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Glossary TACHOMETER An instrument, dashboard or pump panel gauge that measures the engine speed in revolutions per minute (rpm). TACTICAL OBJECTIVES The specific operations that must be accomplished to achieve strategic goals. Tactical objectives must be both specific and measurable. Tactical level officers are Division / Group / Sector. TACTICS Successful methods or procedures used to deploy various tactical units (resources) to achieve objectives; methods of employing fire fighting equipment and manpower to obtain optimum results (includes methods whereas strategy is involved in planning and disposition). TAILBOARD The back step of fire apparatus. TANDEM Two-axle suspension. TANDEM PUMPING Short relay operation in which the pumper taking water from the supply source pumps into the intake of the second pumper. The second pumper boosts the pressure of the water even higher; this method is used when pressures higher than the capability of a single pump are required. TANK HEAD The top or end of a tank. TANK TRUCK A piece of apparatus used primarily for the purpose of transporting water; a tanker. TANKER A large fire department apparatus designed to carry large amounts of water (normally in excess of 1,500 gallons) use to provide a water supply for rural operations and those areas not provided with hydrants; see Mobile Water Supply Fire Apparatus; in ICS terms, tanker refers to a water-transporting fixed-wing aircraft. TANKER SHUTTLE OPERATION See Water Shuttle Operation. TANKER/PUMPER A mobile water supply apparatus equipped with a fire pump. In some jurisdictions, this term is used to differentiate a fire pump equipped mobile water supply apparatus whose main purpose is to shuttle water. TAPE The tape recording of the calls received and dispatched during communications center operations; may also refer to the code signals received on some types of alarm systems. TARGET HAZARD The major hazard associated with a chemical substance, such as corrosive hazard, fire hazard, or an explosion hazard. TARGET ORGAN The primary organ to which specific chemicals cause harm. Examples are the lungs, liver, or kidneys. TARGET TISSUE The tissue to which specific chemicals cause harm. Examples are the skin, eyes, or upper respiratory tract. TAXIWAY Aircraft movement area within the AOA, designed to bring the aircraft to or from the runway. It is identified by yellow markings and blue lights. TEAR AGENTS Produce irritating or disabling effects such as a large flow of tears and intense eye pain and irritation of the skin that rapidly disappears within minutes after exposure. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Personnel, agencies, or printed materials that provide technical information on the handling of hazardous materials. TECHNICAL INFORMATION SPECIALISTS Individuals who provide specific expertise to the Incident Commander or the HMRT either in person, by telephone, or through other electronic means. They may represent the shipper, manufacturer, or be otherwise familiar with the hazmats or problems involved. TECHNICAL PESTICIDE Highly concentrated pesticide, which is to be combined with other materials to formulate pesticide products. TELESCOPING AERIAL PLATFORM APPARATUS Type of aerial apparatus equipped with an elevating platform; also equipped with piping systems and nozzles for elevated master stream operations; are not meant to be climbed and are equipped with a small ladder that is to be used only for escape from the platform in emergency situations. TELESCOPING BOOM Aerial device raised and extended via sections that slide within each other. TELEVISION RECEIVE-ONLY (TVRO) A satellite system that can only receive and not transmit signals. TEMPERATURE The condition of an object that determines whether heat will flow to or form another object; the measurement of heat intensity. See Heat. TENDER A vehicle used primarily to serve in conjunction with engine companies or fireboats to provide additional hose or other equipment; term used within ICS for a mobile piece of apparatus that has the primary function of supporting another operation. Examples include a water tender that supplies water to pumpers, a fuel tender that supplies fuel to other vehicles, etc. Also see Tanker and Mobile Water Supply Apparatus. TENSILE STRENGTH The force required to rupture a material by pulling on it. A physical test applied to materials (ranging from plastics to steel) to determine when they will tear, break, snap, or rupture. TERA Metric prefix for 10 12, 1 000 000 000 000.0, abbreviated T. TERATOGEN A substance or agent that can result in malformations of a fetus. Material that affects the offspring when a developing embryo or fetus is exposed to that material. TERATOGENIC Causing a fetus to develop unnaturally. TERMINAL BUILDING Housing for passenger transfer from aircraft to ground transportation. Facility may also contain areas of hazards such as air cargo, baggage, etc. TERMINATION That portion of incident management where personnel are involved in documenting safety procedures, site operations, hazards faced, and lessons learned from the incident. Termination is divided into three phases: Debriefing, Post-Incident Analysis, and Critique. (NFPA 472, 1-3) See Post-Incident Analysis. TERRESTRIAL