600 Abbreviations & Acronyms Every Firefighter Should Know

In the fire service, we enjoy using abbreviations and acronyms for things. Now within the context of this article, when I say fire service, I am considering all the different types of responses a typical fire service member will respond to fire, EMS, haz mat, rescue, etc. Some fire service personnel tend to go a bit overboard when talking, by using too much "alphabet soup." I'm not providing this information to encourage you to use more abbreviations in your everyday life. I'm providing this information to educate you and better prepare you for talking with fire service personnel, listening to other fire service personnel, or reading fire service textbooks or publications. Knowledge is power and the more you know, the better off you are. An added benefit of additional knowledge is not having to always ask “what does that mean,” or “I’ve never heard that,” or something else that makes you look uneducated and untrained.

Communications are a problem everywhere, and in the fire service, we have our share of communication problems. In the fire service, we try not to pattern ourselves after our law enforcement counterparts and use "9 or 10-codes" when talking. We are expected to use clear text when talking, to ensure the sender understands our message. Have you ever heard someone talk and you only comprehended a fraction of what they said? For example, have you ever heard a fire service official (such as a Public Information Officer) say something to the effect of "the first rig got on scene and found they had a TC with a couple of DOA's and a suspect that was GOA. They were UTL any live patients?" I bet you have. You may (or may not) know what they are saying, and the public probably has less of a clue as to what they were saying.

The primary goals of this article are:

1. Expose you to as many relevant and timely abbreviations and acronyms I could locate.
2. Encourage you to learn some new things by maybe inspiring you to do additional research in certain areas.
3. Provide a reference sheet that could be used during training, public relations events, etc.
4. Demonstrate that there may be multiple meanings for the same abbreviation.
5. Provide information that can also be used in your personal life.

Disclaimer - this list is NOT:

1. An end all, be all list of all the abbreviations and/or acronyms you may encounter. Abbreviations and acronyms are being added all the time; very few are going away.
2. Maybe applicable to your situation. For example, some EMS system protocols specifically spell out approved abbreviations or acronyms to use when documenting patient care. One EMS system may be slightly different than another. The key is knowing yours.
3. Exact – meaning in all the research I’ve done, I have come across some of these abbreviations or acronyms that might have slight variations of how they are presented. Some departments may even have their own determined ones. For example, hour could be Hr or hr. Captain could be Capt, CAPT, or CA. Again, the key is knowing what (if anything is acceptable in your system. Another example is one of the many size-up acronyms taught by some in the fire service to ensure all points are considered are COAL TWAS WEALTH – or as some have said: COAL WAS WEALTH. I’ve even seen some say instead WALLACE WAS HOT.” They all basically consider all the key size-up points but were coined by different people for whatever reasons.
4. Complete – for example, for those into the wildland side of firefighting, specifically the NWCG related task book world where one can obtain certification and qualification to be a single resource, such as a Safety Officer, or a Field Observer, and then be eligible to be deployed on mutual aid wildland fires or Incident Management Teams to help manage disasters (wildfires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.), you will see I left out a lot of those abbreviations for the specific positions. For example, Field Observer is FOBS, Safety Officer, Line is SOFR. There are a couple below, and if you are into those types of opportunities or work within that system (as my former department did and virtually every California Fire Department does), I encourage you to learn more at the NWCG website: www.nwcg.gov

One glaring example of an abbreviation used differently even in the same state is that a vehicle accident in many Southern California fire departments is a "TC" while a vehicle accident in many Northern California fire departments is an "MVA." While they both mean the same thing, they may mean something different to someone. Keep it simple, use clear-text as much as possible, and your intended message will be communicated effectively and efficiently. Knowing abbreviations will help allow you to better perform your job and understand what is occurring in your fire service.

Before we go any further, remember that abbreviations should be used sparingly, if not at all. A rule of thumb I try and follow is to only use abbreviations that the average person would understand. There are only three of the abbreviations listed below that fall into that category – two digit state abbreviations (such as NJ, TX, FL), CPR and EMT. Those three are widely used and understood by the general public. Many of the other terms can be foreign to the public and even to some fire personnel. If you do use abbreviations when documenting information on a patient care report (if you are an EMS provider), make sure the abbreviations are approved by the county EMS protocols you are working under. Some abbreviations such as PE may have many meanings, all meaning something slightly different (pulmonary embolus, pulmonary edema, physical exam - see what I mean?). Abbreviations can get you in trouble if you're not careful. As a company or chief officer documenting their actions after the incident in a formal, legal report, I encourage people to not use any abbreviations because of the possibility of more than one meaning.

