NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire (PMS 205)

A systematic, proactive approach to guide all levels of government, NGOs, and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the effects of incidents. NIMS provides stakeholders across the whole community with the shared vocabulary, systems, and processes to successfully deliver the capabilities described in the National Preparedness System. NIMS provides a consistent foundation for dealing with all incidents, ranging from daily occurrences to incidents requiring a coordinated Federal response.

An NWCG developed program that consisted of five subsystems which collectively provide a total systems approach to all-risk incident management. The subsystems are: The Incident Command System, Training, Qualifications and Certification, Supporting Technologies, and Publications Management.

This is a straight (nontapered) thread standard with the same threads per inch as the appropriate size iron pipe thread. It requires a gasket to seal and is the thread standard used by most U.S. industry.

Public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior.

An all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a single, comprehensive framework for the management of domestic incidents. It provides the structure and mechanisms for the coordination of Federal support to State, local, and Tribal incident managers and for exercising direct Federal authorities and responsibilities.

A plan that integrates federal government domestic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery plans into one all-discipline, all-hazard plan.

Abbreviated (NH) for national hose. Specifically defined screw thread used on fire hose couplings.

A species which is a part of the original fauna or flora of the area in question.

Any area where lack of flammable material obstructs the spread of wildfires.

An event, usually managed by organizations external to the fire community, for which the primary focus is managing emergency situations created by severe weather or natural disaster.

Fuels resulting from natural processes and not directly generated or altered by land management practices.

Any potential accident which, through prevention, education, hazard reduction, or luck, did not occur.

An 8-character identifier assigned by NESDIS that becomes the RAWS identification number for use with the GOES satellite.

The sum of the changes in the value of natural resources affected by a fire. The basis for computing NVC is each resource's fire-induced value change (pluses and minuses) as computed and expressed on a per unit basis.

Condition in which temperature decrease with increasing altitude is equal to the dry adiabatic lapse rate (i.e., the atmosphere neither aids nor hinders large-scale vertical motion).

The time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the American Air Almanac, converted to local time.

The result of nitric oxide combining with oxygen in the atmosphere. A major component of photochemical smog.

Product of combustion from transportation and stationary sources and a major contributor to acid deposition and the formation of ground level ozone in the troposphere.

Trade name for a fire resistant synthetic material used in the manufacturing of flight suits and pants and shirts used by firefighters. Aramid is the generic name.

An area identified by an air quality regulatory agency through ambient air monitoring (and designated by the Environmental Protection Agency), that presently exceeds federal ambient air standards.

An event dealing with any fire which could pose a threat to ignite adjacent wildland fuels but ultimately did not result in a wildfire and thus cannot be accurately classified as any of the other Fire (FI) categories.

Any fire not posing a threat to resources or property of the jurisdictional agency, regardless of whether action was taken by the agency.

Material unlikely to burn when exposed to flame under most conditions.

Standard aircraft instrument approach procedure in which no electronic glide slope is provided.

A season when weather, fire danger, and number and distribution of fires are about average.

Period of the year that normally comprises the fire season based on historical fire occurrence.

A satellite observation-derived value that is sensitive to vegetative growth, measured at 1.1 km (0.6 mile) spatial and 1 week temporal scales.

Open text field to provide a brief record of facts related to an activity or treatment.

Notice identified as either a NOTAM or Airmen Advisory containing information concerning the establishment, condition, or change in any component of, or hazard in, the National Airspace System, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations. 

A foam generating device that mixes air at atmospheric pressure with foam solution in a nozzle chamber.

A person assigned to operate a fire hose nozzle, usually on a handline.

A defined behavior, action, process, or equipment type, agreed upon by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group for wildland fire performance, and is necessary to meet consistent, interagency fire management activities.

NWCG standards establish common practices that enable efficient and coordinated national interagency wildland fire operations. These standards may be comprised of requirements, guidelines, procedures, processes, best practices, specifications, techniques, and methods. NWCG standards are interagency by design; however, the decision to adopt and utilize them is made independently by the individual member agencies and communicated through their respective directives systems.

A description of a desired condition; quantified and measured, and where possible, with established time frames for achievement.

Specific, achievable, measurable, time-limited results to be achieved through land management practices, either through a description of a desired condition or the degree of desired change in an attribute.

Federal Fiscal year funds are estimated to be obligated.

Time of day required to record meteorological data at a fire danger station.

Condition in which obscuring phenomenon restricts horizontal visibility to six statute miles (10 km.) or less.

The front that is formed when and where a cold front overtakes a warm front or a stationary front.

A number in the National Fire Danger Rating System related to potential fire incidence within a protection unit.

Any motorized vehicle designed for, or capable of, cross-country travel on or immediately over land, water, sand, snow, ice, marsh, swampland, or other terrain.

Non-compensable time, e.g., eating, sleeping or other activities of a personal nature.

Work performed by an individual employee in support of an incident while remaining at the employee’s duty station or other designated off-site location.

The Federal office, under the Department of Labor, charged with administering the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, which authorizes medical care and compensation for periods of disability for Federal employees who sustain traumatic injuries and occupational diseases in the performance of duty.

The ICS title for a member of the Command Staff authorized to make decisions and take action related to his/her area of responsibility.

The following categories of personnel are official passengers: Officers and employees of the federal government traveling on official business. Members of Congress and employees of congressional committee staffs whose work relates to the agency’s programs. Non-federal passengers when engaged in missions which enhance accomplishment of an agency program such as personnel of cooperating state, county, or local agencies; representatives of foreign governments; and contractors’ representatives to include those employed by such agencies; and private citizens.