INTERFERENCE (TI) Interference of earth-based microwave communications with reception of satellite broadcasts. TERRITORY A specific geographical area to be covered by a responding company. TERRORISM A violent act or an act dangerous to human life, in violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any segment to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives (US Department of Justice). TERTIARY DECONTAMINATION A third phase of decontamination usually accomplished at a medical facility to remove remaining minute quantities of contaminant. TEST CHEMICAL The liquid or gas that is used to challenge the protective clothing material specimen. TESTING PROGRAMS Programs involving test procedures to determine chemical/protective clothing material interactions or compatibilities; testing programs include, but are not limited to, testing protective clothing materials for resistance to degradation, penetration and permeation. TETRAHEDRON A four-sided, solid geometric figure that resembles a pyramid, with one of the sides forming the base. THERMAL BURN Pertaining to or characterized by heat. THERMAL COLUMN Heated column of smoke and gases moving upward from a fire while cooler airflows toward the base of the fire; the magnitude and the intensity of a fire can often be judged by observing the thermal column. THERMAL CRACKING A refining process, which decomposes, rearranges, or combines hydrocarbon molecules by the application of heat without the aid of catalysts. THERMAL GENERATING Pertaining to or characterized by the production of heat. THERMAL STABILITY The safe storage temperature at which a chemical will not break down or become unstable. THERMAL STRESSOR Any of a series of heat (or cold) related products that may cause a container to fail. Example: a cryogenic substance embrittling a material, causing it to fail. Liquid nitrogen on the tires of a truck. THERMOCOUPLE A device for measuring temperature, in which two electrical conductors of dissimilar metals (such as copper and iron) are joined at the point where heat is to be applied. THIRD PARTY TESTING AGENCY : Independent agency hired to perform nonbiased testing on a specific piece of apparatus. THIRD RAIL A common term to denote the rail in an electrical powered train line from which the electrical power is transmitted. THIRD RESPONDERS Those personnel required to help the first or second responders handle special situations or conduct the cleanup, removal, and associated activities; can include federal environmental protection and health officials, other federal agencies commercial response and cleanup companies, and appropriate industry representatives. THRESHOLD A minimal signal-to-noise input required to allow a video receiver to deliver an acceptable picture. THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE (TLV) The concentration of a toxic substance that can be tolerated with no ill effects. For an airborne toxic material, the Threshold Limit Value is used as a guide in the control of health hazards and represents the concentration to which nearly all workers may be exposed eight hours per day over extended periods of time without adverse effects. THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE/SHORT TERM EXPOSURE LIMIT (TLV/STEL) The 15-minute, time-weighted average exposure which should not be exceeded at any time, nor repeated more than four times daily with a 60-minute rest period required between each STEL exposure. The lower the value, the more toxic the substance. THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE/SKIN (SKIN) Indicates a possible and significant contribution to overall exposure to a material by absorption through the skin, mucous membranes, and eyes by direct or airborne contact. THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE/TIME-WEIGHTED AVERAGE (TLV/TWA) The airborne concentration of a material to which an average, healthy person may be exposed repeatedly for 8 hours each day, 40 hours per week, without suffering adverse effects. The young, old, ill, and naturally susceptible will have lower tolerances and will need to take additional precautions. TLVs are based upon current available information and are adjusted on an annual basis by organizations such as the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). As TLVs are time-weighted averages over an eight-hour exposure, they are difficult to correlate to emergency response operations. The lower the value, the more toxic the substance. THROTTLE CONTROL Device that controls the engine speed. THROUGH THE ROOF A visual indication that the fire has gained sufficient headway so as to vent itself by burning a hole through the roof of a structure. THROWING SALVAGE COVERS To spread salvage covers over items by throwing them. TIE IN Securing oneself to a ladder by the use of a rope, hose tool, belt, or by inserting one leg between the rungs of a ladder. TIER I Inventory form for reporting Hazardous Chemicals (Sec. 312) and extremely Hazardous Substances (Sec. 302). TIER II A form similar to the Tier I form but which describes in more detail the chemical quantity and location(s) within the facility. TILLER The rear steering wheel on a large aerial ladder truck or other vehicle requiring two separate steering mechanisms. TILLERMAN The person who operates the rear wheel