Firemenbooks.com - Terminology

The following is a list of firemen terms, phrases and explanations. It is helpful and actually, pretty necessary to completely understand some of the things I’ve written in the book. While writing, I often use phrases or terms that are specific to the fire department. I haven’t stopped each time to explain them but chose to explain them in a list.

This list is actually very informative. It is interesting just to read it on its own.

13 – refers to Station 13 where the administration has their offices. It was later torn down and the administration moved to a building that is now called "Headquarters."
317 – an auto accident

Acting lieutenant, captain or chief – Someone who basically is substituting or working for someone else at a higher rank. It can be for some hours or for the day.
Administrative Order – It’s a directive put out in memo like form by the department’s administration that details new or updated rules.
Advance a line or advance a hose – means to drag or move a charged hose line usually toward a fire with the intention of using it to put out a fire.
Alarm Office – The central room where all 911 calls are dispatched from. It is located at the SW corner of Sunset Drive and SW 87 Avenue in Miami.
Battalion – The Chief who is in charge of a group of 4 or 5 stations in his Battalion. It can refer to either the chief or to the group of stations. As in, "The chief has 5 stations in his battalion."
Battalion Day - A shift off that someone was lucky enough to get by being the first or second one in the battalion to request it. If it’s a holiday or a day that a lot of guys want off, we have a drawing to see who gets it off.
Been on – how long someone has been a fireman with the fire department. As in, "How long have you been on?"
Bids – The system we have where a fireman can choose a unit, station or position to work, based on seniority and qualifications.
Blues - Our everyday, blue jumpsuit, work uniforms, usually worn by the guys riding rescue. As in, "He’s wearing blues today."
Booster line - A small diameter, rubberized hose line that is pre-connected to the truck’s pump and is stored on a motorized reel. It is usually used for putting out small fires or grass fires.
Bouncing - Before you have enough seniority to get a bid somewhere, you bounce from station to station to fill in for whoever is sick, on vacation, or has the day off.
Broad-sided – That’s when a car gets hit on their side, either the driver’s or passenger’s side, by another car’s front. Not to be confused with head-on or rear-ended.
Building Assignment – An initial dispatch to a fire, of a larger than normal number of suppression units, usually to an apartment building or commercial property fire.
Bunker gear – The protective, fire resistant garments worn by firefighters while fighting fires and performing other activities.
Bunker out – means to put on your bunker gear to get ready to fight a fire or deal with some hazardous condition. As in, "We had to bunker out quickly because we were very close to the apartment on fire when we got the call."
Burn-out - Refers to when a fireman, usually a paramedic, finally succumbs to the many years of pressure and stress of the job.
Catching a hydrant – To find and attach our large diameter hoses to a fire hydrant so we can have a large volume of water if needed.
Changing trucks – To transfer all our equipment and gear from one truck to another usually when a mechanical problem occurs with the truck.
Charged line – A hose line that is full of water and pressurized, ready to expel water under pressure.
Claxton - A loud, very loud, noisemaker in each fire station that is meant to alert us, especially when we are sleeping, that we have a call.
Clearing the scene – When we are leaving a particular scene of an emergency after we have finsished.
Code 1, 2 3 and 4 – These distinguish different types of situations we encounter when we arrive on fires.
Code 1 means that all of the initial dispatch will be needed. It is used when the first unit arrives and sees a lot of dark smoke or visible flames.
Code 2 for Engine 3, means that E3 will handle the call by themselves.
Code 3 means basically to stand by. The first arriving unit isn’t sure what they have encountered so all the other units must continue responding until things are inspected further until the fire is made a code 1 or a code 2.
Code 4 means a false alarm.
Command – The person, usually a chief, who is in charge at a fire and has the final say. As in, "Chief So and So was command at the second alarm fire last night."
Company - the complete group of firemen that work on a unit, or the unit and the men together. A single company station has only one unit, either an engine or a rescue.
County, (The County) - refers to the entire government of Dade County and later, Miami-Dade County, not only the Fire Department.
