| Term |
Definition |
| 14 Tanker |
A tanker with 1,000 litre water carrying capacity and four-wheel drive |
| 22 Tanker |
A tanker with 2,000 litre water carrying capacity and two-wheel drive |
| 24 Tanker |
A tanker with 2,000 litre water carrying capacity and four-wheel drive |
| 24P Tanker |
A tanker with 2,000 litre water carrying capacity and four-wheel drive. Pump capability 2,000 litres per minute and can carry a specialist resource e.g. RCR or Hazmat |
| 34 Tanker |
A tanker with 3,000 litre water carrying capacity and four-wheel drive |
| 34P Tanker |
A tanker with 3,000 litre water carrying capacity and four-wheel drive. Pump capability 3,000 litres per minute and can carry a specialist resource e.g. RCR or Hazmat |
| ADF |
Australian Defence Force |
| Air Attack |
The direct use of aircraft in the suppression of bushfire |
| Backburn |
A fire started intentionally along the inner edge of a fire-line to consume the fuel in the path of a bushfire |
| BCA |
Building Code of Australia |
| Blacking Out |
The process of extinguishing or removing burning material along or near the fire control line, felling stages, trenching logs to prevent rolling and the like, to make the fire safe. |
| BMAP |
Bushfire Management Area Plan - list and risk rates assets under threat |
| BOM |
Bureau of Meteorology |
| Bulk Water Carrier |
Large tanker used for replenishing a fire fighting tanker |
| Bushfire |
An unplanned fire. A generic term that includes grass fires, forest fires and scrub fires. |
| Bushfire Advice Message (BAM) |
A Bushfire Advice Message will be issued when bushfires pose a threat to property or public safety, or when:
- a bushfire has been reported and we are attending but no further information is available (Incident notification).
- a bushfire is producing smoke in an area that may cause concern to the public
- there is a need to advise of a specific event.
|
| Bushfire Emergency Warning Message (EWM) |
Bushfire Emergency Warning Messages will be issued for wide area community affect when:
- an uncontrolled bushfire is burning under Extreme to Catastrophic Fire Weather conditions; and
- the risk of loss of life or threat to properties is almost certain or has occurred; or
- where special circumstances exist, for example when a life or house has been lost.
|
| Bushfire Watch and Act Message (WAM) |
A Bushfire Watch and Act Message is regularly issued for bushfires that pose a localised threat to property or public safety where:
- a bushfire is threatening or is a potential threat to public safety in the immediate area of a fire
- a bushfire is producing smoke in an area that may cause concern to the public on a day of elevated fire danger
- there is a need to advise of a specific event.
|
| Bushfire Advice Message - Reduced Threat |
We will issue a Reduced Threat Message when the threat to the community has reduced. All bushfire incidents that have had an Advice, Watch and Act or Emergency Warning Message issued will be finalised with an Advice – Reduced Threat message. See Bushfire Advice Message (BAM), Bushfire Watch and Act Message (WAM), and Bushfire Emergency Warning Message (EWM). |
| CABA |
Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus |
| CAFS |
Compressed Air Foam System |
| CEO |
Chief Executive Officer |
| CFA |
Country Fire Authority (Victoria) |
| CFS |
SA Country Fire Service |
| CFS SCC |
Country Fire Service State Command Centre |
| CFSVA |
Country Fire Service Volunteers Association |
| Change of Quarters |
Term used to describe when a Brigade is placed in active standby in another Brigade Station. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Controlled Incident |
The time, which the complete perimeter of a fire is secured, and no breakaways 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. |
| COP |
Common Operating Picture (Current info re fire) |
| Crane |
Erikson Skycrane Helicopter |
| 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 |
| Decontamination Zone |
A zone established for decontamination operations and is set up in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Training Manual. |
| DEW |
Department for Environment and Water |
| DIC |
Deputy Incident Controller. Second in charge to the person responsible for the management of an incident's operations. |
| EEP |
Eastern Eyre Peninsula Fire Ban District |
| EMA |
