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Glossary F TYPE COUPLER A type of shelf coupler with a vertical restraint mechanism on the top and bottom. It serves to reduce the potential for coupler disengagement in a rail accident. FAA Abbreviation for the Federal Aviation Administration. FABRIC CONSTRUCTION The type of weave in a woven material, including the number of warp yarns (extending lengthwise in a loom) and weft yarns (extending widthwise in a loom) per square centimeter of fabric. These are described as ends and picks per 10 cm. FAILURE OF CONTAINER ATTACHMENTS Attachments which open up or break off the container, such as pressure relief valves, frangible discs, fusible plugs, discharge valves, or other related appliances. FALSE CEILING An additional suspended ceiling below the true original ceiling, thus forming a concealed space. FALSE FRONT An additional facade on a building, applied after the original construction. FDIC (FIRE DEPARTMENT INSTRUCTORS CONFERENCE) Annual meeting of fire department officials. FEMTO Metric prefix for 10-15, 0.000 000 000 000 001,abbreviated F. FEP Fluorinated ethylene polymer, a type of highly chemical-resistant barrier polymers sold by DuPont as Teflon®. FERROUS CONTAINER A container, which is predominantly made of iron. FHWA Federal Highway Administration; the DOT division concerned with highway construction and usage. Other similar divisions of DOT relate to air, rail, and water transportation. FIBERGLASS A man-made fiber used primarily in the production of insulating materials and for reinforcing plastics and composites. The primary hazard is that thin fibers can be inhaled and deposited in the lung, where they can accumulate and may cause fibrotic changes. An additional hazard is eye and skin irritation. FICK'S LAWS OF DIFFUSION Mathematical descriptions of the movement of one type of molecule through another. FID Abbreviation for Flame Ionization Detector. FIFTH WHEEL A device used to connect a truck tractor or converter dolly to a semi trailer in order to permit articulation between the units. It generally is composed of a lower part consisting of a trunnion, plate, and latching mechanism mounted on the truck tractor (or dolly) and a king pin assembly mounted on the semi trailer. FIFTH WHEEL PICKUP RAMP A steel plate designed to lift the front end of a semi trailer to facilitate engagement to the kingpin into the fifth wheel. FILL HOSE A short section of hose carried on apparatus equipped with booster tanks for filling the tank from a hydrant or from another truck. FILL OPENING An opening in top of a tank used for filling the tank. Usually incorporated in a manhole cover. FILL VALVE An inlet valve assembly used for loading product into a cargo tank. FILLET WELD A weld, approximately triangular in cross, section, joining two surfaces essentially at right angles to each other in a lap, T, or corner joint. FINISH A chemical or mechanical modification, or both, of the fabric for a specific performance result. FINISHING TECHNIQUE As applies to laundry and dry cleaning procedures, the mechanical means which puts the garment in its final state (for example, pressing, drying, wrinkle removal, etc.). FIRE The rapid oxidation of a combustible material accompanied by the release of energy in the form of heat and light. FIRE BEHAVIOR The manner in which fuel ignites, flames develop, and heat and fire spread. Sometimes used with reference to the characteristics of a particular fire as distinguished from other fires. FIRE BOAT APPARATUS A specially constructed boat for the purpose of fighting fire. FIRE BREAK An open, clear area maintained through ground cover such as grass, brush, and trees to prevent the spread of fire. FIRE BRIGADE An organization of industrial plant personnel who are trained to use the fire fighting equipment within the plant and to carry out fire prevention activities. FIRE BUCKET (also fire pail) A bucket with a round bottom, usually painted red and marked with the word fire to discourage use for purposes other than fire fighting. Frequently kept filled with water, sand, or other fire-extinguishing material. FIRE BUG A common term to describe an arsonist or a pyromaniac. FIRE BUILDING Used to describe the training building in which firefighting is practiced; also, the building in which a fire is in progress. FIRE CAUSE The combination of fuel supply, heat source, and a hazardous act that results in a fire. FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTION Connections provided at ground level through which the fire department supplies sprinkler systems or standpipe systems. FIRE DETECTION DEVICES The devices and connections installed in a building for the purpose of detecting the presence of heat, smoke, or flame. FIRE DISTRICT A designated geographic area in which fire companies and apparatus are maintained. FIRE DOOR A specially