The last thing you want to do is have to clarify to a judge, jury and questioning attorney all of the abbreviations within your report, especially ones that have multiple meanings. I can hear the attorney now "so, Chief Prziborowski - you listed that the patient had suffered a PE. What exactly is that abbreviation? Is it possible there are multiple meanings for that abbreviation? If so, how can we be sure that is what you meant to document? We cannot." Had I just wrote out Pulmonary Embolus, I would have been ok and we would not have dwelled on that subject and I wouldn't have looked like someone less than professional trying to justify why I did what I did.

If you ever find yourself answering questions to an oral board (for entry-level or promotional examinations), please shy away from using abbreviations. While you may think that the fire personnel rating you understand the abbreviations, you can't be too sure. Also, some oral panels have a citizen from the community or someone outside of the fire service on the panel as a rater (someone from personnel/human resources, etc.). Using abbreviations may actually hurt you, especially if they do not understand what you are trying to say. The same goes for resumes and job applications; keep the abbreviations to a minimum. Depending on how the oral board is structured, they may not be able to ask you what you actually mean or are trying to say, thus leaving them wondering, and your score not as high as it could be.

Below are 600-plus abbreviations that every firefighter should know, in order to be a successful firefighter of any rank with a high understanding of the fire service:

1. A (Ambulance)
2. AA (Affirmative Action or Alcoholics Anonymous or Automatic Aid or Approval Authority)
3. AAA (American Automobile Association or American Ambulance Association)
4. AAR (After Action Review or After-Action Report)
5. AB (Assembly Bill)
6. ABC's (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)
7. AC (Assistant Chief or Area Command or Alternate Current)
8. ACE (American Council on Education)
9. ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
10. A-Fib (Atrial Fibrillation)
11. ADA (Americans with Disability Act)
12. AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
13. AEIOU TIPS (Alcohol, Epilepsy, Infection, Opiates, Uremia, Trauma, Insulin, Poisoning, Strokes)
14. AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician)
15. AFB (Air Force Base)
16. AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam)
17. AFG (Assistance to Firefighters Grant)
18. AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrialized Organizations)
19. AGL (Above Ground Level)
20. AHA (American Heart Association)
21. AHIMT (All Hazards Incident Management Team)
22. AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)
23. ALOC (Altered Level Of Consciousness)
24. ALS (Advanced Life Support)
25. AMA (Against Medical Advice or American Medical Association)
26. AMLS (Advanced Medical Life Support)
27. AMR (American Medical Response)
28. AMS (Altered Mental Status)
29. ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil)
30. ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
31. A/O (Apparatus Operator or Administrative Officer)
32. APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Officials - International, Inc.)
33. APR (Air Purifying Respirators)
34. APT (Apartment)
35. ARC (American Red Cross)
36. ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting)
37. ASAP (As Soon As Possible)
38. ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials)
39. ATA (Actual Time of Arrival)
40. ATC (Alcohol - Type Concentrates or Air Traffic Control)
41. ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support)
42. ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle)
43. Ave. (Avenue)
44. AVPU (Alert, Voice, Pain, Unresponsive)
45. AWOL (Absence Without Official Leave)
46. AWOP (Absence With Out Pay)
47. BA (Breathing Apparatus)
48. BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; sometimes referred to just as "ATF")
49. BBB (Bundle Branch Block)
50. BC (Battalion Chief)
51. BI (Burn Index)
52. Bicarb (Sodium Bicarbonate)
53. b.i.d. (twice a day)
54. BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expansion Vapor Explosion or Blast Leveling Everything perfectly)
55. BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
56. BLS (Basic Life Support or Bureau of Labor Statistics)
57. Blvd. (Boulevard)
58. BM (Bowel Movement)
59. BNICE (Biological, Nuclear, Incendiary, Chemical, and Explosive)
60. BOCA (Building Officials Conference Association)
61. BS (Breathing Support)
62. BSI (Body Substance Isolation)
63. BTLS (Basic Trauma Life Support)
64. Btu (British Thermal Unit)
65. Bolus (Amount of medication given via IV push)
66. c (with a horizontal line above it means with)
67. CABO (Council of American Building Officials)
68. Capt (Captain)
69. CA (Cancer or California)
70. CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch or Computer Aided Drawing or Computer Assisted Drafting)
71. CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System)
72. CAMEO (Computer Aided Management for Emergency Operations)
73. CAN (Conditions-Actions-Needs)
74. CBN (Chemical Biological Nuclear)
75. CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive)
76. CC (Chief Complaint)
77. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
78. CDL (Commercial Driver’s License)
79. CDT (Central Daylight Time)
80. CEM (Certified Emergency Manager)
81. CEMSO (Chief Emergency Medical Service Officer)
82. CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
83. CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
84. CEU (Continuing Education Unit)
85. CFAI (Commission on Fire Accreditation International)
86. CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute)
87. CFO (Chief Fire Officer or Chief Financial Officer)