Emergency Management Australia |
| EPA |
Environmental Protection Authority |
| Escape Route |
A pre-planned route away from danger area at a fire. |
| FBI |
Fire Behaviour Index - numerical scale that can be used consistently across Australia, allowing users to make decisions that require finer detail than the four Fire Danger Rating categories allow. The FBI runs from 0 to 100 and beyond, with increasingly high values indicating increasingly dangerous fire behaviour and therefore fire danger risk. |
| FDR |
Fire Danger Rating - describe the potential level of danger should a bushfire start. Ratings are calculated using a combination of weather forecasting and information about vegetation that could fuel a fire. |
| FDS |
Fire Danger Season |
| FFU |
Farm Fire Unit |
| Fire Bombing |
A technique of suppressing a bushfire by dropping water, foam or retardants on it from an aircraft. |
| Fireground |
The area in the vicinity of a fire suppression operations, and the area immediately threatened by the fire. It includes burning and burnt areas; constructed and proposed fire lines; the area where firefighters, vehicles, machinery and equipment are located when deployed; roads and access points under traffic management control; tracks and facilities in the area surrounding the actual fire; and may extend to adjoining are a directly threatened by the fire. |
| FMC |
Fuel Moisture Content - The water content of a fuel particle expressed as a percent of the oven dry weight of the fuel particle (%ODW) |
| FROS |
Forward Rate of Spread (how fast the fire is travelling, sometimes just called Rate of Spread or ROS) |
| 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. |
| Going Incident |
An incident that is expanding or continuing to need an active or escalating response. |
| GOMP |
Group Operational Management Plan, helps brigades and groups plan for incident management in their area. |
| Group |
A CFS Group is all brigades in the same area, who are coordinated by an elected Group Officer. |
| GRN |
Government Radio Network |
| Hazard Area |
Hot Zone or initial isolation zone |
| HAZMAT |
Hazardous Materials |
| Heavy Aircraft |
All aircraft that carries greater than 60 passengers |
| Hot Zone |
The area immediately surrounding a hazardous materials incident, which extends far enough to prevent adverse effects from hazardous materials releases to personnel outside the zone. |
| IAP |
Incident Action Plan |
| IC |
Incident Controller - The individual responsible for the management of an incidents operations. |
| ICC |
Incident Control Centre |
| Incident |
An event, accidentally or deliberately caused, which requires a response from one or more of the statutory emergency response agencies. |
| Incident Update |
An Incident Update contains supplementary information about an incident. This may or may not be associated with a warning message. |
| ISV |
Incident Support Vehicle |
| LACES |
lookout, awareness, communications, escape routes, safety zones (used by firefighters on the fireground) |
| LEP |
Lower Eyre Peninsula Fire Ban District |
| Level 1 Incident |
Small. Simple to manage. Small number of resources. Minimal threat or affect on the general community. Managed by 1 to 3 personnel. |
| Level 2 Incident |
More complex and larger scale incident than Level 1 incident. |
| Level 3 Incident |
Large. Complex. Divided into sectors and divisions. There may be multiple shifts and numerous other agencies involved. Significant threat or affect on the community. |
| Light Aircraft |
All aircraft, fixed or rotary wing, single or twin engine that carries less than 60 passengers. |
| Logistics (or Logs) |
The provision of facilities, services and materials required to help in the combat of the incident. |
| LSE |
Lower South East Fire Ban District |
| MFS |
Metropolitan Fire Service |
| ML |
Murray Lands Fire Ban District |
| MLR |
Mount Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District |
| MN |
Mid North Fire Ban District |
| MOU |
Memorandum of Understanding |
| NEP |
North East Pastoral Fire Ban District |
| NWP |
North West Pastoral Fire Ban District |
| Operations (or Ops) |
This refers to processes and direction given to CFS firefighters on the fireground or at an incident. |
| PAWS |
Portable Automatic Weather Station |
| PPC |
Personal Protective Clothing |
| PPE |
Personal Protective Equipment |
