This page gathers the 83 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Firefighting”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples.
- apparatus noun A vehicle used for emergency response.
- at noun Abbreviation of air tanker.
- autoextension noun The spread of a fire from one floor of a building to another by means of the windows.
- backdraft noun Sudden, dangerous recombustion that occurs when there is a rapid reintroduction of oxygen to an enclosed space containing a fire.
- backfire noun Alternative form of back fire.
- backstretch verb To lay a supply line from the region of the fire backwards toward the water source.
- bailout noun The situation where a firefighter uses equipment to escape a structure where fire has proven uncontrollable.
- black noun The blackened, burned-out area at the centre of a fire.
- blackline noun A line of deliberately burned material created to stop the advance of a larger fire.
- boneyard noun An area scraped down to the mineral soil, so that smouldering material can be placed there without starting another fire.
- Bresnan nozzle noun A rotating nozzle with multiple outlets, capable of spraying jets of water in a circular pattern when lowered through the floor above.
- brownout noun A temporary closing of a fire station, usually due to budget restrictions.
- catline noun A fireline constructed with the front blade of a bulldozer or similar tracked vehicle.
- chauffeur noun The driver of a fire truck.
- containment line noun A linear area which has been cleared of inflammable material in order to prevent a fire from spreading across it.
- counterfire verb To light a smaller fire at some distance from a wildfire, in order to develop a firebreak.
- cross lay noun An arrangement of the fire hose on a fire engine for rapid deployment, involving storage of the hose perpendicularly across the fire…
- crown verb To spread to the crowns of the trees and thence move from tree to tree independent of the surface fire.
- cubie noun A five-gallon, boxed, plastic bag of drinking water used by firefighters.
- deluge noun A system for flooding or drenching a space, container, or area with water in an emergency to prevent or extinguish a fire.
- door opener noun A crowbar-like tool used by firefighters to quickly force locked doors to open.
- drafting noun The act or process of drawing water out of a source.
- drafting site noun A designated location for a firefighter to draw or pump water out of a natural source, such as a lake or river.
- drop tank noun A portable tank used at the scene of a fire to hold water from the fire engine.
- duckbill noun A device used to force padlocks.
- engine house noun A building for housing a fire engine, a firehouse or fire station.
- engineer noun A person who drives or operates a fire engine (firefighting apparatus).
- fill site noun A designated location for a firefighter to draw or pump water out of a natural source, such as a lake or river.
- filling site noun A designated location for a firefighter to draw or pump water out of a natural source, such as a lake or river.
- fire alarm noun An emergency response to a fire by the fire department with manpower and equipment.
- fire brigade noun A group of people within a corporation or industrial site, organized for the purpose of extinguishing fires, usually in addition to their…
- fire cabinet noun a cabinet filled with firefighting equipment
- fire company noun An organization whose purpose is to extinguish fires.
- fire department noun An organization, often part of a local government, whose purpose is preventing and putting out fires. May provide other emergency services…
- fire engine noun A vehicle used by firefighters to pump water to fight a fire. Typically, a fire engine carries a supply of water and has the ability to…
- fire grenade noun A glass bulb filled with caustic and often carcinogenic liquid chemicals that, when thrown and broken in a fire, smother the fire by…
- fire hydrant noun A device used by firefighters to obtain water from the main supply, consisting of a barrel, connections for hose and a valve assembly.
- fire service noun Service in a fire department or other firefighting organization, whether as a chosen career, or as a result of volunteering or a form of…
- fire site noun The site of a fire.
- firebreak noun An area cleared of all flammable material to prevent a fire from spreading across it.
- firehouse noun A fire station
- fireman noun Someone (especially male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
- five-alarm adj The highest priority category of a multialarm fire.
- foam verb To coat or cover with foam.
- fog out verb To ventilate a space by breaking open a window to let smoke out.
- freelancer noun One who performs duties outside of the chain of command and SOPs.
- goer noun A fire incident in progress.
- grab noun The rescue of a person from a burning structure.
- halyard noun A rope used to extend a ladder.
- hot spot noun A part of a forest fire which is burning actively.
- hot zone noun An area to which access is restricted because it is contaminated with radiation or a chemical or biological biohazard.
- increaser noun An adapter for connecting hoses of differing diameters.
- jaws of life noun Emergency rescue equipment used to open a severely damaged passenger vehicle with a strong mechanical jaw function that forcibly pushes or…
- jet siphon noun A venturi tube appliance for moving large amounts of water from one reservoir tank to another by pumping a small amount of pressurized…
- K-factor noun The discharge rate from a nozzle, as calculated using a formula.
- knock down verb To reduce the burning of (a fire), as by cooling it with water or dirt.
- ladder verb To ascend (a building, a wall, etc.) using a ladder.
- leatherhead noun A firefighter.
- longline noun A long cable used to raise or lower loads from a helicopter when landing is not possible.
- mop up noun The cleanup of an area by removing burning material, felling dead trees, securing logs from moving, etc.
- one-hour fuel noun Vegetation with a high surface-to-mass ratio, able to dry out and become flammable within an hour of having been moist.
- overhaul noun The process after the fire appears extinguished in which the firefighters search the structure for signs of hot spots that may cause the…
- pelican noun A waterbomber.
- PPV noun Initialism of positive-pressure ventilation.
- preconnect noun A hose with one end ready connected to a pump outlet.
- probie noun A neophyte firefighter.
- quint noun A vehicle used by firefighters that combines the capabilities of a fire engine and a fire truck, having the ability to provide vertical…
- raking fire noun The act of clearing vegetation and create firebreaks by cutting brush and raking away flammable debris (with fire rakes).
- red card noun A card indicating a firefighter's qualifications and specialties.
- rehab noun A brief period of time spent away from the fire by a firefighter at a fire scene, for purposes of recuperation.
- roll noun A 14-day deployment.
- rolling brownout noun Of firefighting services, a deliberate reduction in multiple service areas during staggered times.
- rollover noun The sudden ignition of flammable gases (produced by pyrolysis in an oxygen-poor environment) near the ceiling of a room or other enclosed…
- scooper noun A type of air tanker waterbomber airplane, which is capable of landing on water, and directly scooping up water to fill its tanks, by…
- size up noun The initial evaluation of an incident and how to deal with it.
- snozzle noun A reinforced firefighting nozzle used to pierce the exterior skin of an aircraft and spray water or firefighting foam inside the aircraft…
- squad noun Ellipsis of squad truck.
- tanker noun An aircraft built or modified to carry water and/or fire retardant for dropping on wildfires.
- triple noun Short for triple combination engine.
- truckie noun A firefighter who works from a fire truck.
- watchout noun Any potentially hazardous condition or situation that may make a fire more dangerous.
- wetdown noun A traditional ceremony of spraying water over a new fire truck before it is placed into service.
- wetline noun A line that has been doused with water in order to stop the advance of a fire.