Terms you won't read in an IFSTA manual

[EastKyFF]

As we train, we all get the feeling that there is a word or phrase for everything we'll encounter out there. Not the case.

I am assembling my own little lexicon of non-mainstream terms from the fire service. Feel free to contribute.



Engleberry: That six or seven feet of supply line hanging off the hosebed after you've pulled the amount you're going to use. Origin: Engine + dingleberry.

Prostanker: The stream of water from a tanker's dump valve that never seems to end no matter how empty the tank is. Origin: Prostate + tanker.

Maintenance fatigue: The failure of a piece of power equipment to operate at a fire scene despite impeccable maintenance. Believed caused by the device's unwillingness to be started again.

Adrenavival: The uncanny ability of unused, un-maintained items to function at Olympic levels when it really counts. Applies primarily to tools but is sometimes seen in firefighters.

Groggle: The sound a pump makes when priming at draft.

Groggle: The sound one of our guys makes when napping.

[yjbrody]

Haha, good stuff!

Reverse J: When the new recruit, J, has to walk out the missed forward lay.

Dry dock: When an off-coming crew member in an attempt at eliciting humor from fellow crewmembers, lays a nice chestnut in the bowl after wetvacing out the water.

[EastKyFF]

Dry dock. Ewww. You paid guys do stuff different.

[CaptOldTimer]

Hand jack the supply line.

[CanadianFyrTrks]

Tough Talkers....

Last one to throw on a pack on scene, talks like a chief, dictates like a senior firefighter... first to leave when cleaning up (see also Shidiots)

[tbzep]

Methyl Ethyl Bad $hit - That stuff that elicits a genetic hard coded RLH factor when seen leaking from a tanker.
RLH factor - run like hell

[MalahatTwo7]

Methyl Ethyl Bad $hit - That stuff that elicits a genetic hard coded RLH factor when seen leaking from a tanker.
RLH factor - run like hell

That falls in with "Blue Canary": Our LEO friends who arrive first on a tanker or hazmat truck incident and forget to check the ERG/CANUTEC book before entering the "hot zone". Usually found in the horizontal position, by the first arriving truck, often with two or three other "Blue Canaries" laying in similar positions. Essentially, look for the yellow stripe on the pant legs. Yellow stripe vertical, all is good. Yellow stripe horizontal.... very BAD! Stand back and wait for the Glo-worms to arrive.

{DISCLAIMER: this happens to the best of us, not just our LEO friends.}

[len1582]

$hit sandwich : difficult situation.

[voyager9]

That falls in with "Blue Canary": Our LEO friends who arrive first on a tanker or hazmat truck incident and forget to check the ERG/CANUTEC book before entering the "hot zone". Usually found in the horizontal position, by the first arriving truck, often with two or three other "Blue Canaries" laying in similar positions. Essentially, look for the yellow stripe on the pant legs. Yellow stripe vertical, all is good. Yellow stripe horizontal.... very BAD! Stand back and wait for the Glo-worms to arrive.

Pastrolabe.. the use of a common round pastry as a sighting tool to determine the distance from any hazmat scene.