CR or CR day - The 24-hour shift that we get off every third week, or every 7th shift. It can also mean the person who fills in for the guys who are on CR days. As in, "The CR guy who was filling in at Station 36 today was doing the cooking."
Crew – The members of a particular unit. As is: the crew of Engine 37 is an aggressive bunch.
D.O.A. - Dead on arrival, i.e. the patient was dead when we arrived.
Dress uniform - The uniform we were on special occasions like funerals, and ceremonies. It consists of a white shirt, dark blue pants and black, pat and leather shoes.
Dump fire – A fire that is burning in a place where a large quantity of trash is stored or buried.
Exposure – A building or structure that is adjacent or exposed to something else that is on fire. As in, "We are going to let the fire burn and just protect the exposures."
Extricate - To take a person out from inside a confined place. It usually refers to using some kind of mechanical device to free a person from a mangled car.
F.A.O. - Fire Alarm Office, (see Alarm Office)
Filling a slot - When a fireman works in a vacated position on an engine or a rescue until the next bid period or until the person with the bid returns. As in, "That lucky so and so is filling the slot on Engine 21 until so and so returns from his special assignment."
Fireboots – The long, heavy-duty, water-proof boots that firemen wear when they fight fires.
Fire watch – When a trained fireman patrols an area and watches for signs of fire or fire hazards so preventive steps can be taken quickly.
First arriving unit – The unit, either a firetruck or a rescue, that arrives first at the scene of a fire.
First in – The unit that is closest to the location of a fire and should be the first unit to arrive and start fighting a fire. As in, "Are we first in?"
G.O.A. - Gone on Arrival i.e. the patient had left before we got there.
Get on or got on – refers to when one first gets hired and starts working as a fireman. As in, "When I first got on ..."
Grays – Our everyday, gray, work uniforms, usually worn by the guys on the engines. As in, "He’s wearing grays today."
Ground ladder – One of our regular ladders that we place on the ground and lean against a house or building. (as opposed to a roof ladder or an aerial ladder)
Holding or to hold – when a fireman has to stay and work at the station until their relief or replacement gets there. As in, "I had to hold for 30 minutes this morning until my relief got here from Station 8."
Holiday routine – A non-structured day at the station where only the necessary things are done. It’s explained very well in the chapter, Holiday Routine.
Hose evolution – The step by step procedure of all the tasks involved in all aspects of laying hoses to a fire and getting water to the fire.
Hot drill – A training exercise that includes real fire in a confined space causing the atmosphere to get really hot.
Hot line – The telephone in the station that is reserved and used only for emergencies and official, recorded conversations with the alarm office.
Hot spots - Places, usually hidden in walls or attics, where there is still active fire.
Hotel Roll – A folded-up section of 1?-inch hose with all necessary appliances attached that we take with us on all reported hotel or apartment building fires, that we can attach to the existing water pipes and use to put out the fire.
In the field – The term we use to specify working and responding to the public on emergencies in a fire vehicle, as opposed to sitting in an office doing training or administrative duties.
Jaws or the Jaws of Life - It's a very powerful machine using both a gasoline powered generator and hydraulic powered Jaws, or arms, to pry apart things or open up things, usually cars.
Jump a call – When a unit hears a call going out on the air and takes the call or responds to it even though it wasn’t originally their call oreven if it’s not in their territory. Gung-ho officers do this when it sounds like a "good" call or even just to keep busy.
Jump seat – The seats behind the cab of a firetruck where the firemen sit and can easily jump out of to go fight a fire.
Kitty – The collection of things, usually food items, at a fire station that we all chip in to buy and are used by everyone. They can range from crackers to ketchup. As in, "Tell the Kitty Man we are out of crunchy peanut butter."
Ladder a building - to put up ladders to gain access either inside, outside or to the top of a building.
Light-duty – When a fireman is not able to work at a station and is working at a job or assignment that is less demanding physically or mentally. As in, "He’s been on light-duty for over 3 months because of his bad back."
Log Book – A green, journal type book, kept at all stations, in which we record or "log-in" all activities associated with the station.
Low-bid – The practice of buying something from the supplier who sells it at the lowest price. As in, "No wonder our truck is always breaking down, it is low-bid."