88. CFOD (Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation)
89. CDP (Center for Domestic Preparedness)
90. CFR (Crash Fire Rescue or Code of Federal Regulations)
91. CHEMTREC (Chemical Transportation Emergency Center)
92. CHF (Congestive Heart Failure)
93. CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
94. CIO (Chief Information Officer)
95. CISD (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing)
96. CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management)
97. cm (Centimeter)
98. CM (City Manager or County Manager)
99. CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant)
100. CNS (Central Nervous System)
101. c/o (Complains of)
102. C/O (in Care Of)
103. CO (Carbon Monoxide pr Company Officer or Commanding Officer)
104. CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)
105. COA (Certificate Of Authorization)
106. COAL WAS WEALTH (Construction, Occupancy, Area, Life hazard, Water, Auxiliary systems, Street conditions, Weather, Exposures, Apparatus and personnel, Location, Time, Hazards)
107. COLA (Cost Of Living Allowance)
108. COML (Communications Unit Leader)
109. COOP (Continuity Of Operations Plan)
110. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
111. CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test)
112. CP (Chest Pain or Command Post)
113. CPC (Commission on Professional Credentialing)
114. CPI (Consumer Price Index)
115. CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)
116. CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
117. CPSE (Center for Public Safety Excellence)
118. CRM (Crew Resource Management)
119. CRR (Community Risk Reduction)
120. C-spine (Cervical Spine)
121. CSD (Community Services District)
122. CSM (Circulation, Sensation, Movement)
123. CST (Civil Support Team or Central Standard Time)
124. CTC (Command Training Center)
125. CTO (Chief Training Officer)
126. Ct. (Court)
127. CVA (Cerebral Vascular Accident)
128. D5W (Dextrose in water)
129. DART (Disaster Assistance and Response Team)
130. DB (Decibel)
131. DC (Deputy Chief or Division Chief or District Chief or Direct Current)
132. DCFD (District of Columbia Fire Department)
133. DCAP BTLS (Deformities, Contusions, Abrasions, Punctures/penetrations, Burns, Tenderness, Lacerations, Swelling)
134. DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)
135. DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)
136. DHS (United States Department of Homeland Security)
137. DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services)
138. DL (Driver's License - for example, in California, we consider a license a "CDL" - California Driver's License; or Distance Learning)
139. DM (Diabetes Mellitus)
140. DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistance Team)
141. DMORT (Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team)
142. DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)
143. DNR (Do Not Resuscitate or Department of Natural Resources)
144. DOA (Dead On Arrival or Department Of Agriculture)
145. DOB (Date Of Birth)
146. DOC (Department Of Corrections)
147. DOD (United States Department of Defense)
148. DOE (United States Department of Energy)
149. DOI (United States Department Of the Interior)
150. DOL (United States Department of Labor)
151. DOT (United States Department of Transportation)
152. DPS (Department of Public Safety)
153. DPW (Department of Public Works)
154. DT's (Delirium Tremons)
155. DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System)
156. Dx (Diagnosis)
157. E (Engine or East)
158. EAP (Employee Assistance Program or Emergency Action Plan or Emergency Action Procedures)
159. E/B (East Bound)
160. ECC (Emergency Command Center)
161. ED (Emergency Department)
162. EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home)
163. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)
164. EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity)
165. EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
166. EFO (Executive Fire Officer)
167. EFOP (Executive Fire Officer Program)
168. EGH (Everyone Goes Home)
169. EIN (Employer Identification Number)
170. EKG (Electrocardiogram)
171. EM (Emergency Manager or Emergency Management)
172. EMA (Emergency Management Agency)
173. EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher or Emergency Management Director)
174. EMI (Emergency Management Institute)
175. EMOC (Emergency Management Operations Center)
176. EMR (Emergency Medical Responder)
177. EMR-ISAC (Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center)
178. EMS (Emergency Medical Services or Emergency Medical System)
179. EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)
180. EMT-B (EMT-Basic)
181. EMT-I (EMT-Intermediate)
182. EMT (Paramedic)
183. ENG (Engine or Engineer)
184. ENGB (Engine Boss)
185. ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat)
186. EOC (Emergency Operations Center)
187. EOD (Explosion Ordinance Disposal)
188. EOP (Emergency Operations/Operating Plan)
189. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
190. ePCR (Electronic Patient Care Report)
191. ER (Emergency Room)
192. ERG (Emergency Response Guide)
193. ERT (Emergency Response Team or Environmental Response Team)
194. EST (Eastern Standard Time or Emergency Support Team)
195. ET (Endotracheal)
196. ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
197. ETD (Estimated Time of Departure)
198. ETE (Estimated Time Enroute)
199. ETOH (alcohol)
200. EV (Electric Vehicle)
201. EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operator Course)
202. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
203. FAMA (Fire Apparatus Manufacturer's Association)
204. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
205. FARS (Firefighter Air Replenishment Systems)
206. FAST (Firefighter Assistance and Search Team)
207. FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
208. FBO (Fixed Base Operator)
