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NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

Overview

The NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire provides an extensive listing of approved terms and definitions used by the NWCG community. It contains terms commonly used by NWCG in the areas of wildland fire and incident management and is not intended to list all terms used by NWCG groups and member agencies. The NWCG has directed that all committee and subgroup product glossaries be contained within the NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire to maintain definition consistency and clarity among documents.

Comments, questions, and recommendations shall be submitted to the appropriate agency program manager assigned to the Data Standards and Terminology Board (DSTB). 

NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205  (Quick View)

EDG Explorer is a database platform used for managing NWCG Glossary terms.  The following table is a quick view of the terms found in EDG. More detailed information such as rules, documentation, and term relationships may be viewed in EDG Explorer.  

Note: If the NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire is not displaying below please report it to NWCG Webmaster

Title Steward Status Definition
Initiation Date

Day/Month/Year local program could begin implementation should funds be made available in the planned year.

Initiation Fiscal Quarter

Fiscal Quarter local program could begin implementation should funds be made available in the planned year.

Initiation Fiscal Year

Fiscal Year local program could begin implementation should funds be made available in the planned year.

inmate crew IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved

Any fire crew composed of prison inmates or wards.

Inside Diameter ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

The internal diameter of a tube, conductor, or coupling, as distinguished from its OD (Outside Diameter). Fire hose sizes are classified by a nominal internal diameter.

Instrument Flight Rules Conditions NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

Weather conditions below the minimum for flight under Visual Flight Rules and therefore requiring the observance of instruments inside the aircraft for controlling flight; generally considered to be less than 1000' AGL and 3 miles distant.

Instrument Landing System NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

System for airplane landing in which the pilot is guided by radio beams.

instrument shelter FDSC Fire Danger Subcommittee Approved

Naturally or artificially ventilated structure, constructed to specifications and used to shield weather measuring instruments from direct sunshine and precipitation.

Integrated Reporting of Wildland Fire Information Identifier Approved
Interactive Multimedia Instruction IPSC Incident and Position Standards Committee Archived

A group of predominantly interactive, electronically delivered training. IMI products include instructional software and software management tools used in support of instructional programs. IMI products are teaching and management tools and may be used in combination or individually. Used individually, not all IMI products can be considered interactive, multimedia, or instructional. However, IMI products, when used in combination with one another, are interactive, multimedia, and instructional. IMI technology is one of the primary technologies to be used in distance learning. 

interagency (organization)
Interagency Authoritative Data Source DMC Data Management Committee Approved

A product, tool, or IT application that has been designated as the trusted source for wildland fire data. This source may also create and update transactional data for use in other applications. There may be more than one IADS and it can change depending on business process complexity and life cycle. An IADS may be a compilation or subset of data from other authoritative sources. The DLM process ensures sources, limitations, currency, and attributes for the IADS are documented.

Interagency Resources Representative IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Archived

An individual who may be assigned to or requested by an incident to serve as the sending unit's representative to oversee the care and treatment of crews, overhead, and equipment assigned to an incident.

Interagency System of Record DMC Data Management Committee Approved

Agencies and bureaus may have their own SOR for their data. An ISORs are identified by an interagency business area as the official application source of interagency data. An ISOR is the source that resolves duplicate records that may arise from various IADSs and ensures the data meets defined quality standards before it is included in official historical data sets. An ISOR can be an external source of data used by wildland fire.

interchangeable course IPSC Incident and Position Standards Committee Archived

A course developed by an interagency, all-hazard subject matter expert group containing the same learning objectives and content as an NWCG developed course. Interchangeable course do not require equivalency determination by a using agency and may have multiple course codes and/or numbers. These courses will be incorporated into IQCS/IQS and credit will be given for the NWCG course. 

intermittent smoke FBSC Fire Behavior Subcommittee Approved

Smoke which becomes visible only at intervals.

internal load NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

Load carried inside the fuselage structure of an aircraft.

internal payload NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

Allowable aircraft cabin load, in pounds, with full fuel and pilot in calm air at standard atmosphere.