Man on the roof - The signal that a female civilian is in the fire station.
Memo or Memorandum – A numbered order or official notification put out to all stations by the administration by headquarters.
Metro – refers to Metro Dade County Fire Department, not to get confused with the City of Miami Fire Department
Monitor the radio – to listen to the fire department radio so no transmissions will be missed.
Move-up – When a unit has to go to another station to cover their territory because that unit is on a major call or in training or just not able to respond to calls for an extended period of time.
O.I.C. or Officer in Charge – The officer, usually of the highest rank, who has the ultimate responsibility out of a group of firemen.
Occupancy – Any structure that legally can hold or sleep people. It can be a restaurant, an apartment or a convention center.
On the air or ‘09’ When the unit is listening to the radio as opposed to being in the station and not listening. They can either be in the truck, on a survey or somewhere other than the station.
On a 3 – responding in a fire vehicle to an emergency as quickly as possible, with flashing lights and loud sirens.
On a 10 or Out of Service – When a unit is not able to respond to a call either because they have mechanical problems, lack of equipment, lack of minimum personnel, or are on special training, surveys or appointments.
On the air – when we are actually listening or "monitoring" the radio, as opposed to being in the station where we have to be called on the telephone or have the Claxton set off to alert us to a call.
On the department – This one is sort of obvious. It is what we say to refer to someone being a fireman on the fire department. As in, "He’s one of the few guys on the department who..."
Out of service – Not able to respond to calls for different reasons, personnel shortage, vehicle problems, out of territory.
Overhauling – What we do after a fire is basically out. It involves tearing apart walls and ceilings
Personal Alarm Safety Device – An alarm worn by fire fighting personnel that, gives off a loud audible alarm either manually or when there is lack of movement for over 15 seconds, that is used to locate an injured or lost firefighter during an incident.
Pike pole – A long pole with a hook at the end that we primarily use to pull down walls and ceilings when we are "overhauling" after a fire.
Positive-pressure fan – A big, strong mechanical fan that forces air into a structure to clear out the smoke. We used to use exhaust fans that basically tried to suck smoke out of a building.
Protocols – A list of some 50 medical situations that we may encounter and the step-by-step procedures that we must follow. Pull – as in, "Pull the 150 foot jump line." It means to "pull" the hose off of the truck and get it ready to use on a fire.
Quarters or ‘05’ – your station, as in, "We’re ’05,’" which means we are at our station now, or "R36, take an ’05,’" which means for R36 to go back to their station.

In quarters means your unit is in the station,
Out of quarters - It doesn't mean that you don't have any more 25-cent pieces in your pocket. It means you're not in the station.

Raise - to contact or be contacted on the fire department radio
Raise a ladder - to put a ladder up so it’s ready to be climbed.
Recall – the recall – the system in a station that alerts us to a call that is being dispatched. It also can mean the Claxton.
Recall check – asking the alarm office to set off the station recall to see if it’s working properly.
Recruit – A person who has been hired by the fire department and is currently going through Fire College with the hope of becoming a certified firefighter soon.
Red Books – A series of about 15 books, all with red covers, that all recruits receive to study from. They contain all sorts of firefighting techniques and instruction.
Reference – The reason someone calls "911." The reference on that call was "chest pain."
Rekindle – When a fire starts up again after we have already, supposedly put it out. It is very embarrassing for everyone involved.
Relief - Guys of any rank that don't have bids. They just fill in wherever they're needed. As in, "We had a relief LT riding with us today because our regular LT called in sick." Relief is also used to mean any fireman working for, relieving or replacing another fireman.
Repell – To use a rope to lower yourself down the side of a building or structure.
Rescue dorm – The room in the station where the guys riding on the rescue truck sleep.
Riding tailboard – When you are riding as a firefighter on the back of a firetruck or in the jumpseat.
Rip and run – The system that sends information about the upcoming call from the alarm office to a particular station’s printer. We rip the paper from the printer and run to the truck.
Roof ladder – A 14 foot, single-section ladder with hooks on one end that literally can hook to a ridge or a peak of a roof to keep it in place. We use it for safety when we need to stand on a roof that might be unstable.