and steering mechanism of a large aerial ladder. TIME INTERVAL The time between weightings of the permeation cup. TIME-TEMPERATURE CURVE A graph curve showing the rise or fall in temperature at stated intervals in relation to the elapsed time and the fire resistance or combustibility of various materials. TIME-WEIGHTED AVERAGE (TWA) The average concentration for a normal 8-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek, to which nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect. TIR(TRANSPORT INTERNATIONAL ROUTIER) International Transport by Road. This is the name of a customs convention (or agreement) that exists among many countries, principally European; permits vehicles or containers, properly approved and certified to be sealed under Customs direction in one country and be transported across borders of member countries without re inspection until arrival of its final destination where the seal is then removed under Customs supervision. TITER The quantity of a substance required to react with, or to correspond to, a given amount of another substance. TLV-C THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE – CEILING) Published by the ACGIH. The concentration that should not be exceeded during any part of the work exposure. TLV-STEL (THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE - SHORT TERM EXPOSURE) Limit published by the ACGIH. The concentration to which workers can be exposed continuously for a short period of time without suffering from 1) irritation, 2) chronic or irreversible tissue damage or 3) narcosis if sufficient degree to increase the likelihood of accidental injury, impair self-rescue or materially reduce work efficiency and provided that the TLV-TWA is not exceeded. Usually this is a 15-minute time period that is to occur no more than 4 times daily with at least one hour breaks between exposures. TLV-TWA (THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE-TIME WEIGHTED AVERAGE) An exposure level under which most people can work consistently for eight hours a day, day after day, with no harmful effects. Abbreviation for Threshold Limit Value – Time Weighted Average published by the ACGIH. A term used to express the airborne concentration of a material to which nearly all workers can be exposed day after day without adverse effects; the allowable time-weighted average (TWA) concentration for a normal 8-hour workday or 40-hour week. TNT Abbreviation for Trinitrotoluene. TOFC (TRAILER-ON-FLATCAR) Also referred to as a piggyback. TOP-LOADING VALVES Top-loading valves are attached to a removable education pipe (dip leg, dip tube, or siphon tube) running into the tank. TOPOGRAPHY The description of a particular place (as a city, building, or tract of land); the configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of its natural and manmade features. Ideally will consist of a map or chart showing relative positions and elevations. TORCH A person hired to set fires for fraudulent purposes. TORMENTOR POLES Poles attached to long extension ladders for the purpose of steadying the ladder during the raising and lowering operations. TORQUE A method of measuring usable engine power at the shaft. TORR A unit of pressure equivalent to the amount of pressure that will support a column of mercury one millimeter high. 760 torr (760 mmHg) is equal to atmospheric pressure at sea level or 14.7 psi. TOTAL PRESSURE Total amount of pressure loss in a hose assembly due to friction loss in the hose and appliances, elevation losses, or any other factors. TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCE Sum of the driver/operator reaction distance and the vehicle braking distance. TOTALLY-ENCATOTALLY-ENCAPSULATING CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE SUIT (TECP) PSULATING CHEMICAL PROTECTIVE SUIT (TE A full body garment that is constructed of protective clothing materials; covers the wearer's torso, head, arms and legs; covers the wearer's hands and feet with either permanently or tightly attached gloves and boots; and completely encloses the wearer by itself or in combination with the wearer's respiratory equipment, gloves and boots. TOTE A carrying device used for transporting tools or specialized equipment. A small portable container usually used in intermodal transportation. TOUCH OFF To set a fire or to describe a fire that firefighters believe has been purposely set. TOW BAR A beam structure used to maintain rigidly the distance between a towed vehicle and the towing vehicle. TOWER See Drill Tower. TOWER LADDER Term used to describe a telescoping aerial platform fire apparatus. TOXIC MATERIALS Substances that can be poisonous if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed into the body through cuts or breaks in the skin. TOXIC PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION The toxic by-products of the combustion process. Depending upon the materials burning, higher levels of personal protective clothing and equipment may be required. TOXICITY The ability of a substance to produce injury once it reaches a susceptible site in or on the body; a measure of the harmful effect produced by a given amount of toxin on a living organism; the relative toxicity of an agent can be expressed in milligrams of toxin needed per kilogram of body weight to kill