800 Terms Every Firefighter Candidate Should Know

Becoming a firefighter is like learning a new language. Many candidates think that it is easy to become a firefighter, and there is not much to learn.

Once they start taking fire technology classes at the local community college, or get hired by a fire department and have to now retain and understand the mass amounts of technical information that is thrown to them, they soon understand it is not as easy as they may have perceived it to be.

If you are one of those folks that think they know it all, please think again. There hundreds of terms and phrases unique to the fire service and our industry.

Fully understanding these terms and being able to provide a personalized definition should you be asked (such as during an oral interview or during your probationary process), will help lead to your success as a firefighter.

The primary reasons for this article are:

To offer as many current words and terms as possible so that one can effectively communicate with other fire service personnel, as well as follow orders from their fire officer.
To offer as many traditional words and terms that may not be commonly used – but could be used in a casual conversation with other fire service personnel or even used in the heat of the battle as an order. For example, if your old-school traditional company officer orders you, the new firefighter, to “grab the plug,” the last thing you need to say is something along the lines of "they didn’t teach that to us in the academy.” That’s not what your officer wants to hear. We already know there has and always will be generational gaps and differences. Younger, newer members in the fire service have always been judged by the senior members (sometimes as old as their grandparents) for being young and inexperienced, and not respectful of history and tradition. Instead of being that new member that fits that stereotype, be the one that breaks the mold by knowing not just the older terms, but also the newer terms.
To refresh yourself on terms you may not be 100 percent familiar with, to reinforce basic terms that are probably more than obvious, and to encourage you to seek out more information and research words and terms that you may not have been exposed to before.
To provide a road map that could be used to test and evaluate newly hired personnel, volunteer or career.

At the bare minimum, every firefighter needs to understand the following what's on the list below, and be able to offer a definition that doesn't sound like it was straight out of the dictionary to an oral board or to their probationary officer.

Before we get to the words and terms, I want to emphasize some of these may seem old school, traditional or even words or terms that aren’t considered mainstream in today’s fire service. But, even if they are not mainstream, it doesn’t mean they are not still being used in some form or fashion, officially or unofficially, right or wrong.

In alphabetical order, here are some keywords and terms to know and understand. They are not just helpful to successfully become a firefighter, but to also function in virtually every rank in the fire service.

There are hundreds of terms specific to the fire service, from how they operate to their structure. Terms such as crew, hoseline and defensive mode/strategy/attack can be used to describe the scene in this photo.

