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NSW RFS Glossary

Below is a list of commonly used terms at the RFS and what they mean.

Term	Definition
AALO	Aviation Agency Liaison Officer - Appointed to the State Air Desk and is responsible for maintaining liaison on all aviation matters.
AAR	After Action Review - Similar to a debrief, an AAR involves describing what was intended, what actually happened, what mistakes were made, and how participation might improve in the future.
AAS	Air Attack Supervisor - Coordination of firebombing and tactical aircraft activity in support of the incident, and to achieve the objectives of the Incident Action Plan, and will ensure assigned aircraft operate in an effective manner.
ABM	Air Base Manager - Responsible for the supervision and coordination of airbase personnel, and the layout and operation of an airbase.
ABO	Air Base Operator - Provides air base services to air operations.
AC	Alternating Current - an electric current that reverses its direction many times a second at regular intervals, typically used in power supplies.
Accelerant	Any substance (such as oil, gasoline, etc.) that is applied to a fuel bed to expedite the burning process.
Access Winching	Winching for the purposes of accessing an area or incident, e.g. Remote area firefighting.
ACM	Asbestos Containing Material.
Adaptor	A fitting used to connect different sized hoses, threads or types of couplings.
ADFD	Australian Digital Forecast Database - a database of official weather forecast elements produced by the Bureau of Meteorology, such as temperature, rainfall, and weather types, presented in a gridded format.
Adsorption	The taking in of water vapour from the air by dead plant material.
Advancing fire	That portion of the fire with rapid fire spread and higher intensity which is normally burning with the wind and/or up slope.
Advice	A Fire has started. There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.
ADWAM	Aerial Dropping Water and Additive Mixing.
AED	Automated External Defibrillator - A portable electronic device that uses electricity to "shock" the heart back into its correct rhythm.
Aerial detection	The discovering, locating and reporting of fires from aircraft.
Aerial Drip Torch	A device slung underneath a helicopter that dispenses ignited, gelled petroleum to ignite fuel reduction burns (sometimes referred to as a 'Helitorch').
Aerial Drip Torch Operator	Person responsible for the safe operation of the aerial drip torch during the burning operation and providing navigation and operational direction to the helicopter pilot and ground crews to ensure burn objectives are achieved.
Aerial fuel	The standing and supported combustibles not in direct contact with the ground and consisting mainly of foliage, twigs, branches, stems, bark and creepers. See elevated fuel
Aerial Ignition	Ignition of fuels by dropping incendiary devices or materials from aircraft.
Aerial Imaging	The production of multispectral imaging and aerial mapping that can be shared with Incident Management Teams and other agencies providing image overlays in common operating platforms.
Aerial Incendiary Capsule	A plastic ball, phial shaped vessel or capsule belt containing potassium permanganate which when injected with mono-ethylene glycol undergoes an exothermic reaction resulting in ignition.
Aerial Incendiary Machine	An electrically or manually powered machine designed for the purpose of priming anddispensing aerial incendiary capsules from aircraft.
Aerial Reconnaissance	Use of aircraft for detection of fires and observing fire behaviour, values-at-risk, suppression activity, and other critical factors to facilitate command decisions on strategy and tactics needed for fire suppression.
Aerosol	Airborne solid or liquid particles dispersed or suspended in a gas stream.
AET	Aerial Extraction Team - Responsible for winching operations where personnel are extracted from an environment and winched into the helicopter.
AFAC	The National Council for fire and emergency services, in Australia and New Zealand, creating synergies across the emergency management sector. Formerly known as Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council.
AFDRS	Australian Fire Danger Rating System - Describes the potential level of danger should a bush fire start. Broken into five bands: No rating, Moderate, High, Extreme, and Catastrophic. Ratings inform people to make decisions and protect themselves against bush fire risk.
AFI	Authorised Fire Investigator - Person authorised to investigate the origin and cause of fire.
AFSM	Australian Fire Service Medal
AGL	Above Ground Level
AI	Aerial Incendiary - Operations using aerial ignition equipment to conduct landscape scale burning in areas of difficult access.
AIA	Arrangement for Interstate Assistance - The primary arrangement for mutual assistance in emergency management activities being conducted by Australian and New Zealand agencies.
AID	Aerial Ignition Device - Equipment designed to ignite wildland fuels from an aircraft.
AIDER	Assist Infirm, Disabled and Elderly Residents Program - The AIDER program is a free, one-off mitigation service which supports some of our most at-risk community members live more safely and confidently in their home in areas where bush fires may start.
AIIMS	Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System - Provides a common incident management system for all responding agencies and personnel, enabling seamless integration of activities and allocated resources for the effective and safe resolution of any incident.
AIN	Air Incendiary Navigator
Air Attack	The direct use of aircraft in the suppression of bush fires.
Aircrew	Co-pilot and personnel associated with the operation of an aircraft and aircraft equipment.
Air Operations	The use of aircraft in support of an incident for the purposes of suppression, transportation of personnel, equipment or supplies, or for aerial reconnaissance.
AIRS	Australian Incident Reporting System - A mechanism for fire services to collect consistent data as to the incidence of fire and is used to identify trends in fires and incidents.
Airside	Areas of the airport accessible to aircraft, including the apron, taxiways and runways.
ALARP	As low as reasonably practicable - the principle to ensure residual risk is reduced as far as reasonably practicable.
Alert Level	During a bush fire, there are three Alert Levels used to give an indication of the level of threat: Advice; Watch and Act; and Emergency Warning.
Alternative Energy Systems	A broad classification of energy producing systems other than power stations supplying the electricity grid. Common systems include PV, wind turbine, co-generation, geo-thermal, and micro-hydro.
ALUM	Australian Land Use and Management Classification - Detailed national standard for describing what land is used for.
AMSA	Australian Maritime Safety Authority
Anchor Point	An advantageous location, usually a barrier to fire spread, from which to start constructing a fire line. The anchor point is used to minimise the chance of being flanked by the fire while the line is being constructed.
ANZCTC	Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee.
ANZEMC	Australia and New Zealand Emergency Management Committee.
AOB	Air Observer - Qualified aviation specialist able to gather intelligence from an aircraft including mapping, images, fire behaviour, or other incident specific information / intelligence.
AOF	Aircraft Officer - Responsible for the coordination of ground operations and the overall provision of support, enabling a safe and efficient air operation to be conducted.
AOM	Air Operations Manager - Responsible for the coordination and management of aviation resources used at an incident.
APM	Australian Police Medal.
Appliance	An operational firefighting vehicle with visible and audible warning devices.
APT	Arduous Pack Test - A test of physical fitness used to assess the level of aerobic capacity, muscular strength and muscular endurance. It is an international standard for wildland (arduous) firefighters.
APZ	Asset Protection Zone - A fuel reduced area surrounding a built asset or structure.
ARB	Authorised Rescue Brigade - Those Rural Fire Brigades who have achieved accreditation.
ARC	Aviation Rescue Crew - Also known as Down the Wire (DTW) Technician or Rescue Crewman. A member of the collective aircrew deployed by winch from the helicopter to affect rescues.
Area Command	A prescribed geographic area responsible for the support and administration of a number of Rural Fire Districts. RFS has 7 Area Commands - Greater Sydney, Hunter, North Eastern, North Western, South Eastern, South Western, Western.
Area Ignition	Ignition of several individual fires throughout an area, either simultaneously or in rapid succession, and so spaced that they add to and influence the main body of the fire to produce a hot, fast-spreading fire condition. Also called simultaneous ignition.
Area of Operations	Boundaries used to define specific geographic areas where an authorised agency has the authority to plan and conduct operations.
Area of Origin	General location where the fire started.
ARENA	Aviation Resource Management System - The national system for supporting the use of aircraft for fire and emergency response.
ARENA HP	The national system for supporting the use of heavy plant for fire and emergency response.
ARO	Aviation Radio Operator - Assists with communications to aircraft operating in support of fires or other emergency incidents and fulfils an essential role to help ensure the safety and efficiency of air operations.
ARSO	Priorities at an incident. Approach and Arrival, Rescue, Suppression and Overhaul.
Arson	The deliberate setting of a fire where the intent of the person responsible was to cause harm or destruction to life or property.
ART	Advanced Resuscitation Techniques.
ARTC	The Australian Rail Track Corporation - An Australian Government owned statutory corporation operating one of the largest rail networks in the nation. ARTC manage the movement of freight and passenger trains across five states and 8,500km of track.
ASA	Aviation Support Assistant - Assists in maintaining the systems of management that support the State Air Desk.
Asbestos	A fibrous silicate mineral that is incombustible and is used as cladding or a heat resistant or insulating material.
Asbestos Register	The asbestos management code and the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation require that owners of workplaces keep an accurate register of asbestos-containing materials on the premises. All workplaces built before 1 January 1990 should already have an asbestos register and safety policies and procedures for friable asbestos.
ASO	Airborne Systems Operator
ASR	RFS Assessor - RFS training qualification.
Assembly Area	A suitable location, complete with facilities, in which units and crews can be rested, replenished, briefed, debriefed and attended to as necessary.
Assets	Anything valued by people which includes houses, crops, forests and in many cases, the environment.
Assisting Agency	An agency directly contributing suppression, support or service resources to another agency.
ATAS	Arson Trend Analysis System.
Authorised Layer	An Authorised Layer or a Map Layer authorised for publication within the Fuel State Editor.