209. FC (Fire Chief, Fire Captain or Fire Company)
210. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
211. FCSN (Firefighter Cancer Support Network)
212. FD (Fire Department or Fire District)
213. FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
214. FDC (Fire Department Connection)
215. FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference - Indianapolis, IN)
216. FDNY (Fire Department New York)
217. FDSOA (Fire Department Safety Officers Association)
218. FE (Fire Engineer)
219. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Association)
220. FESHE (Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education)
221. FF (Firefighter)
222. FF/EMT (Firefighter/EMT)
223. FF/P or FF/PM (Firefighter/Paramedic)
224. FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)
225. FM (Factory Mutual or Few Moments/Minutes or Fire Marshal)
226. FMRC (Factory Mutual Research Corporation)
227. FO (Fire Officer)
228. F.O.O.L.S. (Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society)
229. FPD (Fire Protection District)
230. FPE (Fire Protection Engineer)
231. FPO (Fire Prevention Officer - sometimes referred to as "PO" for Prevention Officer)
232. FPODP (Facts, Probabilities, Own situation, Decision, Plan)
233. FRI (Fire-Rescue International - Annual Fire Conference hosted by the IAFC)
234. FTO (Field Training Officer)
235. Fx (Fracture)
236. FY (Fiscal Year)
237. GACC (Geographic Area Coordinating Center)
238. GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board)
239. GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale)
240. GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter)
241. GI (Gastrointestinal)
242. GIS (Geographic Information System)
243. GOA (Gone On Arrival)
244. gpm (Gallons Per Minute)
245. GPS (Global Positioning System)
246. gravida (# of pregnancies)
247. GSW (Gun Shot Wound)
248. HAZCAT (Hazard Categorizing)
249. HAZCOM (Hazard Communications)
250. HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials)
251. HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response)
252. HEENT (Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat)
253. HEO (Heavy Equipment Operator)
254. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air filter)
255. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
256. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
257. HM (Haz Mat or Hazardous Materials)
258. HMMP (Hazardous Materials Management Plan)
259. HMRU (Hazardous Materials Response Unit)
260. HOT (Hands On Training)
261. HQ (Headquarters)
262. hr (Hour)
263. HR (Heart Rate or Human Resources)
264. HSEEP (Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program)
265. HSO (Health and Safety Officer)
266. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning)
267. IA (Initial Attack)
268. IAAI (International Association of Arson Investigators)
269. IABPFF (International Association of Black Professional Firefighters)
270. IAEM (International Association of Emergency Managers)
271. IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs)
272. IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters)
273. IAP (Incident Action Plan)
274. IC (Incident Command, Incident Commander or Ignition Component)
275. ICBO (International Conference of Building Officials)
276. ICC (International Code Council)
277. ICE (U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement)
278. ICMA (International City-County Managers Association)
279. ICS (Incident Command System)
280. ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
281. IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health)
282. IED (Improvised Explosive Device or Incendiary Explosive Device)
283. IFBA (International Fire Buffs Association)
284. IFSAC (International Fire Service Accreditation Congress)
285. IFSTA (International Fire Service Training Association)
286. IM (Intramuscular or Intermodal)
287. IMAT (Incident Management Assistance Team)
288. IMS (Incident Management System)
289. IMSA (International Municipal Signal Association)
290. IMT (Incident Management Team)
291. IO (Intraosseous or Information Officer)
292. IR (InfraRed)
293. IRP (Incident Response Plan)
294. ISFSI (International Society of Fire Service Instructors)
295. ISO (Insurance Services Office or Incident Safety Officer)
296. IT (Information Technology)
297. IV (Intravenous)
298. IVP (Intravenous Push medication administration)
299. JFA (Joint Fire Academy)
300. JIC (Joint Information Center)
301. JPA (Joint Powers Agreement)
302. JPR (Job Performance Requirements)
303. JTF (Joint Task Force)
304. JVD (Jugular Vein Distension)
305. k (kilo)
306. kg (kilogram)
307. KMS (Knowledge Management System)
308. KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)
309. L (Ladder)
310. lac (Laceration)
311. lb (pound)
312. LAFD (Los Angeles Fire Department)
313. LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, Safety Zones)
314. LACES (Lookouts, Awareness, Communications, Escape Routes, Safety Zones)
315. LDH (Large Diameter Hose)
316. LE (Law Enforcement)
317. LEL (Lower Explosive Limit)
318. LEO (Law Enforcement Officer)
319. LFL (Lower Flammable Limit)
320. LLC (Limited Liability Corporation)
321. LLQ (Left Lower Quadrant of abdomen)
322. LMP (Last Menstrual Period)
323. LMS (Learning Management System)
324. Ln. (Lane)
325. LOC (Level Of Consciousness or Loss Of Consciousness)
326. LODD (Line Of Duty Death)
327. LOUVERS (Ladders, Overhaul, Utilities, Ventilation, Egress-Entry, Rescue, Salvage)
328. LOVERS-U (Ladders, Overhaul, Ventilation, Egress-Entry, Rescue, Salvage, Utilities)
329. LOX (Liquid Oxygen)
330. LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas)
331. LRC (Learning Resource Center)
332. Lt. (Lieutenant)
333. LUNAR (Location, Unit Number, Name, Assignment or Air Supply Status, Resources needed)
334. LUQ (Left Upper Quadrant of abdomen)
335. LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse)