| POI |
Point of Ignition |
| Prescribed Burn |
The controlled application of fire under specified environmental conditions to a predetermined area and at the time, intensity and rate of spread required to attain planned resource management objectives. |
| Primary Response Area |
The designated response area for a brigade. |
| Priority 1 |
To respond to emergency incident, which requires an urgent response, complying with Rule 306 of the Australian Road Rules and using flashing lights and sirens. |
| Priority 2 |
For non-urgent travel, including to an emergency incident where non-urgent attendance is required complying with the Australian Road Rule, siren and flashing lights are not to be used. |
| QRV |
Quick Response Vehicle - A Quick Response Vehicle (QRV), carries about 500 litres of water, is a four-wheel drive capable vehicle and can be in a single or dual cab arrangement. A Quick Response Vehicle can also be utilised as a command vehicle, or help in logistics work. |
| RAAF |
Royal Australian Air Force |
| Rate of Spread |
The progress of a fire expressed as a unit of time over a distance. |
| RCC |
Regional Command Centre |
| RCR |
Road Crash Rescue |
| RDC |
Regional Duty Commander |
| RDO |
Regional Duty Officer |
| Region |
CFS separates its Brigades, Groups, operations and administration into six regions. |
| RFS |
Rural Fire Service (NSW) |
| RH |
Relative Humidity - The amount of water vapour in a given volume of air, expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount of water vapour the air can hold at that temperature. |
| ROMP |
Regional Operational Management Plan |
| RL |
Riverland Fire Ban District |
| SAAS |
SA Ambulance Service |
| SACFS or CFS |
South Australian Country Fire Service |
| Safe Incident |
The stage if fire suppression, prescribed burning or incident response when it is considered that no further suppression or control action or patrols are necessary. |
| SAFECOM |
South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission |
| SAMFS or MFS |
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service |
| SAPOL |
South Australian Police |
| SDC |
CFS State Duty Commander is the person on duty, who coordinates efforts throughout the State |
| SEAT |
Single Engine Air Tanker |
| SES |
South Australian State Emergency Service |
| SEWS |
Standard Emergency Warning Signal precedes emergency warning messages |
| SDI |
Soil Dryness Index |
| SMEACS - Q |
Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration, Communications, Safety, Questions |
| SMD |
Skills Maintenance Drill |
| SOAR |
Size up, Options, Actions and Review |
| SOP |
Standard Operating Procedure |
| Stop Call |
A responding appliance is not required and is to return to station Priority 2. |
| Strike Team |
A set number of resources of the same type that have an established minimum number of personnel. Strike Teams always have a leader in a separate vehicle and a common communications system. They are made up of five resources of the same type e.g. earth moving machinery, crews and vehicles. |
| Structure Fire |
A fire burning part, or all of any building, shelter, or other construction. |
| Support Agency |
An Agency, Service, Organisation or Authority providing assistance to the combatant authority. |
| Tactic |
The tasking of personnel and resources to apply incident strategies. Incident control tactics are accomplished in accordance with appropriate agency procedures and safety directives. Tactics are normally determined at Division/Sector level with corresponding allocation of resources and personnel. |
| TFB |
Total Fire Ban - A ban on lighting and maintaining of a fire in the open, and can be invoked at any time during the year. When invoked, the Total Fire Ban is imposed for a period of 24 hours, from midnight to midnight, but may also be imposed for part of a day or days. (Fire and Emergency Services Regulations) |
| TIC |
Thermal Imaging Camera - used to detect hot areas which cannot necessarily be seen, i.e. underground, in structures etc. |
| Turnout |
Respond a brigade or appliance to an incident |
| Urban Pumper |
Appliance with large volume pump (i.e. 3,000+litres/minute @ 700 kpa) and stowage principally used for urban firefighting |
| USAR |
Urban Search and Rescue |
| USE |
Upper South East Fire Ban District |
| WC |
West Coast Fire Ban District |
