Glossary of Terms

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14 Appliance
An appliance with 1000 litre water carrying capacity and 4-wheel drive.

22 Appliance
An appliance with 2000 litre water carrying capacity and 2-wheel drive.

24 Appliance
An appliance with 2000 litre water carrying capacity and 4-wheel drive.

24P Appliance
An appliance with 2000 litre water carrying capacity and 4-wheel drive. Pump capability 2000 litres per minute and can carry a specialist resource eg RCR or Hazmat.

34 Appliance
An appliance with 3000 litre water carrying capacity and 4-wheel drive.

34P Appliance
An appliance with 3000 litre water carrying capacity and 4-wheel drive. Pump capability 3000 litres per minute and can carry a specialist resource eg RCR or Hazmat.

AAS
Air Attack Supervisor

Accountable Incident
An Incident that incurs costs outside of the Brigade and Group budgets.

ADF
Australian Defence Force

AFAC
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council

AFC
Australian Fire Competencies

AFFF
Aqueous Film Forming Foam

AGL
Above Ground Level and Term used in air operations.

AIES
Australian Institute of Emergency Services

AIIMS
Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System

Air Attack
The direct use of aircraft in the suppression of bushfire.

AIRS
Australian Incident Reporting System.

Alarm Call
Emergency telephone call generated to the Local Alarm Number by a member of the public or brigade member.

Alarm Panel
Fire Indicator Panel (FIP) located in the client premises or the brigade station.

ALERTS
Adtec Linked Emergency Response Telephone System

ALERTS Conference
Retrieval of and discussion of information, regarding an emergency between the public caller, volunteer call taker and SOC.

ALERTS PIN
Personal Identification Number. Used with ALERTS to instigate or enter an alarm conference to obtain a Brigade Message.

ALERTS Server
The computers that serve the ALERTS System.

Alpha Particles
A nuclear particle produced by the decay of a radioactive material. The alpha particle is a helium nucleus, consisting of two protons and two neutrons.

AMLRBMC
Adelaide Mount Lofty Ranges Bushfire Management Committee

Anchor Point
An advantageous location, generally a fuel break, from which to start construction of a fire-line. Used to minimise the chance of being out flanked by the fire while the line is being constructed.

ANRARA
Australian National Road Accident Rescue Association

AO
Air Observer

AOM
Air Operations Manager

ARMS
Automated Real Time Mapping System

AS
Australian Standard

Assembly Area
An area where resources are organised and prepared for deployment

ATC
Alcohol Resistant Form

 
BA
Brigade Auxiliary Member

Backburn
A fire started intentionally along the inner edge of a fire-line to consume the fuel in the path of a bushfire.

BAL
Bushfire Attack Level

BC
Brigade Captain

BCA
Building Code of Australia

BCAD
Brigade Cadet

Beta Particles
A nuclear particle produced by the decay of a radioactive material. The beta particle is an electron travelling at high speed.

BF
Firefighter

BFSU
Building Fire Safety Unit (CFS)

BFFF
Bush Fire Fighting Foam

BL
Brigade Lieutenant

Blacking Out
See Mopping Up

BOM
Bureau of Meteorology

BMA
Bushfire Management Area

BMAP
Bushfire Management Area Plan

BMC
Bushfire Management Committee

BMPU
Bushfire Management Planning Unit (CFS)

Branched Broomrape
(Orbanche Ramose) Parasitic plant 10-3cm tall that attacks the roots of pasture plants crops and some native plants. Can infest an area through accidental spread of seeds in contaminated soil on vehicles and machinery.

Brigade Messaging
Facility available to leave response messages on Brigade members telephones when GRN paging is unavailable.

Brigade Response Area
The area designated around a brigade as a turnout area and administration area.

Broomrape Branched
Refer Branched Broomrape

BSO
Business Services Officer

BSP
Bushfire Safer Places

BTF
Bushfire Task Force

Bulk Water Carrier
A large tanker used for replenishing a firefighting tanker

Bushfire
An unplanned fire. A generic term that includes grass fires, forest fires and scrub fires.

Bushfire Warning Message (BWM)
A Bushfire Warning Message (BWM) is the highest level of warning to all South Australians, and will generally be issued for wide area community impact.

A Bushfire Warning Message will be issued when a major bushfire is burning out of control in very high to extreme fire weather conditions at the fire, and where CFS is primarily undertaking defensive strategies to protect lives and property.

In addition, the message will also only be issued when the risk of loss or life or threat to properties is almost certain or has occurred.

Bushfire Information Message (BIM)
A Bushfire Information Message (BIM) is issued to the community to provide information about a bushfire, which is yet to be brought under control and is threatening or has the potential to threaten public safety.