Aviation Incidents	Includes aircraft accidents and fires, fires on airports and fires involving navigation aids.
AVL	Automatic vehicle location - a device which allows the display of a mobile resource location on RFS systems.
AWS	Automatic Weather Stations - Are units that provide accurate and timely information directly into the Bureau of Meteorology observations network; or Amazon Web Services - a service by Amazon that provides various online tools and services that help businesses manage their data and applications on the internet.
Back Burn	A fire started intentionally along the inner edge of a fire line during indirect attack operations to consume fuel in the path of a bush fire.
BACO	Breathing Apparatus Control Officer - The officer responsible for a Breathing Apparatus Control Board.
BA Control	Breathing Apparatus Control - Ensures the safety of firefighters during Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus operations. It tracks the location, entry time and expected exit time of Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus wearers.
BA Control Board	Breathing Apparatus Control Board - Used in conjunction with Breathing Apparatus tallies, it is a device for recording all Breathing Apparatus operator details, including working times and location.
BAO	Breathing Apparatus Operator - RFS training qualification for members who are qualified to wear and maintain RFS SCBA equipment whilst conducting external firefighting operations.
Bark Fuel	The flammable bark on tree trunks and upper branches.
Bark Heaps	Accumulations of bark and branch material resulting from timber harvesting operations. Soil may be mixed with bark heaps, but generally the heap is formed by a machine dropping fresh bark on the top of the heap.
BAS	Breathing Apparatus Support - Personnel are member of brigades who may provide support to Breathing Apparatus Operators including acting as a Breathing Apparatus Control Officer but are not themselves Breathing Apparatus Operators.
Base	The call sign of an RFS communications unit other than the Rural Fire District Communications Centre (e.g. Homestead, Brigade or Brigade Group base station).
Base Camp	A location where personnel are accommodated and fed for a period of time. A base camp usually contains catering, ablution and accommodation facilities, a water supply and a lighting system, and may include other facilities such as car parking, maintenance and servicing.
Basic Burn Checklist	A checklist for very low risk burns as determined by the Fire Control Officer.
BA Tally	Breathing Apparatus Tally - The tag used to record the Breathing Apparatus set and operator details. It is used in conjunction with a Breathing Apparatus Control Board.
BAU	Business As Usual
BBC	Basic Burn Checklist - records the information relevant to a prescribed burn being undertaken.
BCM	Base Camp Manager - Responsible for management and oversight of all functions at the Base Camp.
Belly Tank	A water tank fitted to the external floor of a helicopter used for fire bombing.
BESS	Battery Energy Storage System - Rechargeable batteries that can store energy from different sources and discharge it when needed.
BF	Bush Firefighter - RFS training qualification.
BFA	Bush Fire Awareness - RFS training qualification.
BFCC	The Bush Fire Coordinating Committee - The peak body for bush fire risk management in NSW, constituted under section 46 of the Rural Fires Act 1997. The BFCC is responsible for planning in relation to fire prevention and coordinated bush firefighting, advising the Commissioner on bush fire prevention, mitigation, and coordinated bush fire suppression and such other functions imposed on it by the Act.
BFDP	Bush Fire Danger Period - A period of the year either established by legislation or declared by the relevant agency, when restrictions are placed on the use of fire due to dry vegetation and the existence of conditions conducive to the spread of fire.
BFHC	Bush Fire Hazard Complaint
BFIL	Bush Fire Information Line - Provides members of the public the ability to obtain information relating to the operations of the RFS on a 24/7, year round basis. Members of the public can access pre-recorded information, be transferred to sections and units within the RFS or speak to a customer service operator directly.
BFILC	Bush Fire Information Line Coordinator - Is responsible for facilitating and managing the provision and reception of all information delivered by telephone through the Bush Fire Information Line.
BFILO	Bush Fire Information Line Operator - Is responsible for ensuring calls to the state wide 1800 information line are dealt with in a professional and timely manner.
BFILTL	Bush Fire Information Line Team Leader - Is responsible for all call takers giving information by telephone through the Bush Fire Information Line.
BFIP	Bush Fire Information Point
BFMC	Bush Fire Management Committee - operating in each area of NSW, under the direction of the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee. Comprised of local members, landholders, land managers, fire authorities, and community organisations; the BFMC provide cooperative interaction between organisations, agencies, and the community for coordinated bush fire management in their area.
BFRMP	Bush Fire Risk Management Plan - Is a strategic document that identifies community assets at risk and sets out a five-year program of coordinated multi-agency treatments to reduce the risk of bush fire to the assets.
BFS	Bush Firefighter Support - RFS training qualification.
BIA	Bush Fire Building Impact Analysis - Aims to collect and analyse data when a habitable structure has been destroyed or damaged due to a bush fire event.
BIC	Burn Incident Controller - The person who has overall control of the burn and is responsible for the implementation of the burn plan in the field. The BIC is responsible to a senior officer, such as the Fire Control Officer who is remote from the burn site.
BICC	Bush Fire Incident Coordination Centre - Fire and Rescue NSW maintains a permanent presence in the State Operations Centre within a dedicated area known as the BICC. Fire and Rescue NSW staffing in the BICC is increased when significant bush fire activity is forecast or occurring.
Birddog	Air tanker lead plane.
BIRS	Brigade Incident Reporting System - the method for RFS post-incident reporting
Blacking Out	The process of extinguishing or removing burning material along or near the firecontrol line, felling stags, trenching logs to prevent rolling and the like, in order to make the fire safe. Also referred to as 'mopping up'.
Blackspot	An area where two-way radio coverage does not exist
Blank Cap	The metal cap used on delivery outlets and on the suction inlet of the pump to prevent discharge of water.
BLEVE	A Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion - Occurs when a fire impinged, or damaged tank fails to contain its internal pressure and explodes with a sudden pressure release.
BLS	Basic Life Support.
BMH	Brigade Management Handbook
BNHCRC	Bush fire and National Hazards Cooperative Research Centre.
Bole	The trunk of a tree.
BoM	Bureau of Meteorology - Australia's national weather, climate, and water agency which provides regular weather forecasts, warning advice for floods, fires and storms, and also monitoring and advice for the Australian region and Antarctic territory.
Bomber	Fixed wing aircraft.
Bona Fide	A matter or thing done or omitted to be done by a protected person if done in good faith in accordance with Section 128 of the Rural Fire Act 1997.
BPED	Bush Fire Protection Existing Dwelling
Brigade	A rural fire brigade formed under the Act however named or described.
Brigade Captain	The elected member responsible for the operational activities within the brigade. In some brigades there may be some cross over between duties of the President and Captain.
BRIMS	bush fire Risk Information Management System - RFS online database, capturing hazard complaints, development consent, total fire bans/exemptions, and bush fire danger periods.
Built to survey	The vessel has been constructed to comply with statutory vessel requirements.
Burning Off	Generally setting fire - With more or less regard to areas carrying unwanted vegetation such as rough grass, slash and other fuels.
Burning Out	A technique where fire is intentionally lit to consume sections of unburnt fuel inside a fire area, to remove patches of fuel in case of spotting or fire flare-ups in anticipated deteriorating weather conditions. Its conditions are similar to Tactical Backburning.
Bush Fire	Un planned vegetation fire. A generic term which includes grass fires, forest fires, and scrub fire both with and without a suppression objective.
Bush Fire Hazard	The potential severity of a bush fire, which is determined by fuel load, fuel arrangement and topography under a given climatic condition.
Bush Fire Management	All those activities directed to prevention, detection, damage mitigation, and suppression of bush fires; including legislation, policy, administration etc.
Bush Fire Risk Management	A systematic process that provides a range of treatments which contribute to the well-being of communities and the environment, which suffer the adverse effects of wildfire/bush fire.
CAB	Change Advisory Board - An advisory board group of ICT, business representatives, (and third parties when required), that reviews and recommends proposed changes to ICT systems ensuring they are beneficial and compatible with existing functionality.
CABA	Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus - see Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
CAD	Computer Aided Dispatch - Integrates with other systems to provide an end-to-end process for managing incoming calls and dispatching appropriate resources to incidents.
CAFS	Compressed Air Foam System - a system that mixes pressured water, foam concentrate, and compressed air to create a high-quality aerated foam blanket with uniform bubble structure.
CALD	Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.
Candle	A tree (or small clump of trees) is said to candle when its foliage ignites and flares up, usually from the bottom to top.
Candlebark	Long streamers of bark that have peeled from some eucalypt species that form fire brands conductive to very long distance spotting.
Canopy	The crowns of the tallest plants in a forest - the overstory cover.
Carabiner	A large D-Shaped stainless steel device with a spring-loaded and screwed gate that serves as an all-purpose connector.
CASA	Civil Aviation Safety Authority - The government body that regulates Australian aviation safety.
CASR	Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 - Provide regulatory controls for civil aviation safety in Australia. They contain the detailed the safety standards that people and organisations must comply with.
CAT	Catering Assistant - RFS training qualification.
Catastrophic fire danger	Describes conditions that are most dangerous for a fire, and represents the highest fire danger rating under the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS). If a fire starts and takes hold, lives and homes are likely to be lost.
CBD	Conduct Briefings and Debriefings - RFS training qualification.
CBRN Incident	Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear incident – A combination of circumstances or conditions involving CBRN materials with potential to cause damage or harm people and the environment.
CCA	Communications Assistant - RFS training qualification.