constructed, tested, and approved door installed for the purpose of preventing the spread of fire. FIRE ENTRY SUITS Suits which offer complete, effective protection for short-duration entry into a total flame environment. Designed to withstand exposures to radiant heat levels up to 2,000° F. Entry suits consist of a coat, pants, and separate hood assembly. They are constructed of several layers of flame-retardant materials, with the outer layer often aluminized. FIRE ESCAPE A means of escaping from a building in the event of a fire. Usually, an exterior stairway or slide independently supported and of fire-resistive construction. FIRE FIGHTER An enrolled, active member of a fire department. FIRE FLOW The quantity of water required for fire protection in a given area. Fire flow is measured both in GPM's and in required duration. This is in addition to the water supply required for normal consumption. FIRE FLOW TEST A procedure of testing quantity, rate of flow, and gallons per minute in a predetermined area. FIRE GASES Those gases produced as combustion occurs. FIRE GROUND An area around a fire or the area occupied by fire fighting forces. FIRE GUARD A person trained and assigned to watch for fires and life safety for specific period or events. FIRE HAZARDS Conditions that are conducive to fire or are likely to increase the extent or severity of fire. The terms hazard or hazardous are also used to indicate the type of material or rate of burning. FIRE LANE An area around a commercial establishment where parking is restricted and left open for fire department access. FIRE LINES Boundaries established around a fire area to prevent access to all except emergency vehicles and persons having a right and a need to be present. Also used in forest fire fighting to describe a line of firefighters engaged in preventing the spread of a forest fire. FIRE LOAD The weight of the combustible materials found in both the structure and contents of a building; expressed as weight per square foot. FIRE MARK A distinctive metal marker once produced by insurance companies for the buildings of their policyholders; now collector's items. FIRE MARSHAL The chief fire prevention officer of a state, province, county, or municipality. FIRE PREVENTION That part of the science of fire protection that deals with preventing the outbreak of fire by eliminating fire hazards through inspection, education, and investigation programs. FIRE PREVENTION CODE OR ORDINANCE A law enacted in a political jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing fire prevention and safety regulations. FIRE PREVENTION WEEK Proclaimed by the president of the United States each year in commemoration of the anniversary of the great Chicago conflagration of October 9,1871, and takes place during the week that contains October 9. FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER A graduate of an accredited institution of higher learning who has specialized in engineering problems related to fire protection. FIRE PUMP A water pump used in private fire protection for providing additional water supply to installed fire protection systems. Also, the water pump on fire apparatus. FIRE REPORT The official report of afire, generally prepared by the officer in charge of the fire operation. FIRE RESISTANCE A relative term having reference to the amount of time a material will resist a normal fire as measured on a standard time-temperature curve. FIRE RESISTIVE Material and design of building construction meant to withstand the maximum effect of a fire for a specific period of time. FIRE RETARDANT Used to indicate that materials or substances have been treated to retard ignition or the spread of fire. FIRE SERVICE Organized fire prevention, fire protection, and fire fighting services; its members, individually and collectively; and all allied organizations who assist in preventing and combating fires. FIRE STOPPING The blocking off of concealed spaces within the walls, floors, and ceilings of structures, to prevent the unseen extension of fire through these areas. FIRE STORM An atmospheric disturbance as a result of the rise of heat from a large conflagration. Violent convection caused by a rising column of heated air creates intense winds toward the fire center encompassing the entire fire area. FIRE STREAM stream of water from a fire nozzle, used to control and combat fires. FIRE TRAP Usually, an old structure with inadequate protective equipment and exits. Considered likely to contribute to major loss of life in the event of a fire. FIRE TRIANGLE A plane geometric figure in which the three sides of an equilateral triangle represent oxygen, heat, and fuel, the elements necessary to sustain combustion. FIRE WALL A solid wall of masonry or other noncombustible material capable of resisting fire for a prescribed period. Firewalls extend through roofs to divide with