NWCG Glossary of Wildland Fire, PMS 205

A measure of the average rate of the horizontal transport of air within the Mixing Layer. May also be the wind speed at the final height of plume rise. Generally refers to the rate at which emissions will be transported from one area to another.

Base map of the planning unit showing all roads, trails, heliports, and airfields existing and programmed for construction.

Compensable time en route to or from an emergency incident.

Map showing the time required for the initial attack crew to reach various parts of a protection unit from specified positions.

Display only. Tied to Treatment/Activity Area Polygon

The name of the fuels treatment

Short name for Treatment or Activity.

the relative priority of a treatment or activity as high, medium or low

Status of the fuels treatment polygon(s).

A small ditch often constructed below a fire on sloping ground (undercut or underslung line) to catch rolling material.

A method of determining the location of an unknown point by using the laws of plane trigonometry.

A specific value. A subpart of the Functional Landscapes value.

An elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure, usually extending from the center of a low pressure system.

Substantial transportation route for fire suppression motor vehicles, built prior to a fire. Also known as a fire road.

Velocity of an aircraft in its flight path relative to the air through which it is moving.

Bearing by true north rather than magnetic north.

A line from any position on the earth’s surface to the geographic north pole. In a declination diagram of a map true north is symbolized by a line with a star at the apex.

An event dealing with response to a tsunami.

Irregular motion of the atmosphere usually produced when air flows over a comparatively uneven surface such as the surface of the earth; or when two currents of air flow past or over each other in different directions or at different speeds.

Contain a fire along a flank of the fire and begin containing it across the head. Refers to ground or air attack.

Time used by an airtanker or helitanker to reload and return to the fire.

A coat with a fire resistant outer shell and a thermal and moisture barrier liner. Used primarily by structure firefighters.

Radio equipment with transmitters in mobile units on the same frequency as the base station, permitting conversation in two directions using the same frequency in turn.

A NIMS resource classification that refers to capability of a specific kind of resource to which a metric is applied to designate it as a specific numbered class.

Lowest-level, categorization used to classify specific actions planned and implemented to address threats mitigated by the wildland fire management program.

Radio frequencies from 300 Megahertz (MHz) to 3,000 MHz with a normal range of less than 50 miles. Radio frequency common to military aircraft and used in the logistics radio system. The most common frequencies used by fire and public safety are from 406 MHz to 512 MHz. 

Level of risk as determined by the risk management process which cannot be mitigated to an acceptable safe level.

All personnel who are not official or unofficial passengers are considered unauthorized passengers and are not authorized to be transported in any aircraft owned or operated by or on behalf of the government.

The resource is not available to fill a resource order request.

The resource has been transferred to another dispatch, but the transfer has not been completed.

Airport not having an approved agency with radio communications to direct aircraft take-offs and landings.

Any fire which threatens to destroy life, property, or natural resources, and (a) is not burning within the confines of firebreaks, or (b) is burning with such intensity that it could not be readily extinguished with ordinary tools commonly available.

A fire that consume surface fuels but not the overstory canopy.

A fireline below a fire on a slope. Should be trenched to catch rolling material.

Prescribed burning under a forest canopy.

A unified area command is established when incidents under an area command are multijurisdictional.

Established when more than one agency has incident jurisdiction or when incidents cross political jurisdictions. This is accomplished by establishing a common set of incident objectives and strategies, without losing or abdicating authority, responsibility, or accountability.

Single location through which all incident resource orders are processed.

A unique identifier assigned to each wildland fire.

A code that uniquely identifies a particular fire report.

lowest in hierarchy, Relates to Agencies, Regions

The organizational element with functional responsibility for a specific activity within the Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration Sections in ICS.A generic term that represents an organizational entity that only has meaning when it is contextualized by a descriptor, e.g. jurisdictional.

A code used within the interagency incident management community to uniquely identify a particular governmental or non-government organizational unit recognized by NWCG as a wildland fire or all-risk cooperator.

A NIMS guiding principle stating that each individual involved in incident management reports to and takes direction from only one person.

A command philosophy that encourages leaders to work together to find common ground and act in the best interest of those responding to the incident, the public, and the resources that are threatened.