CCC	Command/Control/Communications - RFS training qualification.
CCL	Catering Crew Leader - RFS training qualification.
CEG	Corporate Executive Group. A RFS committee comprised of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, and Executive Directors.
Central Ignition	A method of prescribed burning in which fires are set in the centre of an area to create a strong convective column. Additional fires are then set progressively closer to the outer control lines causing indraft winds to build up. This has the effect of drawing the fires towards the centre.
CFA	Country Fire Authority.
CFU	Community Fire Unit - A team (6 or more) of trained local residents who voluntarily provide a preliminary resource to assist in preparedness, protection measures, and bush fire education. Units are generally equipped with an inventory of essential firefighting equipment, often in a trailer to respond quickly to local fires.
cHaines	Continuous Haines Index - A measure used in fire weather forecasting to assess the potential for fire growth and behaviour. It combines aspects of atmospheric stability and dryness to indicate the likelihood of fire spread and intensity. Values range between 0-13, with a cHaines of 13 indicating the atmosphere is likely to be dry and highly unstable.
Chaplain	A minister of religion or lay preacher who provides spiritual welfare (irrespective of religion or denominational affiliation) to all members of the RFS (including volunteers and staff) and their families.
Chief Pilot	A person approved by Civil Aviation Safety Authority who has been appointed to control all Flight Crew training and operational matters that affect the safe conduct of operations for an aviation company.
CID	Critical Incident Debriefing - A debriefing conducted after a critical incident and designed to mitigate the likelihood and/or effects of critical incident stress.
CIO	Chief Information Officer - the person with the legislative responsibility to oversee ICT operations for an organisation.
CISM	Critical Incident Stress Management
CISS	Critical Incident Support Services - Is to provide support to all members, as individuals or as a group, of the RFS. This includes volunteers or staff (and their families) who may be experiencing a critical incident stress reaction following an operational incident.
CL	Crew Leader - RFS training qualification.
Class A Foam	Previously referred to as BFFF (Bush Fire Fighting Foam) - A wetting agent added to water to improve firefighting efficiency.
Class B Foam	Previously referred to as AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foams) - Water-based firefighting foam products used to suppress flammable liquid fires.
CLG	Crew Leader Grassfire - RFS training qualification.
CLI	Caller Line Identification - Triple Zero calls, or other alert calls made to the RFS having ‘caller information’ such as phone number, billing address and contact name. Displayed on the CAD screen, it allows operators to call back parties if they need more information (except from a SIM-free mobile, which is not visible to operators).
CLO	Community Liaison Officer - Responsible within the Incident Management Team (IMT) for ensuring fire and safety information is communicated to affected communities.
CLS	Crew Leader Supervision - RFS training qualification.
CLV	Crew Leader Village - RFS training qualification.
CLW	Crew Leader Wildfire - RFS training qualification.
CMP	Change Management Plan.
CO	Carbon Dioxide - is a colourless and non-flammable gas at normal temperature and pressure.
Cold Front	Occur when cold polar air moves towards the equator, pushing under warm tropical air moving towards the poles. This forces the warm air to rise, leading to the formation of large cumuliform clouds and unstable weather. Cold fronts can bring extreme temperature differences, strong winds, and severe weather such as thunderstorms and turbulence.
Collective Aircrew	Refers to the Pilot, Air Crewperson, and Rescue Crew Officer as a collective group.
Combat Agency	The organisation with the legislative or agreed authority for control of an incident. See Lead Agency.
Command	The internal direction of the members and resources of an agency in the performance of the organisation's roles and tasks. Command operates vertically within an organisation.
Commissioner	The Commissioner of the RFS.
Communications Plan	Details the methods and systems for people involved in managing the incident to communicate with each other; the incident management structure, including the actual radio channels or mobile phone numbers.
Competency	Skills, knowledge and experience and their application within an occupation to the standard of performance required to complete a function.
Contained Fire Edge	The red solid line on the map that indicates contained fire edge.
Containment	Procedures taken to keep a material in a defined area. Operations designed to restrict fire and stop it spreading to surrounding structures or areas.
Contaminated	A foreign material in or on another substance. (Has particular relevance in emergency service context where foreign materials pose a threat to life, health, or the environment).
Continuous Improvement	A management strategy involving organisational-wide processes of continuous incremental innovation and adaption to major change.
Contributing Factor	An event that singularly or in connection with other events influences a Work Health and Safety incident occurring (including organisational, task, environment and individual factors).
Control	The overall direction of Emergency Management activities in an emergency situation. Authority for control is established in legislation or in an emergency plan and carries with it the responsibility for tasking other organisations. Control operates horizontally across organisations.
Control Authority	The agency, service, organisation or authority with the legislative responsibility for control of the incident. (Also referred to as the 'Responsible Authority' or 'Agency').
Convection	The manner in which heat is transmitted by the movement of hot fluids or gases
COP	Common Operating Picture - Is used to view maps, incident overlays and other detailed geographical information related to fire intelligence and planning.
CPP	Community Protection Plan - a detailed tactical bush fire planning document prepared at a community level.
Critical Incident	Is defined as any event, which causes significant disruption to effective operations, creates significant danger or serious injury, or fatality to a member of the RFS. A Critical Incident may also include any event that has, or may reasonably cause the public to lose its confidence in the RFS and its members.
CRM	Crew Resource Management - a technique of management consisting of making best use of all the available resources including: People, Equipment, Supplies; and Information.
Cross cut	A technique used to cut fallen timber, involving a diagonal cut across the main grain or axis.
Crown Fire	A fire that advances from top to top of trees or shrubs.
CRUD	Create, Read, Update, Delete.
CSIRO	Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
CSO	Chainsaw Operator - The person in control of a chainsaw.
Culturally Significant Tree	Trees that have been carved or scarred by Aboriginal people for various reasons; such as being used for tools or canoes, or for spiritual purposes.
Currency	The process that recognises that a member's skills, training and capabilities are current, valid, and captured via operational activity or skills maintenance.
CWN	Call When Needed - Means a form of ad-hoc engagement where the Contractor is only committed to provide the Service after they accept a request from a Member to provide the Service.
Dangerous Voltage	Voltage which carries an appreciable risk of electric shock to a human that comes into contact with it with associated risks of "locking on" to live conductors or "startle" reactions such as involuntary body movements.
DASU	Daily Aircraft Suppressant Usage - RFS form monitoring usage of suppressants used at an operating airbase.
DC	Direct Current - An electrical current flowing in one direction only. The type of current generated by Photovoltaic panels.
DCFO	Deputy Commissioner Field Operations.
DCPC	Deputy Commissioner Preparedness & Capability.
DDOO	District Duty Operations Officer - Is the rostered officer responsible for maintaining an oversight of incident activity in the designated area.
Debrief	To gather information from the participants in an action so as to gauge the success or otherwise of the action at the end of the task, shift, tour, or incident.
Decontamination	The process of removing potentially hazardous contaminants on an object or area, including chemicals, micro-organisms, or radioactive substances. This may be achieved by chemical reaction, disinfection, or physical removal.
Dehydration	Excessive loss of water from the body's tissues. Dehydration may follow any condition in which there is a rapid depletion of body fluids.
Delegation	The assignment of functions and tasks to others together with the necessary authority, freedom of action and resources to complete the task.
Demobilisation	The orderly release of resources no longer required at an incident.
DEWNR	Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (SA).
DF	Drought Factor - Is a scale of 1-10 used, when calculating the forest fire danger with the Australian Fire Danger Rating System. It is based on the Keetch Byram Drought Index, the number of days since rain, and the rainfall quantity.
DFCO	Deputy Fire Control Officer.
DIC	Deputy Incident Controller.
Disconnection Switches	Switches included in Direct Current circuits installed for photovoltaic (PV) arrays (solar panels) that prevent power from reaching the invertor from the PV panels.
Dispatch	The act of ordering attack crews and/or support units to respond to a fire, or from one place to another.
DISPLAN	NSW State Disaster Plan. Otherwise known as the State Emergency Management Plan.
Display Area	Geographic area determined by the Bush Fire Management Committee which is used to provide a suitable area and scale for community participation and mapping display purposes.
District	A bounded area serviced by the designated local authority. The RFS has fire management responsibilities servicing over 95 percent of the NSW landmass, via 45 districts (grouped into seven Area Commands).
Div Com	Division Commander - responsible for the incident action plan (managing personnel and equipment) within their Division (grouped geographical or functional sectors).
Division	That organisational level having responsibility for operations within a defined geographic area or with a functional responsibility. Two or more sectors are grouped in a Division tasked with ensuring effective direction and control of operations.
DM	District Manager - the manager of the rural fire district, zone, or team in which a Brigade is located.
Downburst	(AKA "Microburst") - a strong downdraught generated by falling rain in a brief isolated storm or shower. Cool dense air sinks, spreading out rapidly in all directions generating strong winds and dangerous firefighting conditions
Dozer	Short for bulldozer - A crawler tractor fitted with a blade which can be transported to a fire on a tray truck or trailer.
Dozer line	Fireline constructed by the front blade of a dozer.
DPI	Department of Primary Industries.
DPR	Dot Point Review/Response - Summarised detail relating to an event for the purpose of formally responding to a complaint or ministerial enquiry.
DR	Domestic Rescue - Involves the rescue of occupants trapped in or by household settings.
DRA	Dynamic Risk Assessment - The continuous assessment and control in the rapidly changing circumstances of an operational incident.