parapets above the roof large sections of buildings to prevent the overlapping or spread of fire. FIRE WHIRLWIND Revolving mass of air created by a fire, normally as a result of a forest fire. FIREMEN'S CARRY One of several methods of lifting and carrying a disabled victim to a place of safety. FIREPROOF The word fireproof is a misnomer as it means that something absolutely will not burn. Other terms, such as fire resistive or fire resistant, should be used to indicate the degree of resistance to fire. FIRES, CLASSIFICATION OF: Class A fires - Fires involving ordinary combustible material, best extinguished by cooling and quenching action. Class B fires - Fires involving flammable liquids; best extinguished by smothering agents. Class C fires - Fires involving energized electrical equipment; best extinguished by shutting off the electricity and combating either as A or B fire, depending on the involved material. Class D fires - Fires involving metals such as magnesium and titanium. Special extinguishing agents are available in hand extinguisher size that is effective in controlling this type of fire. FIRST RESPONDER The first trained personnel to arrive on the scene of a hazardous material incident. Usually officials from local emergency services, firefighters, and police. FIRST RESPONDER, AWARENESS LEVEL Individuals who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance release who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. They would take no further action beyond notifying the authorities of the release. FIRST RESPONDER, OPERATIONS LEVEL Individuals who respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous substances as part of the initial response to the site for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the environment from the effects of the release. They are trained to respond in a defensive fashion without actually trying to stop the release. Their function is to contain the release from a safe distance, keep it from spreading, and prevent exposures. FISSION The physical process in which atoms split into lighter elements. Generally, this process is accompanied by the production of heat and radiation. FIT The quality, state or manner in which the length and closeness of clothing, when worn, relates to the human body. FIXED ROOF A container whose ceiling cannot be moved. A permanently attached roof that does not rise or fall with the level of product contained inside (opposed to a floating roof). FIXED SITE Any building, structure, installation, equipment pipe or pipeline well, pit, pond, lagoon, impoundment, ditch, landfill, storage container, etc., where a hazardous substance has been deposited, stored, disposed of, placed, or otherwise comes to be located. FIXED WING AIRCRAFT Commonly referred to as an airplane. Air movement provides lift across an airfoil. Components of this style craft often consist of a fuselage, tail section, power plants, and rigid wings, as opposed to a helicopter. FLAME A product of combustion that produces light. FLAME FRONT The outermost edge or surface of the flame. FLAME IMPINGEMENT The points where flames contact the surface of a container. FLAME INTERFACE The area or surface between the gases or vapors and the visible flame. FLAME PROPAGATION The rate of travel of a flame. FLAME RESISTANCE Resistance to being ignited by fire. FLAME RETARDANT The degree to which an ignited material will extinguish itself. FLAME SPREAD The rate at which flame spreads. FLAMEOVER Condition that occurs when a portion of the fire gases trapped at the upper level of a room ignites, spreading flame across the ceiling of the room. Also called Rollover. FLAMMABILITY The degree to which a material will catch fire and support combustion. Flammability also refers to the rate at which a material will be consumed by fire. FLAMMABLE Any material that is capable of being easily ignited and of burning with extreme rapidity. The term used in reference to combustible material that ignites very easily or burns rapidly or has a rapid rate of flame spread. FLAMMABLE COMPRESSED GAS Any flammable material or mixture in a container having a pressure exceeding psi at 100 degrees F (37.78 degrees C). FLAMMABLE GAS Any compressed gas that will burn. FLAMMABLE LIMITS/EXPLOSIVE LIMITS The range of gas or vapor concentrations (percent by volume in air) that will burn or explode if an ignition source is present. Limiting concentrations are commonly called the LOWER EXPLOSIVE LIMIT (LEL) and the UPPER EXPLOSIVE LEVEL (UEL). Below the LEL the mixture is too lean to burn, and above the UEL it is too rich to burn. FLAMMABLE LIQUID Any liquid that has a flash point below 100 degrees F (37.7 degree C). FLAMMABLE MATERIAL A substance that is capable of being easily ignited and of burning rapidly. FLAMMABLE RANGE The range between a substance's flammable limits. See Explosive Range. FLAMMABLE