336. LWOP (Leave With Out Pay)
337. LZ (Landing Zone)
338. m (meter)
339. MA (Mutual Aid)
340. MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System)
341. MAC (Multi-Agency Coordination)
342. MACS (Multi-Agency CoordinationSystem)
343. MAST (Medical AntiShock Trousers)
344. MAU (Mobile Air Unit)
345. MBO (Management By Objectives)
346. MBWA (Management By Walking Around)
347. mcg (Microgram)
348. MCI (Mass Casualty Incident)
349. MCIP (Mass Casualty Incident Plan)
350. MCT (Mobile Computer Terminal)
351. MDT (Mobile Data Terminal)
352. mg. (milligram)
353. MGMT (Management)
354. MHz (Megahertz)
355. MIH (Mobile Integrated Healthcare)
356. MICU (Mobile Intensive Care Unit)
357. MI (Myocardial Infarction)
358. mm (millimeter)
359. mph (Miles Per Hour)
360. MO (Managing Officer)
361. MOA (Memorandum Of Agreement)
362. MOI (Mechanism Of Injury)
363. MOU (Memorandum Of Understanding)
364. MP (Military Police)
365. MRE (Meals Ready to Eat)
366. MS (Morphine Sulfate or Multiple Sclerosis)
367. MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
368. MMTF (Metropolitan Medical Task Force)
369. MVA (Motor-Vehicle Accident)
370. MVC (Motor-Vehicle Collision/Crash)
371. N (North)
372. NAEMT (National Association of EMTs)
373. NAERG (North American Emergency Response Guide)
374. NAHF (National Association of Hispanic Firefighters)
375. NASFM (National Association of State Fire Marshals)
376. N/B (North Bound)
377. NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical)
378. NBFSPQ (National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications)
379. NC (Nasal Cannula)
380. NE (Northeast or New England)
381. NEC (National Electrical Code)
382. NERIS (National Emergency Response Information System)
383. NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team or National Emergency Response Team)
384. NETC (National Emergency Training Center)
385. NF (National Forest)
386. NFA (National Fire Academy)
387. NFC (National Fire Codes)
388. NFDRS (National Fire Danger Rating System)
389. NFFF (National Fallen Firefighters Foundation)
390. NFIC (National Fire Information Council)
391. NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System)
392. NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)
393. NFSA (National Fire Sprinkler Association)
394. NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations)
395. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
396. NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)
397. NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center)
398. NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)
399. NIMS (National Incident Management System)
400. NIIMS (National Interagency Incident Management System)
401. NIOSH (National Institute of Safety and Health)
402. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
403. NKA (No Known Allergies)
404. NKDA (No Known Drug Allergies)
405. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
406. NP (Nozzle Pressure)
407. NPA (Naso-Pharyngeal Airway)
408. NPS (National Park Service)
409. NRB (Non-Rebreather Mask - oxygen)
410. NPQB (National Professional Qualifications Board)
411. NRC (National Response Center)
412. NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians)
413. NS (Normal Saline)
414. NSA (National Security Agency)
415. NST (National Standard Thread)
416. NTG (Nitroglycerin)
417. NTN (National Testing Network)
418. NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)
419. N/V (Nausea/Vomiting)
420. NVFC (National Volunteer Fire Council)
421. NW (Northwest)
422. NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group)
423. NWS (National Weather Service)
424. O2 (Oxygen)
425. OB (Obstetrics)
426. OD (Overdose)
427. OEM (Office of Emergency Management)
428. OES (Office of Emergency Services)
429. OJT (On-the-Job Training)
430. OOS (Out Of Service)
431. OPA (Oropharyngeal Airway)
432. OPQRST (Onset, Provocation, Quality, Radiate, Severity, Time)
433. Ops (Operations)
434. OR (Operating Room)
435. ORM (Other Regulated Materials)
436. OSB (Oriented Strand Board)
437. OSFM (Office of the State Fire Marshal)
438. OS&Y (Outside Stem and Yoke or Outside Screw and Yoke)
439. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
440. OT (Overtime)
441. p (with a horizontal line above it means after)
442. PAC (Premature Atrial Contraction)
443. PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
444. PAR (Personnel Accountability Report)
445. para (# of live births)
446. PASS (Personal Alert Safety System or Pull the pin, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep to use the fire extinguisher)
447. PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)
448. PCF (Paid Call Firefighter)
449. PCR (Patient Care Report)
450. PD (Police Department or Per Diem)
451. PE (Pulmonary Embolus, Physical Exam, Pulmonary Edema)
452. PEA (Pulseless Electrical Activity)
453. PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit)
454. PEPP (Pediatric Education for Pre Hospital Providers)
455. PERL (Pupils Equal and Reactive to Light)
456. PERS (Public Employee’s Retirement System)
457. PFD (Personal Flotation Device)
458. PHTLS (Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support)
459. PIA (Post Incident Analysis)
460. PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)
461. PIP (Performance Improvement Plan)
462. PIO (Public Information Officer)
463. PIV (Post Indicator Valve)
464. Pkwy (Parkway)
465. PM (Paramedic)
466. POC (Point Of Contact)
467. POV (Privately Owned Vehicle)
468. PPA (Positive Pressure Attack)
469. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
470. ppm (Parts Per Million)
471. PPV (Positive Pressure Ventilation)
472. PR (Public Relations)
473. prn (As often as necessary)
474. PRV (Pressure Reducing Valve)
475. po (By mouth)
476. PSA (Public Service Announcement)
477. PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point)
478. psi (Pounds of pressure per Square Inch)