Drift	The effect of wind on smoke or on a water drop.
Drip torch	A canister of flammable fuel fitted with a wand, a burner head and a fuel flow control device. It is used for lighting fires for prescribed burning, backburning and burning out.
Drought	Prolonged absence or marked deficiency of precipitation (rain).
Drought Index	A numerical value reflecting the dryness of soils, deep forest litter, logs and living vegetation.
Dry stag or Stag	A dead or dry standing tree or part of. The affected tree may be decayed.
DSO	Director State Operations - Led by the Deputy Commissioner Operational Coordination, the DSO oversees the functional areas of: Operational Performance, Operational Response, Emergency Management, and Operational Field Support.
DSOC	Deputy State Operations Controller
DSU	Distress Signal Unit - Is a personal safety device used in conjunction with breathing apparatus; it enables firefighters to signal for help by activating an alarm.
DTG	Date Time Group - a formatted time-stamp, using two digits for the date; 24-hour time, two digits for the month, and two digits for the year. e.g. 11.30am on 15 January 2014 appears as 15 1130 JAN 14 or just 15 1130.
DTW	Down the Wire - A member of the collective aircrew deployed by winch from the helicopter to affect rescues over land or water.
Duplex	A radio communication system using two frequencies simultaneously: one for transmission of radio signals, and one for receiving radio signals.
DZ	Drop Zone - Target area for firefighting aircraft, or cargo dropping.
E2E	End-to-End - software testing approach verifying the working order from start to finish.
EA	Emergency Alert - The national system which can deliver warning messages to mobile and fixed line telephones.
EAM	Enterprise Asset Management (SAP).
EEO	Equal Employment Opportunities.
Electrical Exclusion Zone	A zone, demarcated around an object that is or may be electrically 'live', which is not to be entered except with permission of the incident controller.
Electrical Incidents	Includes fires and accidents involving electrical equipment and/or electrocution.
Elevated fuel	The standing and supported combustibles not in direct contact with the ground and consisting mainly of foliage, twigs, branches, stems, bark and creepers.
El Nino	A natural climate pattern, referring to the extensive warming of the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean that leads to a major shift in weather patterns across the Pacific. In Australia (particularly Eastern Australia), El Nino events are associated with an increased probability of drier conditions, due to reduced rainfall.
ELS	Emergency Logistics Solution - A standardised and digitised solution for requesting and fulfilling emergency logistics.
Embers	Glowing particles cast from the fire (as 'showers' or 'storms').
Emergency	An event, actual or imminent, which endangers or threatens to endanger life, property or the environment, and which requires a significant and coordinated response.
Emergency Signals	An indication of distress, which may consist of any or all of the following: repeated whistle blasts, intermittent blasts of a siren at 5 second intervals, repeated tugs on guide lines and hose lines, and an emergency radio message.
Emergency Warning	An Emergency Warning is the highest level of Bush Fire Alert (Red), and indicates you may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.
EMPLAN	The State Emergency Management Plan - descries the NSW approach to emergency management, the governance and coordination arrangements; and roles and responsibilities of all agencies involved.
EMV	Emergency Management Victoria.
En Route Resources	Resources dispatched to an incident that have not yet checked in.
EOC	Emergency Operations Centre
EOCON	Emergency Operations Controller
EPA	Environment Protection Authority - the primary environmental regulator for NSW. They partner with business, government and the community to reduce pollution and waste, protect human health, and enhance the environment.
EQO	Equipment Officer - Responsible for coordinating and maintaining oversight of equipment maintenance within your brigade.
ERP	ERP software includes programs for all core business areas, such as procurement, production, materials management, sales, marketing, finance, and human resources (HR).
Escape Route	A planned route away from danger areas at a fire.
ESO	Emergency Service Organisations
ESO	Emergency Service Organisation - agencies responsible for responding to emergencies (i.e. police, fire and ambulance services).
EV	Electric Vehicle - a vehicle (car, bus, scooter etc) that runs fully or partially on electricity, using an electric motor powered by a fuel cell or batteries.
Evacuation	The temporary relocation of persons from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas to safe areas; and their return.
Evolution (winching)	A winching evolution includes both a complete winch out and a complete winch in.
Exclusion Zone	A designated area, determined by the mimumum safe distance from an identified hazard. E.g., a hazardous tree, usually requires an area two times the height of the tree, depending on ground slope, to remain clear.
Exemption 24	Marine Safety - This exemption is for volunteer marine rescue, fire services and emergency services organisations that are operating emergency service vessels and do not want to comply with certain survey, crewing and qualification requirements.
Extraction	A part of winching operations where personnel are extracted from an environment and winched in to the helicopter.
Extreme Fire Behaviour	A level of bush fire behaviour characteristics that ordinarily precludes methods of direct suppression action. Behaviour often involves quick-spread, prolific crowning/spotting; fire whirls; and a strong convective column; making the fire unpredictable, erratic and sometimes dangerous.
FAA	First Aid Application.
FACT	A dynamic risk mitigation tool designed for trail bike operators: F - Fire or other environmental hazards, A - Ability of the riders to undertake the tasks, C - Communications are reliable; and T - Terrain or track conditions.
FAFT	Fire Access and Fire Trail.
Fall Zone	The ground area affected by debris if a tree, or its upper branches, was to fall, including the down slope area affected by debris movement.
FBA	Fire Behaviour Analysis.
FBAn	Fire Behaviour Analyst - Person responsible for developing fire behaviour predictions based on fire history, fuel, weather and topography.
FBI	The Fire Behaviour Index - Provides a scale of potential fire danger (should a fire start) based on the predicted rate of fire spread.
FCC	Fire Control Centre - Forms the administrative and operational base of the rural fire district or zone; and coordinates local brigade responses to fire and other incidents.
FCNSW	Forestry Corporation of New South Wales.
FCO	Fire Control Officer (District Manager).
FCTAF	Fire Common Traffic Advisory Frequency - An airband frequency assigned by the hiring agency to an area of aircraft operations.
FDR	Fire Danger Rating.
FDV	Fire Danger Viewer - Is a tool that allows jurisdictions a specialised visualisation of fire danger information including Fire Danger Ratings, Fire Behaviour Index and weather and fuel data.
Feller	Person falling/felling standing trees or part of.
Felling Zone	The area in all directions around the tree being felled equivalent to a radial distance of two and a half times the height of the tallest tree within the felling zone.
FFU	Farm Fire Unit - a small privately owned mobile trailer, ute, or truck, carrying a water tank and readily deployable to quickly respond to fires occurring on a farm property.
FHA	Fuel Hazard Assessment - Form used to record and assess hazards/risks associated with a prescribed burn.
FICU	Fire Investigation and Compliance Unit, responsible for undertaking fire investigation, regulatory compliance checking, and reporting in relation to deliberate and careless fire. Previously referred to as Fire Investigation Unit (FIU).
Field Officer	A brigade captain, senior deputy captain or deputy captain; elected by the members of the brigade.
Finance	A unit functioning within the Logistics Section of an Incident Management Team, tasked with supporting the incident though management of accounts, contracts, payments, compensation etc.
Fingers	Long and narrow slivers of fire which extend beyond the head or flanks.
Fire	The chemical reaction between fuel, oxygen and heat. Heat is necessary to start the reaction and once ignited, fire produces its own heat and becomes self-supporting.
Fire Access Track	A track constructed and/or maintained expressly for fire management purposes.
Fire Behaviour	The manner in which a fire reacts to the variables of fuel, weather and topography.
Fire Behaviour Model	A set of mathematical equations that can be used to predict certain aspects of fire behaviour.
Firebird	Call sign referencing a light helicopter.
Firebombing	A technique of suppressing a bush fire by dropping water, foam or retardants on it from an aircraft.
Firebombing Delivery System	Means the aircraft equipment and systems used to dispense Fire Suppressant or Fire Retardant in the conduct of Firebombing operations, including but not limited to, Firebombing tanks, belly tanks and underslung buckets.
FireCom	Fire Communications Centre - Responsible for emergency call receipt, dispatch, and communications with firefighting resources.
Fire CRM	Fire Crew Resource Management - RFS training qualification.
Fire District	Lands constituted under the Fire and Rescue NSW Act 1989 for which Fire and Rescue NSW have legal responsibility.
Firefighter	Any employee, volunteer or agent of any fire agency who occupies, or is designated, to undertake a role for the purpose of fire suppression.
Fire front	The leading edge and the fastest moving part of the fire. It is the hottest and most intense part of the fire and is the area from which most embers will come.
Fireground	The area in the vicinity of a fire suppression operations, and the area immediately threatened by the fire.
Fireground Channels	Fireground channels are generally simplex working channels in the VHF band. They are used for short range, fireground communications, particularly for crews working on foot away from the vehicle.
Fire Investigation	The process of determining the origin, cause, path, and impact of a fire event.
FireMapper	An infield mapping tool designed to help collect and share live fireground intelligence between members and agencies involved in an incident more easily.
Fire Origin	The point determined by investigation to be where the fire commenced.
Fire Retardant	A chemical substance (compound or slurry) mixed with water and applied to fuel (from the air or ground) designed to retard combustion.
Fi rescan	Fixed Wing Remote Sensing Aircraft.
Fire Service Vessel	A water craft that transports volunteers, employees and equipment to help with firefighting.
Firespotter	Fixed Wing Reconnaissance Aircraft.