SOLID Any material, other than an explosive, that is liable to cause fires through friction, retained heat from manufacturing or processing, or that can be ignited readily and when ignited burns so vigorously and persistently as to create a serious transportation hazard. It is liable to cause fires under ordinary conditions or during transportation through friction or retained heat from manufacturing or processing. It burns so vigorously and persistently as to create a serious transportation hazard. Included in this class are spontaneously combustible and water reactive materials. Example: white phosphorous. FLASH BACK The tendency of flammable liquid fires to re-ignite from a source of ignition after they have been extinguished. Also, the vapors of flammable liquids may serve as a fuse leading from a source of ignition back to the flammable liquid's container. Also called Backflash. FLASH FIRE A rapid burning of flammable gases characterized by high temperature, short duration and a considerable shock wave. A type of fire that spreads rapidly through a vapor environment. FLASH OVER The stage of afire in which a room or other confined area becomes heated to the point that flames flash over the entire surface of the area. FLASH POINT The minimum temperature of a liquid at which it gives off vapors sufficiently fast to form an ignitable mixture with air and will flash when subjected to an external ignition source (but will not continue to burn). The lowest temperatures at which a substance will emit sufficient vapors to ignite momentarily near the surface of the substance. This fire will not continue to burn. Vapors are not being emitted rapidly enough to sustain combustion. See Burnpoint. FLASHING Liquid-tight rail on top of a tank that contains water and spillage and directs it to suitable drains. May be combined with DOT overturn protection. FLASHING DRAIN Metal or plastic tube that drains water and spillage from flashing to the ground. FLAT DECK A small partial lower deck of a ship built without an arched surface. FLAT LOAD An arrangement of fire hose in a hose bed or compartment in which the hose lies flat with successive layers one upon the other. FLAT RAISE The raising of a ladder with both beams touching the ground. FLATBED A motor truck or trailer with a body in the form of a platform or shallow box. FLATCAR A freight car having a flat floor or deck laid on the under frame, with no sides, ends, or roof, designed for handling commodities or intermodal containers not requiring protection from the weather. FLOATER An immiscible system such as hydrocarbons in aqueous solutions. As the specific gravity is always less than 1, the nonpolar hydrocarbon will float on the surface of the water. Also slang for external floater or floating roof storage tank. FLOATING ROOF A special type of steel tank roof that floats upon the surface of the liquid in the tank, thereby eliminating tank breathing and reducing evaporation losses. FLUSH HYDRANT A hydrant installed in a pit below ground level, such as near the runway area of airports or other locations where aboveground hydrants would be unsuitable. FLY Either of the top sections of an extension or aerial ladder. FMANA Fire Marshals Association of North America. FOAM A suds like extinguishing agent formed by mixing a foam-producing compound with water. Mechanical foam is produced by agitation; chemical foam is produced when two or more chemicals react. FOAM BLANKET A covering of foam applied over a burning surface to produce a smothering effect; can be used on non-burning surfaces to prevent ignition. FOAM CONCENTRATE Raw chemical compound solution that is mixed with water and air to produce foam. FOAM EDUCTOR Type of foam proportioner used for mixing foam concentrate in proper proportions with a stream of water to produce foam solution. FOAM GENERATORS Devices for mixing chemical or mechanical foam in proper proportion with a stream of water to produce foam. FOAM PROPORTIONER Device that injects the correct amount of foam concentrate into the water stream to make the foam solution. FOAM SOLUTION Mixture of foam concentrate and water after it leaves the proportioner but before it is discharged from the nozzle and air is added to it. FOG Finely divided particles of water used for fire control. FOG FOAM Foam applied in the form of a fog. FOG PATTERN The angle at which water spray leaves the fog nozzle. FOG STREAM Water stream of finely divided particles used for fire control. FOGGING DEVICES Mechanical devices that produce a fog of a deodorant for the purpose of deodorizing and removing contaminants from a fire area after the fire has been extinguished. FOLD-A-TANK See Portable Tank. FOOD PROCESSING Activities in which food is handled, such as food packaging, cooking and serving. FOOTHEAD The term used to describe the amount of pressure at the base of a column of water. The