firefighter's fireline pack and tools carried while working on the fireline. Also: Pack Weight Fire Environment The surrounding conditions, influences, and modifying forces of topography, fuel, and weather that determine fire behavior. Fire Management All activities for the management of wildland fires to meet land management objectives. Fire management includes the entire scope of activities from planning, prevention, fuels or vegetation modification, prescribed fire, hazard mitigation, fire response, rehabilitation, monitoring and evaluation. Fire Qualifications Qualifications and certifications required for those personnel responding to an incident locally, regionally, or nationally. Qualifications typically include, training, experience, and physical fitness. Fireline 1. The part of a containment or control line that is scraped or dug to mineral soil. 2. The area within or adjacent to the perimeter of an uncontrolled wildfire of any size in which action is being taken to control or manage fire. Such action includes operations, which directly support control of fire. Fireline Pack A one-person unit of fire tools, equipment, and supplies prepared in advance for carrying on the back. West MR, et al. Occup Environ Med 2020;0:1–6. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106186 Supplementary material Occup Environ Med Fireline Qualified Personnel who have met the current qualifications in order to work on the fireline of a wildland fire incident. To be qualified to work on the fireline, personnel must have passed the arduous work capacity test, specific National Wildland Fire Coordinating Group training courses, and complete scenario training including a practice fire shelter deployment. Geographic Region A boundary designated by governmental agencies (wildland fire protection agencies), that coincides with a geographic area boundary within which they work together coordinating, for the effective, mobilization and demobilization of emergency management resources within their area. Listings of geographic coordinating areas can be found in the National Interagency Mobilization Guide, Chapter 20, Section 21.1. (https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/mobguide/Mobilization_Guide.pdf). There are currently 9 geographic areas. Hand Crew Firefighters that specialize in the use of hand tools, chainsaws, ignition devices, and other tools for tactical operations and to build fireline by hand. Hand crew types include Interagency Hotshot Crews (IHC)s, Type 2 Initial Attack Crews, Type 2 Crews, Fire Suppression Modules, and Fuels Crews (previous 2 are subtypes of Type 2 crews) Indirect Attack A method of fire management where activities are conducted a distance from the fire's active edge. Control line may be constructed or natural barriers may be identified to utilize as indirect fireline. Interagency Hot Shot A hand crew consisting of 20-22 wildland firefighters who must as a collective Crew (IHC) crew possess specific qualifications as required by the Standards for Interagency Hotshot Crew Operations or agency policy. IHCs are safe, professional, mobile, and highly skilled hand crews for all phases of fire management and incident operations. Also: Type I crew Mixed Attack A combination of direct and indirect attack. Pack Weight The weight of a one-person unit of fire tools, equipment, and supplies prepared in advance for carrying on the back. Prescribed Burn Any fire intentionally ignited by management actions in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific objectives. Resource All personnel and equipment available or potentially available for assignment to incidents. Sawyer A firefighter who operates a chainsaw. Swamper A worker who assists sawyers by clearing away brush, limbs and small trees. Carries fuel, oil and tools and watches for dangerous situations. The Interagency A group of interagency federal wildland fire employees that states, Standards for Fire references, or supplements policy and provides program direction for Bureau Operations Group of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs fire and fire aviation program management. The group annually revises, publishes, and distributes, the federal Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations. West MR, et al. Occup Environ Med 2020;0:1–6. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106186 Supplementary material Occup Environ Med The National Wildland A group of interagency wildland fire employees provides national leadership Fire Coordination to enable interoperable wildland fire operations among federal, state, local, Group tribal, and territorial partners. NWCG goals include establishing national interagency wildland fire operations standards, fire position standards, performance support capabilities, and support the goal of responding to wildfires safely and effectively. The NWCG recognizes that the decision to adopt standards is made independently by NWCG members and communicated through their respective directives systems. Type Refers to resource capability. A Type 1 resource provides a greater overall capability due to power, size, capacity, etc., than would be found in a Type 2 resource. Resource typing provides managers with additional information in selecting the best resource for the task. Type I Crew A hand crew consisting of 20-22 wildland firefighters who must as a collective crew possess specific qualifications as required by the Standards for Interagency Hotshot Crew Operations or agency policy. IHCs are safe, professional, mobile, and highly skilled hand crews for all phases of fire management and incident operations. Also: Interagency Hotshot Crew Type II Crew A hand crew consisting of 7-20 individuals that have been organized and trained and are supervised principally for operational assignments on an incident. Training, experience, and management qualifications are less than for Type I crews. United States Forest An agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's Service (USFS) 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The largest wildland fire management agency and employer in the United States. Wildland Fire Engines A ground vehicle providing specified levels of pumping, water, and hose capacity. There are 5 types of engines which are specified by tank capacity, pump rating, hose capacity, and number of personnel. An engine is accompanied by 2-6 personnel. Work Capacity Test A family of tests to determine firefighter physical capabilities. Work capacity (WCT) tests are used to ensure that persons assigned to fire activities are physically capable of performing the duties of wildland firefighting. Firefighters must pass the arduous level of the work capacity test to perform duties on the fireline. Definitions of Job Tasks from Table 1 Wildland Fire Term Definition Briefing A meeting usually at the beginning of the work shift to give assignments and tasks. Cold Trailing A method of controlling a partly dead fire edge by carefully inspecting and feeling with the hand for heat to detect any fire, digging out every live spot, and trenching any live edge. Compound Work Various job tasks at a wildland firefighter's duty station, where they normally report to work. Driving Driving to and from the fireline or to locations around a wildfire or prescribed burn. Engine Pump A WLFF assigned to control the pump of a fire engine for use in wildland fire Operator operations or training. West MR, et al. Occup Environ Med 2020;0:1–6. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106186 Supplementary material Occup Environ Med Felling Sawyer A WLFF operating a chainsaw with the purposes of felling trees. Felling Swamper A WLFF assisting