479. psia (Pounds per Square Inch Absolute)
480. psig (Pounds per Square Inch Gauge)
481. PSO (Public Safety Officer)
482. PT (Physical Training)
483. PTA (Prior To Arrival)
484. PTB (Position Task Book)
485. PTO (Power Take Off)
486. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
487. PVC (Pre-Ventricular Contraction or Polyvinyl Chloride)
488. q (with a horizontal line above it means every)
489. QA (Quality Assurance)
490. QC (Quality Control)
491. QI (Quality Improvement)
492. q.i.d. (Four times a day)
493. RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services)
494. RAWS (Remote Automated Weather System)
495. RBO (Relationship By Objectives)
496. R&D (Research and Development)
497. RECEO (Rescue, Exposures, Confinement, Extinguishment, Overhaul)
498. RECEO-VS (Rescue, Exposures, Confinement, Extinguishment, Overhaul, Ventilation, Salvage)
499. RECON (Reconnaissance)
500. RESTAT (Resource Status)
501. REVAS (Rescue, Evacuation, Ventilation, Attack, Salvage)
502. RFA (Ready For Action)
503. RFP (Request For Proposal)
504. RFQ (Request For Quote)
505. RH (Relative Humidity)
506. RHAVE (Risk Hazard And Value Evaluation program)
507. RIC (Rapid Intervention Crew or Rapid Intervention Company)
508. RIT (Rapid Intervention Team)
509. RLQ (Right Lower Quadrant of the abdomen)
510. RN (Registered Nurse)
511. R/O (Rule Out)
512. ROS (Rate Of Spread)
513. ROSS (Resource Ordering and Status System)
514. RP (Reporting Party)
515. RR (Respiratory Rate)
516. RUQ (Right Upper Quadrant of the abdomen)
517. RV (Recreational Vehicle)
518. Rx or RX (Prescription/medical, Treatment/therapy)
519. S (South or Squad)
520. SA (Situational Awareness)
521. SAFER Grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response)
522. SAM (Self-Assessment Manual)
523. SAMPLE History (Symptoms, Allergies, Medications, Past medical history, Last oral intake, Events preceding)
524. SAR (Supplied Air Respirator or Search And Rescue)
525. SARA (Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act)
526. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory System)
527. S/B (South Bound)
528. SB (Senate Bill)
529. SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus)
530. SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus)
531. SE (South East)
532. SFM (State Fire Marshal)
533. SFMO (State Fire Marshal Office)
534. SITSTAT (Situation Status)
535. SL (Sublingual)
536. SLICERS (Size-up, Locate the fire, Identify and control the flow path, Cool the space from the safest location, Extinguish the fire, Rescue, Salvage)
537. SLUDGE (Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Defecation, Gastrointestinal disease, Emesis)
538. SME (Subject Matter Expert)
539. SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan)
540. SOB (Shortness Of Breath)
541. SOC (Special Operations Command)
542. SOG (Standard Operating Guideline)
543. SOI (Sphere Of Influence)
544. SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
545. SPAAMFAA (Society for the Preservation And Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus in America)
546. SQ (Subcutaneous)
547. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System-air bags)
548. SSN (Social Security Number)
549. St. (Street)
550. ST (Strike Team)
551. Stat (Immediately and once only)
552. SW (South West)
553. SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics)
554. TBSA (Total Body Surface Area)
555. T (Truck)
556. TC (Traffic Collision)
557. TEEX (Texas Engineering Extension Service)
558. TF (Task Force)
559. TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction)
560. TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack)
561. TIC (Thermal Imaging Camera)
562. TIMS (Traffic Incident Management System)
563. t.i.d. (Three times a day)
564. T-t-T (Train The Trainer)
565. TKO (To Keep Open)
566. TLV/STEL (Threshold Limit Value/Short-Term Exposure Limit)
567. TLV/TWA (Threshold Limit Value/Time Weighted Average)
568. TO (Training Officer)
569. TQM (Total Quality Management)
570. TWA (Time Weighted Average)
571. UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System)
572. UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)
573. UBC (Uniform Building Code)
574. UEL (Upper Explosive Limit)
575. UFC (Uniform Fire Code)
576. UFL (Upper Flammable Limit)
577. UHF (Ultra High Frequency)
578. UL (Underwriters Laboratories)
579. UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply or United Parcel Service)
580. URI (Upper Respiratory Infection)
581. USAF (United States Air Force)
582. US&R (Urban Search and Rescue)
583. USAR (United States Army Reserve)
584. USCG (United States Coast Guard)
585. USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)
586. USFA (United States Fire Academy)
587. USFS (United States Forest Service)
588. USMC (United States Marine Corps)
589. UST (Underground Storage Tank)
590. UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)
591. UTL (Unable To Locate)
592. UV (Ultra Violet)
593. VES (Vent-Enter-Search)
594. VEIS (Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search)
595. VFC (Volunteer Fire Company)
596. VHF (Very High Frequency)
597. VIP (Volunteer Incentive Program)
598. VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)
599. VPN (Virtual Private Network)
600. VS (Vital Signs)
601. W (West)
602. W/B (West Bound)
603. WALLACE WAS HOT (Water supply, Area, Life safety Location, Apparatus responding, Construction/collapse potential, Exposures, Weather, Auxilliary appliances, Special matters, Height, Occupancy, Time of day)
604. WEL (Within Expected Limits)
605. WFCA (Western Fire Chiefs Association)
606. WIV (Wall Indicator Valve)
607. WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction)
608. WNL (Within Normal Limits - or We Never Looked)
609. wt (Weight)
610. WT (Water Tender)
611. WUI (Wildland Urban Interface)
612. y/o (Years old)
613. yd (yard)
614. yr (year)