experimental animals; the property a material possesses which enables it to injure the physiological mechanism of an organism by chemical means, with the maximum effect being incapacitation or death. TRACTION Act of exerting a pulling force. TRACTOR-TILLER AERIAL LADDER Aerial ladder apparatus that consists of a tractor power unit and trailer (tiller) section that contains the aerial ladder, ground ladders, and equipment storage areas; the trailer section is steered independently of the tractor by a person called the tiller operator/tillerman. TRADE NAME A name used by a manufacturer or merchant for a product. A special name used for anything by those who buy and sell it. TRADE SLANG Terminology used by people in a particular type of business characterized by freshness and vividness. Ordinary words or phrases used in special and arbitrary senses; special talk or language of a particular class of people. TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE Mechanical device that automatically changes traffic signal lights to favor the path of responding emergency apparatus. TRAILERS Trails of fast-burning materials used by arsonists as fuses to rapidly spread a fire throughout a structure. TRANSFER To move a firefighter to a different unit; the movement of companies or apparatus. TRANSFER VALVE (also change over valve) A valve used for placing multistage centrifugal pumps in either volume or pressure operation. TRANSMISSION OF HEAT The Law of Heat Flow through conduction, convection, and radiation. TRANSMIT To send out an alarm or to speak over communicators. TRANSMITTER A device for sending out codes or signals over alarm circuits or for voice communications over the air. TRANSPONDER The designation the carrier gives to the isolated frequency on a satellite. TRANSVERSE The longer axis of an ellipse; lying or passing across, usually at right angles; placed crosswise; crossing from side to side. TRANSVERSE HOSE BED Hose bed that lies across the pumper body at a right angle to the main hose bed; designed to deploy pre-connected attack hose to the sides of the pumper. Also called Mattydale Hose Bed. TRAPEZOIDAL TEAR A test that measures the force required to propagate a tear across a fabric. TRASH LINE Small diameter, pre-connected hoseline intended to be used for trash or other small, exterior fires. TRIAGE Sorting; a technique of establishing rescue, decontamination, treatment and transportation priorities in any event where the number of casualties overwhelms the resources of the emergency response organizations. TRIBOELECTRIC EFFECT The creation of static electrical charges when two dissimilar materials, such as amber rod and silk cloth, are rubbed together. TRIM To cause (a vessel) to float on an even keel by arrangement of cargo, ballast, etc.; to balance (an aircraft) so that it maintains level flight with main controls in neutral positions. The attitude of an aircraft relative to the horizontal plane when it is balanced in flight at a particular altitude with regard to prevailing winds. TRIPLE HYDRANT A fire hydrant having three outlets, usually two 21/2-inch outlets and one larger outlet. TRIPLE-COMBINATION PUMPER A fire department pumper that carries a fire pump, hose, and a water tank. TRITIATED WATER VAPOR Tritium oxide (heavy, heavy water) vapor. TRUCK A ladder truck that carries a complement of ladders, tools, and equipment. TRUCK (RAIL) The complete assembly of parts including wheels, axles, bearings, side frames, bolster, brake rigging, springs, and all associated connecting components whose function is to provide support, mobility, and guidance to a railcar. TRUCK COMPANY A ladder truck complement of firefighters. TRUMPETS Symbolic insignia or rank used throughout the fire service dating back to the time when fire officers gave commands through speaking trumpets. TRUNK LINE The main line of a railroad, pipeline, or canal system connecting important commercial areas with each other or with the sea. TRUSS A construction member used to form roof framework; to support, strengthen, or stiffen as a beam; may form triangles or combinations of triangles for added strength, known to weaken by the effects of fire. TRUSS BLOCKS The blocks used to separate the beams of a truss beam ladder. Also called Beam Blocks or Rung Blocks. TURBINE PROPELLER/TURBO PROP Aircraft engine combining special power plant characteristics developed by the compression of air, adding fuel to the compressed air, igniting the mixture and releasing the pressure to form thrust. The resulting thrust turns a center shaft attached to propeller blades. TURN OUT To alert a fire company or unit for response. TURNOUT CLOTHING A name given to bunker, or protective, clothing. TURNTABLE A rotating platform at the base of an aerial ladder, usually containing the operator's panel. TURRET A vehicle-mounted master stream device; a heavy stream nozzle mounted on other equipment and connected by piping to the pump; also called Turret Gun, Monitor, Deck Gun, Heavy Stream Device. TURRET PIPE Large master stream appliance mounted on a pumper or trailer and connected directly to a pump. Also called Monitor, Deck Gun or Deck Pipe. TWO-STAGE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP A centrifugal pump with two impellers. |
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