Fire Storm	Violent convection caused by a large continuous area of intense bush fire often characterised by destructive violent surface indrafts, a towering convection column, long distance spotting, and sometimes by tornado-like whirlwinds.
Fire Suppressant	An additive (concentrate or solution) applied directly to the burning fuels, designed to reduce the surface tension of water and/or to hold water in suspension thus increasing water's efficiency as a fire extinguishing agent.
Fire Whirl	Spinning vortex column of ascending hot air and gases rising from a fire and carrying aloft smoke, debris and flame. Fire whirls range in size from less than one foot to over 500 feet in diameter. Large fire whirls have the intensity of a small tornado.
FIU	Fire Investigation Unit. See FICU.
Fixed Wing Aircraft	Aircraft including tankers and bombers, used for aerial firefighting operations including firebombing (dropping retardants and water), and linescanning activities.
Flame Angle	The angle of the flame in relation to the ground, caused by wind direction or the effect of a slope.
Flame Depth	The depth of the zone within which continuous flaming occurs behind the fire edge.
Flame Height	The average maximum vertical extension of flames at the leading edge of the fire front. Occasional flashes that rise above the general level of flames are not considered. This distance is less than the flame length if flames are titled due to wind or slope.
Flame Resistant	Material that burns slowly or is self-extinguishing after removal of an external source of ignition.
Flame Zone	The distance from a bush fire at which there is considered to be significant potential for sustained f lame contact to a building.
Flammable Gas	A gas which at 20 degrees and 101.3 kPa pressure; have the potential to ignite or explode when exposed to air.
Flammable Liquid	Liquid having a flash point of not more than 93°C, as defined by the globally harmonised system for the classification and labelling of chemicals.
Flank Attack	Obtaining Control of a fire by attacking its side/s (flank).
Flare Up	Any sudden acceleration of fire spread, or intensification of fire, or a part of the fire. A flare up is of relatively short duration and does not radically change existing control plans.
Flash Flooding	Rapid flooding of low-lying areas caused by heavy rainfall over a short period of time (typically minutes to hours).
FLIR	Forward Looking Infrared - Hand held or aircraft mounted device designed to detect heat displaying thermal imaging, commonly used to detect hot spots and flare ups in firefighting operations.
Flood	Relatively high water level which overtops the natural or artificial banks in any part of a stream, river, estuary, lake or dam, and/or local overland flooding associated with drainage before entering a watercourse, and/or coastal inundation resulting from super-elevated sea levels and/or waves overtopping coastline deficiencies.
Flood Bulletin	Communication issued to radio stations by NSW SES to inform people about expected threats, flood consequences, and actions required to protect persons and property.
Flood Classification	Locally-defined flood levels used in flood bulletins and warnings to give an indication of the severity of flooding (minor, moderate, or major) expected.
Floodplain	Area of land which is subject to inundation by floods up to and including the probable maximum flood event, that is, flood liable land.
Floodplain Risk Management Plan	A plan developed as part as the Floodplain Management Process which includes written and diagrammatic information describing how flood prone land can be managed to achieve defined objectives.
Flood Sub Plan	A plan that deals specifically with flooding and is a sub-plan of a State Emergency Plan (EMPLAN). It describes agreed roles, responsibilities, functions, actions, and management arrangements for conducting flood operations.
Flood Warning	Advance notice (with predicted flood height) forecasting a flood in the near future at a certain location, river basin or catchment. Flood Warnings (distributed to the media by the Bureau) are renewed at regular intervals until the relevant river level gauge drops to below the minor flood level.
Flood Watch	Early advice of increased flood risk over a catchment by the Bureau (to the media) up to four days in advance of large-scale weather systems that have the potential to cause flooding.
Floodway	An area where a significant volume of water flows during floods; often aligned with obvious naturally-defined channels and if partially blocked, would cause a significant redistribution of flood flow.
FML	Fireground Media Liaison - Responsible for fireground media interviews and ensuring information is effectively communicated to and from the incident ground to the Incident Controller, Public Information Officer, and relevant liaison officers.
Foam	A mass of bubbles formed by mixing air with water and foam concentrate in specific proportions. It is used as a firefighting agent to form a smothering, cooling and/or ignition preventing layer of the surface over a fuel.
FOD	Foreign Object Debris - typically in relation to items ingested into Aircraft engines.
Food Safety Standards	Outlines the requirements and practises relating to safe handling of food contained in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Chapter 3).
FOPs	Falling Objects Protection systems - provide protection for vehicles occupants using an engineered reinforcement installed onto a vehicle roof or ceiling structure to reduce possible injuries in the case of a falling object.
Forcible Entry	The use of tools or equipment to gain access (in association with firefighting) to a secured premises or to parts of a building or vehicle structure that are normally hidden.
FR	Flood Rescue - Involves the employment of intervention methods requiring specialist skills, techniques and equipment to locate, access, stabilise and extricate persons from flood water.
Framework	An organisational structure that identifies the key areas, such as culture, governance, engagement, capability and planning, which are required for an organisation to implement an effective process.
FRAO	Flood Rescue Area of Operations - The boundaries used to define specific geographic area(s) where the NSW SES have the authority to coordinate and control flood rescues.
FRNSW	Fire and Rescue NSW - The State Government agency responsible for the provision of fire, rescue, and hazmat services in cities and towns across NSW.
Front end loader	Earthmoving equipment designed to move loose earth and/or loads into vehicles via multi-purpose bucket fitted to articulated arms at the front of the vehicles.
FROS	Forward Rate of Spread - The speed with which a head fire moves in a horizontal direction across the landscape.
FSE	Fuel State Editor.
FSJSC	Fire Services Joint Standing Committee - A statutory body comprising RFS and FRNSW to review boundaries and plan coordinated services.
Fuel	Any material such as grass, leaf litter and live vegetation which can be ignited and sustains a fire.
Fuel Reduction Burning	The planned application of fire to reduce hazardous fuel quantities, undertaken in prescribed environmental conditions within defined boundaries.
FWW	Fire Weather Warnings. A product of the BoM that advises that weather conditions are conducive to outbreak of fire.
GFE	Graphical Forecast Editor - technology enabling digital weather forecasting. Utilises weather grids to visualise weather and fire danger across the landscape to support text based forecasts.
GIPA	Government Information (Public Access). Act to make government information more accessible to the public
GIS	Geographic Information Systems - system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying geographic/positional data.
GISO	Geographical Information Systems Operator - Is the officer responsible for the provision of GIS mapping assistance to the Operational Communications Centre.
GL	Group Leader.
GLR	General Land Rescue - The capability and capacity to undertake all rescue activities involving the safe removal of persons or domestic animals from actual or threatened danger of physical harm.
Going Fire Edge	Any part of the boundary of a going fire, represented by a red dotted line on the map indicating the going fire edge.
Grass Curing	Is the process in which grasses die or become dormant and dry out. Curing is measured as the percentage of dead material in a grassland from 0 to 100.
Grass Fuel Condition	Amount of fuel present which will burn readily in a fire, rating as natural (3), grazed (2), or eaten out (1).
Grass Fuel Load	Is the amount of fuel per unit area, usually tons per hectare (Measured from 1 to 12).
Grid-connect System	A photovoltaic system that is connected to the electricity grid allowing the associated premises to draw grid power where necessary, and for surplus power from the photovoltaic array to be fed back into the grid.
Grievance	A problem, concern or complaint from a member about treatment in the RFS that is inequitable or procedurally unfair; or an issue that arises from perceived concerns relating to interpersonal conflicts between colleagues.
Grievant	A member lodging the grievance.
Group Officer	A person elected to be an officer of a group of brigades under section 19(2) of the Act. Positions include Group Captain or Deputy Group Captain.
GSO	Ground Support Officer - Supports the State Logistics Officer in the provision and coordination of logistic support for services including base camps, consumables, and other supplies.
Guardian	Hazard complaints database (replaces BRIMS - Bush Fire Risk Information Management System) used to manage risk mitigation activities, including a public portal for individuals assessing personal property risk.
GVM	Gross Vehicle Mass - The maximum loaded mass of vehicle, as specified by the manufacturer or certified by a vehicle registration authority.
Habitat Tree	Standing live or dead trees providing ecological niches (microhabitats) such as cavities, bark pockets, large dead branches, epiphytes, cracks, sap runs, or trunk rot; for a variety of animals, birds and plants.
Hangers	Limbs which are hooked up or tangled in other limbs and can be dislodged by external factors (e.g. wind, the effects of machinery, other trees, fire) during an operation.
Harm	Includes injuries and illnesses caused by a single exposure or event, or multiple or long-term exposure. Includes physical and psychological harm.
Hazard	A process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.
Hazardous Tree	A tree, limb or branch that is expected to fall within the timeframe of the current operation and impact personnel in its potential impact zone. Also known as a Clear and Present Danger Tree.
Hazmat	The specialist capability response for hazardous materials incidents. Hazardous materials are substances that are capable of causing loss of life, injury to a person, or damage to the health of a person or to the environment.
Heat stress	Illness caused by the body overheating.
Heat stroke	A life-threatening condition that develops when the body’s temperature-regulating and cooling mechanisms are overwhelmed and body systems begin to fail.
Heavy Plant	Another term for heavy machinery or heavy equipment. The term is typically used to describe earth moving machines such as excavators, dozers, bulk water tankers and tractors.