Rookie – A newly graduated firefighter from Fire College. He technically stays a rookie for one year from the time of hire.
Routine – to respond to a call in a fire vehicle, that is not an emergency, without using lights and sirens. As in, "respond to a routine 17."
Run on – to respond to a call. As in, "We have run on him before, or we ran on 4 calls after midnight."
Scene or the scene – The actual, physical location where a call or an emergency is being worked or responded to.
SCBA - Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, The tanks we wear on our backs and breathe from when we are in a smoky or hot atmosphere.
SCUBA – Self Contained UNDERWATER Breathing Apparatus
Second alarm – To call for an additional group of units to come to a fire. Once we assess the fire and the situation surrounding it, we can make it a second alarm, third alarm or fourth alarm according to the size of the fire and how many units and how much manpower are needed.
Seniority – The amount of time that you have been on the fire department.
Sheeting a patient - That's when 2, 3 or 4 of us, grab the sheet underneath the patient and pick them up or slide them over by the sheet to our stretcher or the hospital bed.
Spare truck – An extra truck that isn’t assigned to a particular station but rather is extra if needed in case a regular truck breaks.
Squirt – A special type of fire engine that has a hydraulic ladder system that we can either climb or flow water through to "squirt’ on a fire.
Staging – When fire units stand by or wait in a particular "staging area" somewhere near the fire, until they are needed.
Station Commander – The highest ranking officer at a station who is basically in charge of everything that happens at the station.
Suppression – The units whose actual job it is to respond and suppress fires. It refers to the actual fire department vehicles and men that respond to emergencies, not to the administration.
Suppression dorm – The room in the station where the guys riding on the firetruck sleep.
Territory – The primary area that a station has the responsibility to respond to.
Third party call – When someone other than someone at the scene calls in an emergency.
Unit - an individual apparatus, eg. a rescue, fire truck or battalion chief
White-shirts – Usually refers to Chiefs or someone who is not riding on a regular unit. They usually wear white shirts and dark blue pants, and not regular "blues" or "grays" like the working firefighters. In other words, they are basically supervisors, who don’t plan on getting their hands or uniforms dirty.


	*FIREMEN TERMS and EXPLANATIONS* The following is a list of firemen terms, phrases and explanations. It is helpful and actually, pretty necessary to completely understand some of the things I’ve written in the book. While writing, I often use phrases or terms that are specific to the fire department. I haven’t stopped each time to explain them but chose to explain them in a list. This list is actually very informative. It is interesting just to read it on its own. 13 – refers to Station 13 where the administration has their offices. It was later torn down and the administration moved to a building that is now called "Headquarters." 317 – an auto accident Acting lieutenant, captain or chief – Someone who basically is substituting or working for someone else at a higher rank. It can be for some hours or for the day. Administrative Order – It’s a directive put out in memo like form by the department’s administration that details new or updated rules. Advance a line or advance a hose – means to drag or move a charged hose line usually toward a fire with the intention of using it to put out a fire. Alarm Office – The central room where all 911 calls are dispatched from. It is located at the SW corner of Sunset Drive and SW 87 Avenue in Miami. Battalion – The Chief who is in charge of a group of 4 or 5 stations in his Battalion. It can refer to either the chief or to the group of stations. As in, "The chief has 5 stations in his battalion." Battalion Day - A shift off that someone was lucky enough to get by being the first or second one in the battalion to request it. If it’s a holiday or a day that a lot of guys want off, we have a drawing to see who gets it off. Been on – how long someone has been a fireman with the fire department. As in, "How long have you been on?" Bids – The system we have where a fireman can choose a unit, station or position to work, based on seniority and qualifications. Blues - Our everyday, blue jumpsuit, work uniforms, usually worn by the guys riding rescue. As in, "He’s wearing blues today." Booster line - A small diameter, rubberized hose line that is pre-connected to the truck’s pump and is stored on a motorized reel. It is usually used for putting out small fires or grass fires. Bouncing - Before you have enough seniority to get a bid somewhere, you bounce from station to station to fill in for whoever is sick, on vacation, or has the day off. Broad-sided – That’s when a car gets hit