Note: Depending on the area of the country you are in, the above abbreviations may slightly differ. If you decide to use those in your documentation, ensure they are accepted or abbreviations in your part of the country.

Abbreviations specific to the state of California:

1. ALA (Accredited Local Academy)
2. ARTP (Accredited Regional Training Program)
3. CAL CHIEFS (California Fire Chiefs Association)
4. CAL OES (California Office of Emergency Services)
5. CAL OSHA (California Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
6. CAL PERS (California Public Employee’s Retirement System)
7. CAL TO’s (California Training Officers Association)
8. CCAI (California Conference of Arson Investigators)
9. CCR (California Code of Regulations)
10. CDF (California Department of Forestry now known as CAL FIRE)
11. CDL (California Driver’s License)
12. CFFJAC (California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee)
13. CFCA (California Fire Chiefs Association)
14. CFMA (California Fire Mechanics Association)
15. CHP (California Highway Patrol)
16. CPF (California Professional Firefighters)
17. CSFA (California State Firefighters Association)
18. CSFM (California State Fire Marshal)
19. CSTI (California Specialized Training Institute)
20. FCTC (Fire Candidate Testing Center)
21. FDAC (Fire District Association of California)
22. FIRESCOPE (Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies)
23. LAFD (Los Angeles Fire Department)
24. LACoFD (Los Angeles County Fire Department)
25. PERS (Public Employees Retirement System)
26. SBFS (State Board of Fire Services)
27. SFFD (San Francisco Fire Department)