Invasive Concern Approved
inventoried resources IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Archived

Assigned resources which have checked in at the incident.

inversion FUSC Fire Use Subcommittee, FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

Atmospheric inversion. The departure from the usual increase or decrease with altitude of the value of an atmospheric property. In fire management usage, nearly always refers to an increase in temperature with increasing height. Also, the layer through which this departure occurs (also called inversion layer.) The lowest altitude at which the departure is found is called the base of the inversion.

IQCS, FireCode, NAMS, FEOS
Iron Pipe Thread ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

A tapered thread standard that is used for connecting various sizes of rigid pipe. This standard may be referred to as tapered iron pipe thread (TIPT), National pipe thread (NPT), iron pipe thread (IPT), or iron pipe standard thread (IPS). With tapered thread, the threads and pipe sealant perform the seal at the connection. This is opposed to straight thread connectors which use a gasket to form the seal. 

is available Approved
Is Funded

Field marked true if all approvals are complete. False if otherwise

is location tracking enabled NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved

A status flag indicating whether a resource's location (geometry object/shape) is being updated by a real-time GPS tracking such as AVL (Automated Vehicle Locator).

is national resource In Development
is primary capability NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee, ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Indicates that the capability is the primary capability for the equipment or aircraft.

is quarantined NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved

Indicates whether a resource is potentially in conflict with another resource of the same kind, based on the overhead conflict detection rules

IS RTRL

Indicates if a treatment or activity Is RTRL or not

is valid NCSC National Coordination System Committee Approved

A status flag indicating whether a resource is valid for use in Initial Response. Invalid resources should be removed from the data stream

Is Vegetation Departure Manual

Indicates if the vegetation departure has been entered manually

Is Visible Approved
Is WUI

WUI as defined by the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) (Title I, Section 101, Subsection 16)

island FUSC Fire Use Subcommittee Approved

An unburned area within a fire perimeter.

isobar FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

A line connecting points of equal atmospheric pressure on a weather map.

isotherm FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

A line connecting points of equal temperature on a weather map.

isothermal layer FWS Fire Weather Subcommittee Approved

Layer through which temperature remains constant with elevation.

jackpot burn FMC Fuels Management Committee Approved

A fire treatment type. A prescribed fire to deliberately burn natural or modified concentrations (jackpots) of wildland fuels under specified environmental conditions, which allows the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and produces the fireline intensity and rate of spread required to attain planned resource Management Objectives.

jettison NIAC National Interagency Aviation Committee Approved

Disposing of cargo, fuel, water or retardant overboard to lighten an aircraft or to improve its stability.

job aid IPSC Incident and Position Standards Committee Approved

Detailed information needed to complete each task including step-by-step explanations, checklists, diagrams and other relevant information. Job aids are for use by trainees as an on-the-job training tool and as a field operational tool for qualified personnel.

job hazard analysis RMC Risk Management Committee Approved

A job hazard analysis identifies hazards associated with work projects and worksites, and identifies protective equipment or modified work procedures needed.

Joint Information Center NIMSIC National Incident Management System Integration Committee Pending Revision

A facility established as the central point of contact for news media and interest parties to coordinate incident information activities at the scene of the incident. Public information officials from all participating federal, state, and local agencies should collocate at the JIC. 

Joint Information System NIMSIC National Incident Management System Integration Committee Pending Revision

A system that integrates incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization designed to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information during crisis or incident operations.

jump spot IOSC Incident Operations Subcommittee Approved

Selected landing area for smokejumpers.

jump suit ETC Equipment Technology Committee Approved

Approved protection suit worn for smokejumping.

Jurisdiction Approved
jurisdiction DMC Data Management Committee Approved

The range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority for incident mitigation. Jurisdictional authority at an incident can be political/geographical (e.g., city, county, state or federal boundary lines), or functional (e.g., police department, health department, etc.). 

jurisdictional agency NIMSIC National Incident Management System Integration Committee Approved

The agency having responsibility either geographical or functional, related to their legal responsibilities and authorities.

jurisdictional agency category In Development

The agency category having land and resource management responsibility for a specific geographical or functional area as provided by federal, state or local law.

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