This message includes information and advice in relation to the effects a bushfire may have on an area, away from where the bushfire is actually occurring. This information may include details on smoke or road closures.

Bushfire Information Messages are tailored to each specific situation and updated as the bushfire situation changes.

BYO
Busy Out

CABA
Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus

CAFS
Compressed Air Foam System

Campaign Fire
A fire normally of a size and/or complexity that requires substantial firefighting resources and possibly several days or weeks to suppress.

CAT 1
Category 1 Workplace Trainer

CAT 2
Category 2 Workplace Trainer

CB
Citizens Band Radio

CBR
Chemical Biological Radiological

CCSA
Conservation Council of South Australia

CEO
Chief Executive Officer

CFA
Country Fire Authority (Victoria.)

CFS
Country Fire Service

CFS SCC
Country Fire Service State Coordination Centre

CFSVA
Country Fire Service Volunteers Association

Change of Command
Upon arrival of a more senior officer from the same service or an officer with relevant legislative responsibility for the area in which the incident occurred, that officer may assume command.

Change of Quarters
Term used to describe when a Brigade is placed in active standby in another Brigade Station.

CISM
Critical Incident Stress Management

CMDR
Commander

CO
Chief Officer

COAG
Council of Australian Government

Cold Zone
The cold zone contains the forward control point and other support functions as are deemed necessary to control the incident (see Control Zones).

Combatant Authority
The agency, service, organisation or authority with the legislative authority for control of the incident. Also referred to as the Responsible Authority or Agency.

Command
The direction of members and resources of an agency in performance of the agency´s role and tasks. Authority to command is established by legislation or by agreement with an agency. Command relates to agencies and operates vertically within an agency.

Commanding Officer
The person whom for the time being is at Brigade level, the most senior officer in charge of that CFS Brigade. At Group Level, the most senior officer in charge of the CFS region. (Country Fire Service Regulations, 2003).

Commcen
Communications Centre

Comms
Communications

Confined Space
Enclosed or partially enclosed space, which at atmospheric pressure during occupancy and is not intended as a workspace and may have restricted entry and exit. It may include but not restricted to storage tanks, vessels, boilers, silo, sewers, ducts and shaft. It may also include ship space entered through small hatchway or access point. (OH&S Regs 1995).

Confirmed Incident
Any verbal report of a fire or other emergency. This excludes automatic and manual fire alarm calls that are not supported by verbal confirmation.

Contained Incident
A fire is contained when its spread has been halted, but it may still be burning freely within the perimeter or fire control lines. Other incidents are contained when the spread or growth of the incident has been halted.

Control
The overall direction of response activities in an emergency situation. Authority for control is established in legislation or in an emergency response plan, and carries with it the responsibility for tasking and coordinating other agencies in accordance with the needs of the situation. Control relates to situations and operates horizontally across agencies.

Control Zone
The designation of areas at a hazardous materials incident based upon safety and the degree of hazard. These zones are defined as Hot, Warm, and Cold Zones.

Controlled Incident
The time, which the complete perimeter of a fire is secured, and no breakaway are expected. For other incidents, the time at which the incident is secure and there is no possibility of extension of growth of the incident.

Coordination
The bringing together of agencies and elements to ensure effective response to an incident or emergency. It is primarily concerned with the systematic acquisition and application of resources (agency, personnel and equipment) in accordance with the requirements imposed by the emergency or emergencies. Co-ordination relates primarily to resources and operates: vertically, within and agency, as a function of the authority to command; and Horizontally, across agencies, as a function of the authority to control.

COP
Codes of Practice are a set of principles or rules, which are generally made between two or more individuals, groups or agencies. They enable different agencies to have agreed ways of working together and an understanding of each other´s position.

COSO
Chief Officers Standing Order

Crew
The basic unit of firefighters in a team. It normally consists of four to eight personnel and shall be a minimum of four.

CWA
Country Women´s Association

DAIS
Department of Administrative and Information Services (old terminology)

DBPC
District Bushfire Prevention Committee (old terminology)

DBPP
District Bushfire Prevention Plan  (old terminology)

DC
Divisional Commander

DC
District Council

DCO
Deputy Chief Officer

Decontamination Officer
The Officer designated as having responsibilities for decontamination

Decontamination Zone
A zone established for decontamination operations and is set up in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Training Manual.

DECD
Department of Education and Child Development

DEWNR
Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources

DPTI
Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure

Demobilisation
The returning of personnel and equipment from operations to home location.

DEOC
Divisional Emergency Operations Centre

Deployment
Extended participation in an operation usually consisting of 1 day travel, 3 days work, 1 day travel.