Heavy vehicle	A vehicle over 12 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM).
Helitak	Callsign for medium and heavy Type 2 Helicopters owned by the RFS and used in aerial firefighting.
Historic or Significant Tree	Remnants of the bush, plantings by early settlers, important landscape or streetscape elements, or trees planted to commemorate important people or events.
HIT	Helicopter Insertion Techniques - Training competency required for RFS personnel involved in operational winching.
HO	Head Office
Holding area	Nominated airspace (with in vertical separation usually 1000-2000 feet Above Ground Level) for the Large Air Tankers to orbit prior to entry into the "working area".
Hot Zone	The area immediately surrounding a hazard, posing the highest potential to exposure and/or danger.
HPS	Heavy Plant Supervisor - Responsible for overseeing the tactical operation of heavy plant in accordance with the operational plan and in consultation with the Divisional or Sector Commander.
HQ	Headquarters - RFS Head office
HR	Hazard Reduction - preparations for fires that usually happen outside of the bush fire season. This involves activities like ‘prescribed’ or ‘controlled’ burning, which aims to reduce leaf litter and debris in forested areas that are in close proximity to assets such as properties, or mechanically thinning vegetation.
HRC	Hazard Reduction Cenrtificate
HUET	Helicopter Underwater Escape Training
HV	High voltage - Electricity is classified as high voltage if it exceeds 1,000 Volt AC or 1,500 Volt DC.
Hybrid Systems	A grid connected system with the ability ofa battery backup.
IAOP	Interagency Aviation Operating Procedures
IAP	Incident Action Plan - The plan used to describe the incident objectives, strategies, resources, and other information relevant to the control of an incident.
IC	Incident Controller - The individual responsible for the management of all incident control activities across a whole incident.
ICAM	Incident Cause Analysis Method - The investigation methodology applied within the RFS for Advanced WHS investigations.
ICC	Incident Control Centre - The location where the Incident Controller and various members of the Incident Management Team provide overall direction of response activities.
ICMI	Incident Controller, Major Incidents - Is an RFS program for developing Incident Controllers to operate within the RFS.
ICON	Incident Control Online - Is the incident information and tracking system for all incidents managed by RFS.
ICON FIU	Fire Investigation Status Board within Incident Control Online.
ICS	Incident Control System - An operational management system adopted by the RFS for integrating personnel, procedures, facilities, equipment, and communications into a common organisational structure.
ICT	Information Communication Technology.
IDLH	Immediate Danger to Life and Health - Refers to hazardous environments in which acute exposure poses a severe risk of immediate health damage. Factors identifying high risk environments include: Toxic atmospheres, Oxygen deficiency, Elevated temperatures and Smoke (see TOES); Heated atmosphere, Oxygen deficiency, Toxic environments and Smoke (see HOTS)
Ignition Pattern	The manner in which a prescribed burn, backburn, or burnout is set, determined by weather, fuel, ignition system, topographic and other factors having an influence on fire behaviour and the objective of the burn.
ILU	Interstate Liaison Unit - facilitates the movement (interstate/international) of personnel and resources for operational deployment.
IMS	Incident Management System.
IMSAFER	A self-check tool designed to determine the ability to safely carry out duties: Illness or Injury, Medication, Stress, Alcohol or Drugs, Fatigue, Expertise, Review.
IMT	Incident Management Team - The group of personnel responding to an incident, comprised of the Incident Controller and any appointed Deputy Incident Controller; the Safety Officer, and any appointed functional Officers leading the sections of planning, intelligence, public information, operations, investigation, logistics, and finance.
IMZ	Ignition Management Zone - An area that is maintained at a reduced fuel level in order to minimise ignitions and limit the rapid escalation of fires.
Incident	An event, occurrence or set of circumstances that: has a definite spatial extent; has a definite duration; calls for human intervention; has a set of concluding conditions that can be defined; and is or will be under the control of an individual who has the authority to make decisions about the means by which it will be brought to an end.
Incident Control Point	Field location from which the Incident Controller operates.
Incident ground	The area in the vicinity of operational activity, including fire grounds, hazard reductions, motor vehicle accidents, structure fires, air bases, assist other agencies, automatic fire alarm, etc.
Incident Management	Those processes, decisions and actions taken to resolve an emergency incident and support recovery that will enable the community to return to normality.
Incident Management Structure	All those personnel assembled to assist the Incident Management Team in managing the response to the incident.
Incident Objective	An incident objective is a goal statement indicating the desired outcome of the incident. Incident objectives guide the development of the Incident Action Plan and must reflect the policies and needs of the Control Authority supporting agencies. All factors affecting the incident and its potential impact must be considered before determining the objective.
Indicator Tree	A tree marked to indicate the presence and direction of a nearby tree hazard. May be used when the symbol on the hazard tree is obscured or unsafe to mark.
Indirect Attack	A method of suppression in which the control line is located some considerable distance away from the fire's active edge. Generally done in the case of a fast-spreading or high-intensity fire and to utilise natural or constructed firebreaks or fuel breaks and favourable breaks in the topography. The intervening fuel is usually backburnt; but occasionally the main fire is allowed to burn to the line, depending on conditions.
Initial Attack	The first suppression work on a fire.
Insertion	A winching operations that deploys personnel by winch into an environment by winching them out from a helicopter.
Insight	A deduction drawn from the multiple observations collected which are similar in nature and need to be further considered.
In survey	A water craft that is required to be annually inspected by a marine surveyor.
Intelligence	The process of collecting and analysing information or data which is recorded and disseminated as intelligence to support decision making.
Intelligence Officer	The person (appointed by the Incident Controller), responsible for collecting, collating, analysing and disseminating incident information to produce intelligence and a Common Operating Picture.
Inundation	Properties and/or communities that are submerged by flooding. One of three primary sources of risk in the context of flooding (the other two are isolation and indirect effects).
Inverter	A device that converts direct current output from photovoltaic systems to alternating current electricity, typically for use in domestic premises or for feeding back into the grid.
Investigation Officer	The person (appointed by the Incident Controller), responsible for ensuring the purpose, objectives, and adequate resources for the investigation are adequately reflected in the Incident Action Plan; and the preparation and execution of the Investigation Plan.
IOS	Incendiary Operations Supervisor - Responsible for the application of aerial incendiary techniques in accordance with a current and approved Management Plan, Burn Plan or Incident Action Plan for the area of operation.
IPBFOA	Interagency Prescribed Burn Field Operations Attachment
IR	Industrial Rescue - Involves the safe removal of persons who have had an accident in the workplace including factories, warehouses and building sites.
Isobars	Are lines on weather maps joining places, which have the same mean sea level air pressure. Mean sea level pressure is an “equivalent pressure at sea level” that allows stations at different heights to be compared by taking their heights into account.
Isolation	Properties and/or communities where flooding cuts access to essential services or means of supply. One of three primary sources of risk in the context of flooding (the other two are inundation and indirect effects).
Isolation (electricity)	The process of removing an electrical hazardby turning off all switches, creating mechanical breaks between the power source and other system components, earthing and testing to confirm the system is de_energised.
ITASC	An acronym to prompt incident briefing from the field. I - Incident (type and location), T - Threats (people / property / environment); A - Actions (next steps); S - Support (additional crews, aviation, heavy plant); and C - Command, Control, Communications arrangements.
IWF	Incident Weather Forecast - provides critical weather information to help incident managers make operational decisions. This may include the potential for wind changes, thunderstorms and precipitation, the influence of topography, and uncertainties.
JATWC	Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre - operated by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and Geoscience Australia (GA), providing 24 hour tsunami monitoring, assessment, and warnings of possible threats in our region.
Jurisdiction	The agency, organisation or statutory position has authority or responsibility.
KBDI	Keetch Byram Drought Index - An estimate of soil dryness (moisture deficiency), calculated daily (by the Bureau) indicating the rainfall in mm required to reduce the index to zero or saturation. Ranges from: 0 – 24mm Mild; 25 – 62mm Average; 63 – 100mm Serious; and 101 – 200mm Extreme.
L100	Lockheed Martin L100-30 Air tanker.
LACES	A self-check tool to maintain crew safety in the field: Lookouts, Awareness, Communications, Escape routes, Safety refuge.
LANDSAR	Land Search and Rescue - The coordination of Land Search and Rescue for the provision of life saving assistance to people in distress and imminent danger of loss of life.
La Nina	The extensive cooling of the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean. In Australia (particularly Eastern Australia); La Nina events are associated with increased probability of wetter conditions.
Large Harpoon Descender	A mechanical device, working on the principle of applying friction on a fixed rope, used as an anchor or for controlled descent.
LAT	Large Air Tanker - Multi engine fixed wing water bombing aircraft with 11000 – 15000 litre capacity.
LAT AAS	Air attack supervisor responsible for the coordination of Large Air Tanker operations.
LATCO	Large/Very Large Air Tanker Coordinator
Lead Agency	The organisation with the legislative or agreed authority for control of an incident. See Combat Agency.
Leave no trace	National minimal impact program, principles include: 1. Plan ahead and prepare, 2. Camp and hike on durable surfaces, 3. Properly dispose of waste, 4. Leave nature as you find it, 5. Minimise campfire impact, 6. Respect wildlife, 7. Be considerate of other visitors and traditional landowners.
LEMC	Local Emergency Management Committee.
LEOCON	Local Emergency Operations Controller - A NSW Police Force Officer.