Note: I added the California abbreviations not because I live in California, but to make those that live in California aware of those resources but also to direct folks living outside of California to look up similar organizations within their state which probably have similar abbreviations.

You may or may not have heard of the above abbreviations and/or acronyms. If you have not heard any of those, now you can say you have learned something new today. If you are not sure of what each term means, take the time to do some research and find out their meanings. Why are abbreviations so important when we are supposed to be practicing "clear-text" in our communications? Because there are certain situations when abbreviations may be necessary, however that is very rare. The same goes for acronyms, which can be used to help serve as memory joggers and checklists.

More importantly, it is important to understand abbreviations and acronyms so when others say them during a conversation or in a written form of communication, you don't have to look like you are ignorant or uneducated about what they are talking about. Be careful though - try to not use abbreviations or acronyms when talking to members of the public, especially if you ever find yourself on camera or doing a station tour or public education demonstration. The public probably does not know what you are talking about and you will lose credibility and also lose your audience and they will eventually not pay attention, comprehend or care what you are talking about.

I have read or heard all of the abbreviations I mentioned over the years. The higher up the organizational chart I promoted, from firefighter/engineer to captain to battalion chief and then to deputy chief, the more I needed to be aware of or was exposed to these items listed here.

A vehicle accident in Southern California is a "TC" while a vehicle accident in some Northern California departments is an "MVA." While they both mean the same thing, they may mean something different to someone. Keep it simple, use clear-text as much as possible, and your intended message will be communicated effectively and efficiently. Knowing abbreviations will help allow you to better perform your job and understand what is occurring in your fire service.

For those of you wondering why I included so many EMS related abbreviations, if you have not figured it out yet, EMS is here to stay - like it or not. Most fire departments nationwide and fire service personnel have embraced EMS and come to the conclusion that EMS is not only the right thing to do because of our resource availability and the strategic locations of fire stations, but it is the right thing to do because we are here to help people have a better day. When people call 9-1-1 for any type of assistance, I want them to feel like they can call the fire department and know that we will either solve their problem or point them in the direction and get them the correct assistance they need if we cannot provide it. Since most fire departments are providing some form of EMS in their daily life, that means they will either employee EMTs or paramedics, and also deal with other EMT's or paramedics from assisting agencies on a regular basis. Understanding the language you will be hearing (a lot of abbreviations and acronyms, especially when talking between each other) will make you understand more about what is going on.

Whether you are someone aspiring for a career in fire and/or the emergency services, a seasoned veteran of any rank (firefighter up to fire chief), or a member of the public who has a desire to better understand what we are fortunate to do, knowledge is power and I hope the above list is of benefit.