Above Ground Storage Tank
Accelerant
Accountability
Accountability System
Accountability Tag
Acquired Structure
Activated Fire Alarm
Adaptable
Adapter
Administration / Administrative Staff
Adverse Impact
Aerial Device
Aerial Ladder
Aerial Ladder Platform
After-Action Review / Report
Aggressiveness
Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting
Air Drop
Air Purifying Respirator
A job
Alarm Assignment
All Clear
Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil
Anchor Point
Apparatus
Apparatus Operator
Area of Origin
Arson
Assistance to Firefighters Grant
Assistant Chief
Assistant Fire Chief
Assisting Agency
Attic Ladder
Authority Having Jurisdiction
Autocratic Leadership
Automatic Aid
Automatic Sprinkler System
Axe
Backdraft
Backfire
Backflow Preventer
Backstep
Balloon-Frame Construction
Base
Battalion
Battalion Chief
Beam
Beam Raise
Bed section
Belay
Bight
Big Box Store
Blitz Attack
Body Substance Isolation
Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion
Boiling Point
Booster Line/Hose
Boundary Drop
Bowline
Bowstring Truss
Box
Box Alarm
Bresnan Distributer
British Thermal Unit
Budget
Bunker Gear
Buggy
Building Construction
Bumper Line
Burn Building
Burn Index
Burning Out
Bus
Call / Paid-Call Firefighter
Call Taker (9-1-1)
Can Man
Candidate Physical Ability Test
Capital Budget
Captain
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide
Caring
Cellar Nozzle / Pipe
Center for Public Safety Excellence
Centers for Disease Control
Center hallway construction
Central station alarm System
Chain of command
Chain Saw
Charge the Line
Chauffeur
Chief Officer
Chimney Fire
Circular Saw
Class A Fire
Class B Fire
Class C Fire
Class D Fire
Class K Fire
Cockloft
Code 2
Code 3
Code 4
Cold Smoke
Cold Trail
Cold Zone
Collapse Zone
Combustible Liquid
Combustion
Command
Command Post
Command Staff
Command Training Center
Commitment
Commitment to life-long learning and education
Communication
Communications Center
Community Emergency Response Team
Community Risk Reduction
Company
Company Officer
Compartment Fire
Compassion
Computer Aided Dispatch
Concrete Tilt Up Construction
Conditions-Actions-Needs Report
Conduction
Confined Space
Confinement
Conflagration
Contain / Contained / Containment
Control Zones
Convection
Cooper Hose Jacket
Cooperating Agency
Cornice
Crash Fire Rescue
Crew Resource Management
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
Critical Incident Stress Management
Crosslay
Crowd Control
Cryogenic
Cultural Diversity
Customer Service
Cutters
Decay Phase
Deck Gun
Decontaminate
Dedication
Defensive Mode/Strategy/Attack
Deluge Sprinkler System
Demobilization (or Demob)
Denver Drill
Denver Prop
Department of Public Safety
Dependability
Deputy Chief
Deputy Fire Chief
Determination
Direct Attack
Directive
Disaster
Disaster Preparedness
Discharge
Discipline
Dispatch
Dispatcher
Dispatch Center
District
District Chief
Division
Division (ICS related)
Division Chief
Division of Labor
Diversity
Dogs
Doin’ It
Double Female
Double Male
Draft
Drill
Driver or Driver/Operator
Drop Point
Drop Tank
Dry Barrel Hydrant
Dry Chemical
Dry Powder
Dry Sprinkler
Due Process
Duff
Duty
Duty Chief
Eductor
Ego (or lack of)
Egress
Electric Vehicle
Electrical Fire
Emergency Management
Emergency Management Institute
Emergency Manager
Emergency Medical Service
Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency Operations Center
Emergency Traffic
Empathy
Employee Assistance Program
Endothermic Reaction
Engine
Engine Company
Engine House
Engine Pressure
Engineer
Enhanced 9-1-1
Entitlement
Escape Route
Establish Command
Ethics
Evacuation
Everyone Goes Home
Evolution
Executive Fire Officer
Executive Fire Officer Program
Exit Drills In The Home
Expectations
Explorer
Explosion
Explosive Range
Exposures
Extinguishment
Extended Attack
Extension Ladder
Exterior Attack
Exothermic Reaction
Extractor
Extrication
Factory Mutual
Fair Labor Standards Act
Fast Attack
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Field Training Officer
Finance Section Chief
Fire
Fire Alarm
Fire Alarm Control Panel
Fire Attack
Fire Behavior
Fire Buff
Fire Chief
Fire Department
Fire Department Connection
Fire District
Fire Engineering
Fire Escape
Fire Extinguisher (Water can, Carbon Dioxide, Multi-Purpose Dry Chemical, etc.)
Fire Flank
Fire Flow
Fire Hall
Fire Hazard
Fire Hydrant
Fire Hydraulics
Fire Inspection/Inspector
Fire Investigation
Fire Investigator
Fire Line
Fire Load
Fire Mark
Fire Marshal
Fire Officer
Fire Point
Fire Prevention
Fire Protection
Fire Protection District
Fire Protection Engineer
Fire Pump
Fire Shelter
Fire Station
Fire Stream
Firestorm
Fire Tetrahedron
Fire Triangle
Fire Wall
Fire Warden
Fire Watch
Firefighter
Firefighter Assist and Search Team
Firefighter Cancer Support Network