Lesson	Knowledge or understanding gained by experience, both positive or negative.
Lesson Identified	A conclusion based on the analysis of one or more insights, and a viable course of action that can sustain an action or address an area of improvement.
Lesson Learned	Occurs only when a solution has been implemented, verified that the change has been positive and sustained.
Lessons Management	A component of knowledge management that seeks to introduce better practice and improvement opportunities for an organisation's systems and processes. It broadly involves, collecting and analysing information and data to develop, implement and share changes intended to improve efficiency and/or effectiveness.
Lethal voltage	Voltage which carries an appreciable risk of killing by electrocution a human that comes into contact with it.
LEV	Light Electric Vehicle - a light, electrically powered vehicle to travel relatively short distances (e.g. an e-bike or scooter).
Level 1 Airbase	An incident ground airbase for forward deployment of aircraft with minor infrastructure and limited refuelling.
Level 2 Airbase	A tactical airbase with adequate specialist personnel for mid-size operations and has full flight following of aircraft and ground support facilities.
Level 3 Airbase	An airbase located at a local airport with a sealed or maintained runway and has all the required infrastructure.
Level One (Simple) Prescribed Burn	A prescribed burn characterised by low risk, low intensity, small area, low potential impact on assets, completion in one shift and minimal variation of fuel and terrain.
Level Two (Complex) Prescribed Burn	A prescribed burn characterised by moderate to high risk, a range of fire intensities, medium to large areas, significant potential impacts on assets and may involve a variety of fuels and terrain.
LGA	Local Government Area or Local Government Amalgamations.
Linescan	A type of aerial image produced by Non RFS aircraft contracted to map a fireline.
Line side access tracks	Roads beside rail tracks that are provided for access by rail maintenance vehicles.
LNG	Liquid Natural Gas - cryogenically stored liquified gas (Methane).
LO	Liaison Officer - person nominated or appointed to represent the RFS or functional area; maintaining communications, conveying directions/requests, and providing advice on the status, capabilities, and actions.
Local Authority	Local government or other statutory authorities.
Local Flood Advices	Issued (by the SES) on the basis of localised valley watch information for locations for which the Bureau does not issue Flood Warnings. They normally predict which class of flooding (minor, moderate, major) will occur, and must not contradict any Flood Warnings provided by the Bureau for other gauges on the same river.
Logistics	The acquisition and provision of human and physical resources, facilities, services and materials to support achievement of incident objectives.
Logistics Officer	The officer in an incident management team reporting to the Incident Controller and responsible for overall logistical support for the incident.
Lows	In the southern hemisphere are atmospheric circulations that rotate clockwise with converging air rising in the centre. Cyclones are areas of lower pressure and generally associated with stronger winds, unsettled conditions, cloudiness and rainfall.
LP	Lead Plane - Same as Birddog with or without an Air Attack Supervisor.
LPG	Liquefied Petroleum Gas - Flammable and pressurised hydrocarbon gases, used as a heating, cooking, and vehicle fuel.
MAA	Mutual Aid Agreement - Is an agreement between agencies and the RFS that outlines assistance that may be provided.
Major Evacuation Centre	Large scale evacuation centre that requires multiagency coordination and response to deliver basic services to individuals and their companion animals affected by an emergency. Major evacuation centres are established to provide emergency accommodation when the scale and duration of the emergency are beyond the capability and capacity of the established local /regional emergency management arrangements for evacuation centres.
Major Flooding	Flooding which causes inundation of extensive rural areas, with properties, villages, and towns isolated and/or appreciable urban areas flooded. Evacuation of flood affected areas may be required. Utility services may be impacted.
Make Safe	Critical action that needs to be undertaken, post emergency, and usually prior to the handover of land back to an owner in a safe condition.
Manual Tree Felling	The controlled felling of a tree with cuts made from ground level using a chainsaw or axe.
Marine Incidents	Includes fires and accidents involving small marine craft, marinas, navigation aids and associated facilities.
Master/Skipper	The person in charge of an RFS water craft.
MAZ	Mutual Aid Zone - Is the geographical area adjoining the Fire District in which the provisions of a Mutual Aid Agreement relating to joint fire services response and cooperative operations apply.
MDT	Mobile Data Terminal - A terminal installed in an appliance for the display of live operational and location information.
Medically Fit	A member assessed by a medical practitioner as being fit for a specific task.
MERP	Medical Emergency Response Plan - a comprehensive, site-specific plan outlining the procedures, protocols, and resources needed to respond effectively to a medical emergency.
MFA	Multi-Factor Authentication.
MFU	Major Fire Update - Communication distributed by media describing incident activity.
MIC	Major Incident Coordinator/Coordination - A State Operations role/team responsible for supporting and coordinating operations between Incident Management Teams (IMTs) and State Operations.
MILS	Major Incident Logistics Support - Supports logistics operations at a state level during major incidents and deployments.
Minor Flooding	Flooding which causes inconvenience. Low-lying areas next to watercourses are inundated. Minor roads may be closed and low-level bridges submerged. In urban areas inundation may affect some backyards, buildings and bicycle/pedestrian paths. In rural areas removal of stock and equipment may be required.
MLO	Media Liaison Officer - responsible within an Incident Management Team (IMT) for providing information and warnings to the public via the local media for a specific incident or event.
Moderate Flooding	Flooding (more substantial than minor flooding) which inundates low-lying areas, requiring removal of stock and/or evacuation of some houses and flood affected areas. Main traffic routes may be flooded/impacted. Some buildings may be affected above the floor level.
MOR	Manager Operational Response.
MOU	Memorandum of Understanding - Is the agreement between RFS and other agencies that provides an overall framework for cooperation and joint operations involving urban and rural fire services in NSW.
MR	Marine Rescue - A rescue performed on open, enclosed or inland waterways.
MSO	Management Support Officer - responsible for the provision of administrative services to personnel within an incident management structure.
MVA	Motor Vehicle Accident.
NAFC	National Aerial Firefighting Centre - A national arrangement that coordinates and procures firefighting aircraft on behalf of agencies and land managers, for combating bush fires
NCC	Network Control Centre - Guides and manages the movement of Rail Traffic over the ARTC network, and responds to emergencies and other irregularities in accordance with the Network Rules and Procedures.
NDD	Natural Disaster Declaration.
NDRRA	Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
Near Miss	An occurrence that might have led to an injury or illness, danger to someone's health, and/or damage to property or the environment.
NEMA	National Emergency Management Agency - leads the Australian Government disaster and emergency management response.
NEMP	National Emergency Management Projects.
Next in Charge	The supervisor or manager directly in charge of a RFS member e.g. in the case of volunteer members of a brigade this would be the Captain and for a Captain or Group Officer, the District Manager.
NHRA	Natural Hazards Research Australia - Australia’s research centre for natural hazards resilience and disaster risk reduction.
NOA	Naturally Occurring Asbestos - Is asbestos mineral in its natural form in soil, sediment, or rock veins and can be found in different colours (blue, brown, green, and white).
NOB	Nominated Operational Base
No Burn Day Notice	An order issued by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), when there are indications that smoke from planned fires is likely to contribute to the build-up of air pollution. All burning outdoors (excluding firefighting operations but including Hazard Reduction burning) is prohibited for the period notified (up to seven days).
NOCC	Network Operations and Control Centre
NOTAM	Notice to Airmen - Is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight.
Notifiable incident	A significant incident subject to additional reporting that requires escalation; or is likely to attract media attention.
NPV	Negative Pressure Ventilation - A form of mechanical ventilation in which a fan/s is placed so as to extract contaminated air from within a fire affected structure.
NPWS	National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW).
NRSC	National Resource Sharing Centre - Coordinates and facilitates international and interstate deployments through its established partnerships and national arrangements as authorised by the Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee.
NSP	Neighbourhood Safer Place.
NSWA	NSW Ambulance.
NSW OEM	NSW Office of Emergency Management - see Resilience NSW.
NSWPF	NSW Police Force.
NTTAS	National Terrorism Threat Advisory System - provides advice about the likelihood of an act of terrorism in Australia, informing individuals, businesses, and authorities of the required safety measures.
NTTL	National Terrorism Threat Level - a five tier scale and accompanying public statement, providing information such as the nature of the terrorist threat facing Australia and our interests.
NVIS	Night Vision Imaging System - a self-contained binocular night vision enhancement device, usually including goggles (worn or helmet-mounted that can detect and amplify light, allowing fire suppression operations to occur at night.
OAR	Office of Airspace Regulation – Governs operations within Australian airspace.
Observation	A fact or occurrence that has been seen, heard, noticed or experienced that is either positive or an opportunity for improvement.
OCC	Operational Communications Centre - Centralised dispatch and communications located at RFS Headquarters.
Occluded Front	When the cold front moves faster than the warm front and as it overtakes the warm front, the warm sector is closed and a combined front forms. This process is called occlusion.
OCO	On Call Officer - Is the salaried ranked Officer responsible for responding to or attending incidents or events as necessary to support the activities of the RFS.
OCS	Online Content Supervisor - person(s) responsible for coordinating and managing the RFS website and social media content during major operations to ensure accurate information is shared.
OCV	Operational Command Vehicle
OEH	Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW) - responsible for delivering the state outcome connecting communities to resilient and sustainable environments and heritage.
OGE (Hover)	Hover Out of Ground Effect - Hovering at heights where the downwash dissipates to no benefit of the aircrafts lift capability.