on their side, either the driver’s or passenger’s side, by another car’s front. Not to be confused with head-on or rear-ended. Building Assignment – An initial dispatch to a fire, of a larger than normal number of suppression units, usually to an apartment building or commercial property fire. Bunker gear – The protective, fire resistant garments worn by firefighters while fighting fires and performing other activities. Bunker out – means to put on your bunker gear to get ready to fight a fire or deal with some hazardous condition. As in, "We had to bunker out quickly because we were very close to the apartment on fire when we got the call." Burn-out - Refers to when a fireman, usually a paramedic, finally succumbs to the many years of pressure and stress of the job. Catching a hydrant – To find and attach our large diameter hoses to a fire hydrant so we can have a large volume of water if needed. Changing trucks – To transfer all our equipment and gear from one truck to another usually when a mechanical problem occurs with the truck. Charged line – A hose line that is full of water and pressurized, ready to expel water under pressure. Claxton - A loud, very loud, noisemaker in each fire station that is meant to alert us, especially when we are sleeping, that we have a call. Clearing the scene – When we are leaving a particular scene of an emergency after we have finsished. Code 1, 2 3 and 4 – These distinguish different types of situations we encounter when we arrive on fires. Code 1 means that all of the initial dispatch will be needed. It is used when the first unit arrives and sees a lot of dark smoke or visible flames. Code 2 for Engine 3, means that E3 will handle the call by themselves. Code 3 means basically to stand by. The first arriving unit isn’t sure what they have encountered so all the other units must continue responding until things are inspected further until the fire is made a code 1 or a code 2. Code 4 means a false alarm. Command – The person, usually a chief, who is in charge at a fire and has the final say. As in, "Chief So and So was command at the second alarm fire last night." Company - the complete group of firemen that work on a unit, or the unit and the men together. A single company station has only one unit, either an engine or a rescue. County, (The County) - refers to the entire government of Dade County and later, Miami-Dade County, not only the Fire Department. CR or CR day - The 24-hour shift that we get off every third week, or every 7th shift. It can also mean the person who fills in for the guys who are on CR days. As in, "The CR guy who was filling in at Station 36 today was doing the cooking." Crew – The members of a particular unit. As is: the crew of Engine 37 is an aggressive bunch. D.O.A. - Dead on arrival, i.e. the patient was dead when we arrived. Dress uniform - The uniform we were on special occasions like funerals, and ceremonies. It consists of a white shirt, dark blue pants and black, pat and leather shoes. Dump fire – A fire that is burning in a place where a large quantity of trash is stored or buried. Exposure – A building or structure that is adjacent or exposed to something else that is on fire. As in, "We are going to let the fire burn and just protect the exposures." Extricate - To take a person out from inside a confined place. It usually refers to using some kind of mechanical device to free a person from a mangled car. F.A.O. - Fire Alarm Office, (see Alarm Office) Filling a slot - When a fireman works in a vacated position on an engine or a rescue until the next bid period or until the person with the bid returns. As in, "That lucky so and so is filling the slot on Engine 21 until so and so returns from his special assignment." Fireboots – The long, heavy-duty, water-proof boots that firemen wear when they fight fires. Fire watch – When a trained fireman patrols an area and watches for signs of fire or fire hazards so preventive steps can be taken quickly. First arriving unit – The unit, either a firetruck or a rescue, that arrives first at the scene of a fire. First in – The unit that is closest to the location of a fire and should be the first unit to arrive and start fighting a fire. As in, "Are we first in?" G.O.A. - Gone on Arrival i.e. the patient had left before we got there. Get on or got on – refers to when one first gets hired and starts working as a fireman. As in, "When I first got on ..." Grays – Our everyday, gray, work uniforms, usually worn by the guys on the engines. As in, "He’s wearing grays today." Ground ladder – One of our regular ladders that we place on the ground and lean against a house or building. (as opposed to a roof ladder or an aerial ladder) Holding or to hold – when a fireman has to stay and work at the station until their relief or replacement gets there. As in, "I had to hold for 30 minutes this morning until my relief got here from Station 8." Holiday routine – A non-structured day at the station where only the necessary things are done. It’s explained very well in the chapter, Holiday Routine. Hose evolution – The step by step procedure of all the tasks involved in all aspects of laying hoses to a fire and getting water to the fire. Hot drill – A training exercise that includes real fire in a confined space causing the atmosphere to get really hot. Hot line – The telephone in the station that is reserved and used only for emergencies and official, recorded conversations with the alarm office. Hot spots - Places, usually hidden in walls or attics, where there is still active fire. Hotel Roll – A folded-up section of 1?