DGO
Deputy Group Officer

Direct Paging
Calls originating from SA Metropolitan Fire Service (SAMFS) Communications Centres and calls instigated by Brigade, Group, Region or State Operations Centre.

Division
A portion of the fire perimeter comprising of two or more sectors. The number of sectors grouped in a Division should be such as to ensure effective direction and control of operations. Divisions are generally identified by a local geographic name.

DSC
Deputy State Coordinator

DSU
Distress Signal Unit

Dual Response Area
Any defined area adjacent to the CFS/SAMFS boundary that is mutually agreed and documented for Mutual Aid procedures.

ECO
Entry Control Officer for CABA operations

EEP
Eastern Eyre Peninsula Fire Ban District

EMA
Emergency Management Australia

EMC
Emergency Management Council (SA)

EPA
Environmental Protection Authority

EPBC
Environment Protection and Bio-diversity Conservation Act (Commonwealth)

ERS7
Emergency Response System (Phone)

Escape Route
A pre-planned route away from danger area at a fire.

ETA
Estimated Time of Arrival

ETRG
Environmental Technical Reference Group (of the SBCC)

EWIS
Early Warning Intercommunications System

F-FDI
Forest Fire Danger Index

FACU
Fire Alarm Control Unit

FBMC
Fleurieu Bushfire Management Committee

FDI
Fire Danger Index

FDR
Fire Danger Rating

FDS
Fire Danger Season

FFDI
Forest Fire Danger Index

FGP
Fire Ground Practice

FIP
See Alarm Panel

Fire Bombing
A technique of suppressing a bushfire by dropping water, foam or retardants on it from an aircraft.

Fire Danger - Catastrophic
FDI greater than 100 and over (Grassland Fire Danger Index V)

Fire Danger - Extreme
FDI of 75 and above (Grassland Fire Danger Index V)

Fire Danger - High
FDI of 12 or greater but less than 24 (Grassland Fire Danger Index V)

Fire Danger - Index
A relative number denoting an elevation of rate of spread, or suppression difficulty for specific combinations of fuel, fuel moisture, temperature, humidity and wind speed.

Fire Danger - Low - Moderate
FDI of 0 or greater than 11 (Grassland Fire Danger Index V)

Fire Danger - Severe
FDI of 50 or greater but less than 74 (Grassland Fire Danger Index V)

Fire Danger - Very High
FDI of 25 or greater but less than 49 (Grassland Fire Danger Index V)

Fireground
The level at which VHF simplex radio will be used and ie generally for communications between Strike Team Leader, individual appliances and fire fighters.

Fireground Practices
A standard document practice for undertaking specific fireground tasks.

Fixed Alarm
A client alarm system connected to a fire station

FMC
Fuel Moisture Content

FMNYBMC
Flinders Mid North Yorke Bushfire Management Committee

FOC
Forest Owners Conference

FPI
Fire Panel Indicator

FPO
Fire Prevention Officer (local government)

Fuel
Any material such as grass, leaf litter and live vegetation, which can be ignited and sustains a fire. Fuel is usually measured in tonnes per hectare.

Fuel Moisture Content
The water content of a fuel particle expressed as a percent of the oven dry weight of the fuel particle (%ODW).

GAFLC
Government Agencies Fire Liaison Committee

GAFMG
Government Agencies Fire Management Group (formerly GAFLC)

Gamma
Gamma Radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation, similar to x-ray.

GCC
Group Control Centre

GDO
Group Duty Officer

GFDI 
Grassland Fire Danger Index

General Purpose Tanker
Vehicles with 2000 litres of water, crew space (haven/deck/cabin), standard CFS fire fighting equipment, a minimum of 2.2 type.

GIS
Geographic Information System

GO
Group Officer

Going Incident
Any incident that is expanding or continuing to require an active or escalating response.

GOMP
Group Operations Management Plan

GPS
Global Positioning System

GPSC
Group Primary Simplex Channel

GPTG
Group Primary Talk Group

GR
Grid Reference

GRN
Government Radio Network

GSSC
Group Secondary Simplex Channel

GSTG
Group Secondary Talk Group

GTO
Group Training Officer

Half-life
The radioactivity of all radioactive materials reduces as time passes. The half-life of a radioactive substance is the average time for one half of any activity or any quantity of atoms to decay or disintegrate.

Hazard Area
Hot Zone or initial isolation zone

HAZMAT
Hazardous Materials

HAZTO
Hazardous Materials Training Officer

Heavy Aircraft
All aircraft that carries greater than 60 passengers.

HF
High Frequency

Hot Zone
The area immediately surrounding a hazardous materials incident, which extends far enough to prevent adverse affects from hazardous materials releases to personnel outside the zone (see Control Zones).

HQ
Headquarters

HR
Human Resources