pressure exerted at the base equals .434 psi for each foot of elevation. FORCIBLE ENTRY Techniques used by the fire service to get into buildings, automobiles, aircraft or other areas of confinement when normal means of entry are locked or blocked. FORGE WELD A weld of hot metal by pressure or blows only. FORGING The procedure for replacing a railroad car or the track after derailment. FORM The shape and structure of something as distinguished from the material of which it is composed. External appearance. FORMULA Any variety of mathematical computations used primarily in the fire service to determine pressures, flows, and gallons per minute. FOSSIL (CONVENTIONAL) FUEL Coal, oil, or natural gas. FOUR-WAY HYDRANT VALVE Device that permits a pumper to boost the pressure in a supply line connected to a hydrant without interrupting the water flow. FRANGIBLE DISK A part of a safety vent made of metal (lead or steel), plastic, rubber, or a combination metal. Under normal conditions the device is closed; once ruptured, the frangible disk does not re-close. Also called a rupture disk. FREE BURNING The second phase of burning, in which materials or structures are burning in the presence of adequate oxygen. FREEBOARD The part of a ship’s side between the water line and the deck or gunwale. FREEZING POINT The temperature of degrees C or degrees F at which a liquid solidifies; the temperature at which matter converts into a solid. FRICTION LOSS The loss of pressure resulting from water rubbing against and being agitated by the interior walls of fire hose, pipe, or fittings. Friction loss is measured in psi (pounds per square inch) per hundred feet. FROG A rail arrangement, which guides the flanges of the wheels over the gaps at points where a railroad track crosses, or branches from another. It helps a train to stay on its track. FRONT BUMPER WELL Hose or tool compartment built into the front bumper of a fire apparatus. FRONT-MOUNT PUMP A fire department pump mounted in front of the radiator of a vehicle. Fire pump mounted in front of the radiator of a vehicle and powered off the crankshaft. FUEL Any combustible material capable of adding to the magnitude or intensity of a fire. FUEL CELLS A device that produces electricity directly from a chemical reaction between oxygen and a gaseous fuel such as hydrogen or carbon monoxide. A unit of a device that supplies the fuel typically for locomotion. FULL FACE RESPIRATOR A respirator that covers the entire face from chin to hairline and from ear to ear that provides added eye protection and a better seal between the respirator body and the face. FULL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Clothing that will prevent gases, vapors, liquids and solids from coming in contact with the skin. Full protective clothing includes the helmet self-contained breathing apparatus, coat and pants customarily worn by fire fighters (turnout or bunker coat and pants), rubber boots, gloves, bands around legs, wrist and waist. As well as covering for the neck, ears and other parts of the head not protected by the helmet, breathing apparatus, or face mask. FULL TURNOUTS Often called bunker gear or structural firefighting clothing, the protective clothing normally worn by firefighters during structural firefighting operations. FULLY INVOLVED When an entire area, or an entire building, is completely involved in heat, smoke, and flame. FUMES An airborne dispersion consisting of minute solid particles arising from the heating of a solid (such as molten metal, welding). This heating is often accompanied by a chemical reaction where the particles react with oxygen to form an oxide. FUNGI Any group of plants mainly characterized by the absence of chlorophyll, the green colored compound found in other plants. Fungi range from microscopic single-celled plant (such as mold and mildews) to large plants (such as mushrooms). FUNGICIDE A pesticide that controls or inhibits fungus growth. FUSED HEAD Automatic sprinkler head that has operated as a result of exposure to heat. FUSIBLE LINK A connecting link device that fuses or melts when exposed to heat. Used in sprinkler heads, fire doors, and ventilators. A piece of material (usually low melting point metals) designed to fail in a fire or under stress to activate a safety device such as a fire door. FUSIBLE PLUGS A safety release device in the form of a plug of low melting metal. The plugs close the safety relief device channel under normal conditions, and are intended to yield or melt at a set temperature to permit the escape of gas. A safety mechanism found on multi unit or "ton" containers. It is nonrecloseable and functions by melting at a prescribed temperature to allow for the escape of excess pressure. FUSION WELD A weld created by joining two or more metal surfaces together by melting. |
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