-inch hose with all necessary appliances attached that we take with us on all reported hotel or apartment building fires, that we can attach to the existing water pipes and use to put out the fire. In the field – The term we use to specify working and responding to the public on emergencies in a fire vehicle, as opposed to sitting in an office doing training or administrative duties. Jaws or the Jaws of Life - It's a very powerful machine using both a gasoline powered generator and hydraulic powered Jaws, or arms, to pry apart things or open up things, usually cars. Jump a call – When a unit hears a call going out on the air and takes the call or responds to it even though it wasn’t originally their call oreven if it’s not in their territory. Gung-ho officers do this when it sounds like a "good" call or even just to keep busy. Jump seat – The seats behind the cab of a firetruck where the firemen sit and can easily jump out of to go fight a fire. Kitty – The collection of things, usually food items, at a fire station that we all chip in to buy and are used by everyone. They can range from crackers to ketchup. As in, "Tell the Kitty Man we are out of crunchy peanut butter." Ladder a building - to put up ladders to gain access either inside, outside or to the top of a building. Light-duty – When a fireman is not able to work at a station and is working at a job or assignment that is less demanding physically or mentally. As in, "He’s been on light-duty for over 3 months because of his bad back." Log Book – A green, journal type book, kept at all stations, in which we record or "log-in" all activities associated with the station. Low-bid – The practice of buying something from the supplier who sells it at the lowest price. As in, "No wonder our truck is always breaking down, it is low-bid." Man on the roof - The signal that a female civilian is in the fire station. Memo or Memorandum – A numbered order or official notification put out to all stations by the administration by headquarters. Metro – refers to Metro Dade County Fire Department, not to get confused with the City of Miami Fire Department Monitor the radio – to listen to the fire department radio so no transmissions will be missed. Move-up – When a unit has to go to another station to cover their territory because that unit is on a major call or in training or just not able to respond to calls for an extended period of time. O.I.C. or Officer in Charge – The officer, usually of the highest rank, who has the ultimate responsibility out of a group of firemen. Occupancy – Any structure that legally can hold or sleep people. It can be a restaurant, an apartment or a convention center. On the air or ‘09’ When the unit is listening to the radio as opposed to being in the station and not listening. They can either be in the truck, on a survey or somewhere other than the station. On a 3 – responding in a fire vehicle to an emergency as quickly as possible, with flashing lights and loud sirens. On a 10 or Out of Service – When a unit is not able to respond to a call either because they have mechanical problems, lack of equipment, lack of minimum personnel, or are on special training, surveys or appointments. On the air – when we are actually listening or "monitoring" the radio, as opposed to being in the station where we have to be called on the telephone or have the Claxton set off to alert us to a call. On the department – This one is sort of obvious. It is what we say to refer to someone being a fireman on the fire department. As in, "He’s one of the few guys on the department who..." Out of service – Not able to respond to calls for different reasons, personnel shortage, vehicle problems, out of territory. Overhauling – What we do after a fire is basically out. It involves tearing apart walls and ceilings Personal Alarm Safety Device – An alarm worn by fire fighting personnel that, gives off a loud audible alarm either manually or when there is lack of movement for over 15 seconds, that is used to locate an injured or lost firefighter during an incident. Pike pole – A long pole with a hook at the end that we primarily use to pull down walls and ceilings when we are "overhauling" after a fire. Positive-pressure fan – A big, strong mechanical fan that forces air into a structure to clear out the smoke. We used to use exhaust fans that basically tried to suck smoke out of a building. Protocols – A list of some 50 medical situations