FirefighterCloseCalls.com
Firefighter Rescue Survey
Fireground
Firehouse
First Due
First Responder
Fiscal Year
Fit Test
Fixed Temperature Heat Detector
Flameover
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Range
Flash Fuels
Flashover
Flashpoint
Flat Head Axe
Flat Raise
Flexible
Fly In
Fly Section
Fly Out
Foam – Firefighting (different classes of)
Fog Nozzle
Folding Ladder
Force Entry / Forcible Entry
Forward Lay
Four-Step Teaching Method
Four-Way Hydrant Valve
Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society
Free Burning Phase
Freelance / Freelancing
Friction Loss
Fuel
Fuel Type
Fully Involved / Engulfed
Fusible Link
Gallons Per Minute
Gamewell System
Gang Nail
Garden Style Apartment
Gas
Gasoline Siding
Gate Valve
General Staff
Geographic Information System
Goals
Good listener
Grab
Gravity Tank
Green Line
Grievance
Grommets
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
Ground Ladder
Ground Monitor (Portable)
Group
Group (ICS Related)
Grease Fire
Gusset Plate
Halligan Tool
Halon
Halyard
Hand Jack
Harassment
Hard line
Hard Suction Hose
Hazard
Hazard Assessment
Hazardous Material
Head Pressure
Header
Headquarters
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Heat Detector
Heat Transfer
Heel
Helibase
Helicopter Tender
Helispot
Helitack
Helitanker
Helmet
Higbee Cut
High-Rise Building
High-Rise Pack
Hoarder / Hoarding
Honesty
Honor
Honor Guard
Hook and Ladder
Horizontal Ventilation
Hose
Hose Bed
Hose Bridge
Hose Coupling
Hose Lay
Hose Pack
Hose Roller
Hose Tower
Hose Wagon
Hot Wash
Hot Zone
Hotshot Crew
Hurst Tool
Hydrant
Hydrant Valve
Hydrant Wrench
Hydraulic Ventilation
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Chloride
Ignition
Ignition Component
Ignition Temperature
Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health
Incendiary Fire
Incident Action Plan
Incident Base
Incident Command
Incident Commander
Incident Command Post
Incident Command System
Incident Management
Incident Management Team
Incident Priorities
Incident Report
Incipient Phase/Stage
Increaser
Indirect Attack
Information Officer
Initial Attack
Initiative
Inspection Hole
Inspector's Test Valve
Insurance Service Office
Integrity
Interface
Interior Attack
International Association of Fire Chiefs
International Association of Fire Fighters
Investigate
Investigative Mode
Ionization Smoke Detector
Irons
Isolate
Jake
Jaws Of Life
Job Performance Requirement
Jockey Pump
Jumpseat
Junior Firefighter
K Tool
Kelly Day
Kelly Tool
Kernmantle Rope
Knee Wall
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge Management System
Knox Box
Ladder
Ladder Company
Ladder Pipe
Ladder Slide
Ladder Tender
Ladder Truck
Landing Zone
Lapping
Large Diameter Hose
Lateral Transfer
Leadership
Learning Management System
Leeward
Level I Staging
Level II Staging
Level I, II, II Incident
Liability
Lieutenant
Life Hazard
Life Safety
Lightweight Construction
Line-Item Budget
Line Of Duty Death
Line Personnel
Liquid
Liquid Petroleum Gas
Live Line
Load Bearing Wall
Lobby Control
Local Alarm System
Lock Out/Tag Out
Logistics Section Chief
Loyalty
Lower Explosive Limit
Lower Flammable Limit
Maltese Cross
Management By Objectives
Manual Pull Station
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Masonry
Mass Casualty Incident
Mass Casualty Incident Plan
Master Plan
Master Stream
Material Safety Data Sheet
Maturity
Mayday
Means of Egress
Mechanical Ability
Memorandum of Agreement / Understanding
Mental Health
Michigan Vs. Tyler
Mitigate
Mobile Air Unit
Mobile Date Computer / Terminal
Mop Up
Motivation
Motor Vehicle Accident
Move Up
Multi-Gas Detector
Multiple Alarms
Mushrooming
Mutual Aid
National Emergency Response Information System
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
National Fire Academy
National Fire Incident Reporting System
National Fire Protection Association
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
National Incident Management System
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Standard Thread
Negligence
Nozzle
Nozzle Pressure
Oath Of Office
Obedience
Objectives
Occupancy
Occupancy Class
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Offensive Mode/Strategy
Office of Emergency Services / Management
On-Call Firefighter / Personnel
On Deck
Operational Period
Operations Section Chief
Organized
Oriented Strand Board
Out of Service
Outside Fire
Outside Screw & Yoke Valve
Overhaul
Oxidizer
Paid Call Firefighter
Panic Hardware
Parallel Attack
Paramedic
Parapet Wall
Parts Per Million
Passing Command
Passion
Passport Accountability System
Pawls
Performance Evaluation
Performance Improvement Plan
Penciling
Persistence
Perseverance
Personal Accountability Report
Personal Protective Equipment
Personnel Accountability System
Photoelectric Smoke Detector
Pick Head Axe
Pike Pole
Pipe
Pipeman
Placard
Plan Check
Planning Section Chief
Platoon
Plectron
Plug
Point of Origin
Pompier Ladder
Pony Section
Positive Pressure
Positive Pressure Ventilation
Post Incident Analysis
Post Indicator Valve
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Preconnect
Preaction Sprinkler System
Pre-Arrival Instructions
Pre-Fire Plan
Pre-Planning
Primary Search
Private Hydrant
Probie / Probationary Firefighter
Probationary Period
Progressive Discipline
Progressive Hoselay
Property Conversation
Prusik
Public Education
Public Information Officer
Public Safety Answering Point
Public Safety Officer
Pulaski
Pull Station / Manual Pull Station
Pump
Pump and Roll
Pump Operator
Pump Panel
Pumper
Punctual
Purlin
Pyrolysis
Quarters
Quint
Rabbit Tool
Radiation
Rafter
Rapid Intervention Crew/Team/Group/Company
Rate of Rise Heat Detector
Rate of Spread
Reasonable Accommodation
Record Keeping
Red Card
Red Line
Reducer
Rehabilitation (or Rehab)
Rekindle
Relative Humidity
Relief Valve
Reporting Party
Request For Proposal / Quote
Rescue
Rescue Company
Reset
Residential Sprinkler System
Residual Pressure
Resource Management
Response Time
Responsibility
Reverse Lay
Ridge
Rig
Ringdown
Riser
Risk Management
Rollover
Roof ladder
Rope
Run
Run Card
Sacrifice
Safety
Safety Officer
Safety Zone
Salvage
Salvage Cover
Saw
Scene Assessment
Scene Management
Scene Safety
Scene Secure
Scene Size-up
Search
Search and Rescue
Secondary Containment
Secondary Search
Sector
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
Servant Leadership
Sexual Harassment
Sheetrock
Shelter In Place
Shift
Shoring
Shoulder Load
Siamese
Side (of a building – A, B, C, D, etc.)
Single Resource
Situational Awareness
Size Up
Sledgehammer
Smoke
Smoke Alarm
Smoke Detector
Smoke Diver
Smoke Ejector
Smoke Explosion
Smoldering Phase
Solid
Solid Stream / Smooth Bore Nozzle
Span of Control
Spanner Wrench
Split Lay
Spontaneous Combustion
Spotting
Spreaders
Squad
Squad Company
Staff Personnel
Staging
Staging Area
Standard Operating Guideline / Procedure
Standpipe
Stang Gun
State Fire Marhsal
Static Pressure
Still Alarm
Stop Drop and Roll
Straight Ladder
Straight Stream
Strategic Goals
Strategic Objectives
Strategic Plan
Strategy
Steamer Connection
Street Box
Stretch
Strike a / the Box
Strike Team
Storz Coupling
Strainer
Structure
Stud
Studious
Subdivision (ICS Related)
Suction Hose
Supply Line
Sworn Personnel
T-Card
Tactics
Tactical Objectives
Tactical Priorities
Tailboard
Tanker (Air and/or Water – based on local terminology)
Target Hazard
Task Force
Taxpayer
Teamwork
Technical Rescue
Tenacity
Tender
The Job
The Stick
Them
Thermal Balance
Thermal Imaging Camera
Thermal Imbalance
Tiller Truck
Tilt Up Construction
Time Management
Tip
Tones
Topography
Tormentor Pole
Tower Ladder
Traffic Control
Training
Transfer of Command
Training Officer
Transformational Leadership
Trash Line
Travel Time
Trench Cut
Triple Combination Pumper
Truck
Truck Company
Truckie
Trunked Radio System
Truss
Turnout Gear
Turnout Time
Turntable
Two-in, Two-out
Type I Construction
Type II Construction
Type III Construction
Type IV Construction
Type V Construction
Type I Engine
Type II Engine
Type III Engine
Type IV Engine
Under Control
Under Ground Storage Tank
Underwriter’s Laboratories
Unified Command
Union
Union Contract
Unmanned Aircraft System
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
United States Fire Administration
Unity of Command
Universal Precautions
Upper Explosive Limit
Upper Flammable Limit
Utilities
Utility Rope
Utility Truck
Validity
Values
Vapor Density
Vapor Pressure
Vehicle Fire
Vent-Enter-Search
Vent-Enter-Isolate-Search
Ventilation
Ventilation Profile
Venturi Effect
Vertical Ventilation
V Pattern
Void Space
Water Flow Alarm
Water Gong
Water Hammer
Water Shuttle
Water Supply
Water Tanker / Tender (depending on your local terminology)
Water Thief
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Webbing
Well Involved
Wet Barrel Hydrant
Wet Pipe Spinkler
Weather
Wildland Urban Interfae
Windward
Work Ethic
Working Fire
Wye

This photo illustrates pumper, aerial ladder, tower ladder, aerial platform, multiple alarms among other fire service terms.

If any of the above terms are new or foreign to you, please take the time to learn more about them. Doing so will increase your knowledge of the fire service in general, and help prove your commitment and dedication to the best job in the world.

It is not uncommon to have people ask you what the above items mean during an oral interview or probationary process. Don't be the one who says, "I don't know, but I'll get back to you," or the one that tries to BS their way through an answer because they have no clue what you are asking.