that we may encounter and the step-by-step procedures that we must follow. Pull – as in, "Pull the 150 foot jump line." It means to "pull" the hose off of the truck and get it ready to use on a fire. Quarters or ‘05’ – your station, as in, "We’re ’05,’" which means we are at our station now, or "R36, take an ’05,’" which means for R36 to go back to their station. In quarters means your unit is in the station, Out of quarters - It doesn't mean that you don't have any more 25-cent pieces in your pocket. It means you're not in the station. Raise - to contact or be contacted on the fire department radio Raise a ladder - to put a ladder up so it’s ready to be climbed. Recall – the recall – the system in a station that alerts us to a call that is being dispatched. It also can mean the Claxton. Recall check – asking the alarm office to set off the station recall to see if it’s working properly. Recruit – A person who has been hired by the fire department and is currently going through Fire College with the hope of becoming a certified firefighter soon. Red Books – A series of about 15 books, all with red covers, that all recruits receive to study from. They contain all sorts of firefighting techniques and instruction. Reference – The reason someone calls "911." The reference on that call was "chest pain." Rekindle – When a fire starts up again after we have already, supposedly put it out. It is very embarrassing for everyone involved. Relief - Guys of any rank that don't have bids. They just fill in wherever they're needed. As in, "We had a relief LT riding with us today because our regular LT called in sick." Relief is also used to mean any fireman working for, relieving or replacing another fireman. Repell – To use a rope to lower yourself down the side of a building or structure. Rescue dorm – The room in the station where the guys riding on the rescue truck sleep. Riding tailboard – When you are riding as a firefighter on the back of a firetruck or in the jumpseat. Rip and run – The system that sends information about the upcoming call from the alarm office to a particular station’s printer. We rip the paper from the printer and run to the truck. Roof ladder – A 14 foot, single-section ladder with hooks on one end that literally can hook to a ridge or a peak of a roof to keep it in place. We use it for safety when we need to stand on a roof that might be unstable. Rookie – A newly graduated firefighter from Fire College. He technically stays a rookie for one year from the time of hire. Routine – to respond to a call in a fire vehicle, that is not an emergency, without using lights and sirens. As in, "respond to a routine 17." Run on – to respond to a call. As in, "We have run on him before, or we ran on 4 calls after midnight." Scene or the scene – The actual, physical location where a call or an emergency is being worked or responded to. SCBA - Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, The tanks we wear on our backs and breathe from when we are in a smoky or hot atmosphere. SCUBA – Self Contained UNDERWATER Breathing Apparatus Second alarm – To call for an additional group of units to come to a fire. Once we assess the fire and the situation surrounding it, we can make it a second alarm, third alarm or fourth alarm according to the size of the fire and how many units and how much manpower are needed. Seniority – The amount of time that you have been on the fire department. Sheeting a patient - That's when 2, 3 or 4 of us, grab the sheet underneath the patient and pick them up or slide them over by the sheet to our stretcher or the hospital bed. Spare truck – An extra truck that isn’t assigned to a particular station but rather is extra if needed in case a regular truck breaks. Squirt – A special type of fire engine that has a hydraulic ladder system that we can either climb or flow water through to "squirt’ on a fire. Staging – When fire units stand by or wait in a particular "staging area" somewhere near the fire, until they are needed. Station Commander – The highest ranking officer at a station who is basically in charge of everything that happens at the station. Suppression – The units whose actual job it is to respond and suppress fires. It refers to the actual fire department vehicles and men that respond to emergencies, not to the administration. Suppression dorm – The room in the station where the guys riding on the firetruck sleep. Territory – The primary area that a station has the responsibility to respond to. Third party call – When someone other than someone at the scene calls in an emergency. Unit - an individual apparatus, eg. a rescue, fire truck or battalion chief White-shirts – Usually refers to Chiefs or someone who is not riding on a regular unit. They usually wear white shirts and dark blue pants, and not regular "blues" or "grays" like the working firefighters. In other words, they are basically supervisors, who don’t plan on getting their hands or uniforms dirty.
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