OIC	Officer in Charge - The officer present with the authority to command a brigade.
OIDC	Open ID Connect.
OMS	Operational Mitigation Services.
OMSS	Operational Mitigation Support Service
On Deck Crew	A dedicated crew of firefighters who are equipped and prepared to respond immediately to rescue firefighters.
OO	Operations Officer - The officer responsible for implementing the incident action plan, within an IMT.
OOA	Out of Area Assistance- firefighters from an adjacent district, called to a neighbouring district to assist.
Operational Debriefing	A debriefing conducted after an incident and designed to analyse the operation and improve future operations.
Operational Doctrine	The protocols, procedures, methods, and considerations which frame how RFS members/staff operate at incidents, make decisions, and perform their role. Refer to SS 3.1.6 for more detail.
Operational Period	The period of time scheduled for execution of the Incident Action Plan.
Operations	The direction, supervision, and implementation of tactics in accordance with the Incident Action Plan.
Operators Manual	A company document (or series of documents) that outlines the operational principles and procedures of the company.
OPG	Operational Procedure and Guideline.
OpO	Operational Officer - staffed position undertaking operational functions at district, area and state levels.
OpsCen	State Operations Centre - Provides readiness, command and control, coordination, liaison and support services across the state during periods of major bush fire activity.
OpsLog	Operational Log - a sub function of Incident Control Online (ICON) to provide a narrative related to an incident.
ORD	Off-Road Driving - RFS Training qualification
ORE	Operate in Remote Environments - RFS qualification
Overhaul Phase	The part of a firefighting operation when the emphasis is on helping to restore normality. It begins at the end of the suppression phase and ends when operational units are no longer needed at the scene.
Owner/occupier	A person who is taken to be in possession of premises or a person having the charge, management, or control of premises.
PACE	A planning model (used in Communications) comprising of: Primary - Primary Communications Channel. e.g. PSNAlternate - Secondary Communications Channel. e.g. fireground or simplex channels Contingent - Backup Communications e.g. Satellite Phone Emergency - Emergency Communications e.g. Personal Locator Beacon
PAL	Police Assistance Line
PAL	Police Assistance Line
Parallel Attack	Method of fire suppression in which fireline is constructed approximately parallel to, and just far enough from the fire edge to enable workers and equipment to work effectively, though the fireline may be shortened by cutting across unburned bays. The intervening strip of unburned fuel is normally burned out as the control line proceeds but may be allowed to burn out unassisted where this occurs without undue delay or threat to the fireline.
PAWS	Portable Automatic Weather Stations - meteorological equipment deployed to key locations to provide weather information
PBFT	Prescribed Burn Forecast Tool
PBOM	Prescribed Burn Operations Map - required to outline the environmental features of an area subject to all Level One (Simple) and Level Two (Complex) prescribed burns.
PBP	Prescribed Burn Plan - An approved plan that incorporates the specifications and conditions under which the operation is to be conducted; or Planning for Bush Fire Protection.
PESC	Planning and Environment Centre
PFD	Personal Floatation Device - a buoyancy vest used to keep the user afloat in water.
PHEV	Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle - use a combination of stored energy from a battery and an internal combustion engine to power the vehicle.
Photovoltaic Array System	An assembly including photovoltaic panels, associated wiring and DC-AC inverter designed to generate electricity from sunlight and connect to the wiring of a residential, commercial or industrial building.
Photovoltaic Panel/Array	The part of a photovoltaic systemcommonly found on the roof of premises that creates a direct current power supply from light.
PIC	Public Information Coordinator - Leads and coordinates the activities of the Public Information Unit and ensures information flow through the Public Information Unit and with the Major Incident Coordinators, State Overview Officer, State Operations Controller and other Agency Liaison Officers.
PID	Public Interest Disclosure
PIIC	Public Inquiry and Information Centre -Operated by the NSW Police, a hotline is established (depending on the level of emergency) during periods of increased public inquiry, providing additional capacity to manage calls, and accurately scripted messaging to those impacted by an emergency.
PIO	Public Information Officer - Is responsible for coordinating public information and warnings for a specific incident or event as part of an Incident Management Team.
PIP	Pre-incident Plan - Created by each district/brigade before an incident to provide information before an incident occurs to ensure operational readiness.
PIU	Public Information Unit - provides information to the public via media, social media, Hazards Near Me and the RFS Website.
Plant Supervisor	Reports to the Plant Manager and is responsible for overseeing the tactical operation of heavy plant in accordance with the operational plan and in consultation with the Divisional or Sector Commander.
PLB	Personal Locator Beacon - is designed to be worn by individuals during at-risk operational activities. When activated, it sends a signal via satellite to emergency services.
PLC	Public Liaison Coordinator - Responsible for coordinating the activities of the Public Liaison Unit in State Operations working directly with the State Operations Controller.
PLO	Public Liaison Officer - Responsible within the Incident Management Team (IMT) for communicating fire and safety information to affected communities.
PLP	Public Liaison Plan
PLU	Public Liaison Unit - Mostly operates from a separate booth on the south side of the State Operations area and is headed by the State Public Liaison Coordinator.
PMO	Program Management Office.
PMR	Private Mobile Radio.
PO	Planning Officer - The officer in an incident management team reporting to the Incident Controller and responsible for co-ordinating overall planning.
Policy Document	RFS Service Standards, Service Standards, Policies, and any other relevant documents issued by the Commissioner under section 13 of the Rural Fires Act 1997.
POM	Plant Operations Manager - Reports to the Operations Officer and is responsible for the overall coordination, management, and tracking of heavy plant used at an incident.
Potential Impact Zone	The area underneath or surrounding a clear and present danger tree where the tree, limb, or branch has potential to impact personnel.
PPC/PPE	Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment - Protective clothing and equipment designed to protect a person from injury or infection, e.g. firefighting ensemble, respiratory protective equipment, boots, helmet, gloves, goggles, flash hood, mask.
PPRR	Prepare, Prevent, Respond and Recover.
PPV	Positive Pressure Ventilation - A form of mechanical ventilation in which a fan/s is placed so as to force clear air into and through a fire affected structure.
Precaution	An action taken, in advance, to protect against possible danger, failure, or injury; a safeguard.
Pre-determined dispatch	The pre-planned dispatch of designated suppression forces to fires in predetermined zones. It is usually dependent on the location of the fire, and the forecast fire danger.
Prescribed Burning	The controlled application of fire under specified environmental conditions to a predetermined area and at the time, intensity, and rate of spread required to attain planned resource management objectives.
Prescribed Burn Plan	An approved plan for the conduct of prescribed burning, that incorporates the specifications and conditions under which the operation is to be conducted.
Proceed	Driving a vehicle to an incident, when not requiring warning devices. While proceeding, Members must observe all road rules, and no exemptions apply.
PSG	Predictive Services Group (AFAC).
PSN	Public Safety Network - NSW Government owned and operated trunked digital radio communications network, supporting multiple agencies to share a common pool of radio frequencies.
PTE	Potentially Traumatic Event - Also referred to as a Critical Incident, are incidents which involve actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence.
Public Information	Provision of warnings, information, and advice to the public, and liaison with the media and affected communities.
Pulaski Tool	A combination chopping and trenching tool widely used in fireline construction, which combines a single-bitted axe blade with a narrow adze-like trenching blade fitted to a straight handle.
Pumper	A firefighting vehicle equipped with a large capacity pump, water tank and hose. Generally intended to be operated when stationary, from reticulated or static water supplies.
PUVCE	A Percussive Unconfined Vapour Cloud Explosion - Occurs when an unconfined flammable gas cloud encounters an ignition source.
PV	Photovoltaic - Generating electricity from light.
PV Array	Photovoltaic Array - An assembly including photovoltaic panels, associated wiring and DC-AC inverter designed to generate electricity from sunlight and connect to the wiring of a residential, commercial or industrial building.
PWS	Parks and Wildlife Service (Tasmania).
Pyrocumulonimbus Cloud	Formed when intense heat generated by a fire causes a column of air to rise rapidly up into the atmosphere. As the turbulent hot air draws in cooler air outside the plume, water vapour condenses to form cloud. When the atmosphere is unstable enough and the fire on the ground is intense enough, these clouds can develop into thunderstorms and become known as pyrocumulonimbus clouds or pyroCb. These thunderstorms can be linked to dangerous and erratic fire behaviour that can make the fire more difficult and hazardous to fight.
QFES	Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
RAAF	Royal Australian Air Force.
RAFSO	Remote Area Firefighting and specialised operations - section within the Rural Fire Services
RAFT	Remote Area Firefighting Team - Is a program where firefighting teams trained to suppress fires in remote areas, are placed on standby at appropriate times and in appropriate places, transported by helicopter to the scene of an incident when needed and, if necessary, transferred to the ground by winching or similar insertion.
Railway Incidents	Includes train fires and accidents and fires within railway property.
Rakehoe (McLeod Tool)	A hand tool used for bush fire fighting, consisting of a combination of a heavy rake and hoe.
RAO	Remote Area Operations - Can be applied to a rural fire brigade that has a Remote Area Unit accreditation in accordance with Service Standard 3.1.4. This may be a Brigade standalone function or coupled with a Brigade with other functions.
RART	Rapid Aerial Response Teams - Is a pre-emptive activation of helicopter(s) with Remote Area Firefighting Teams when an elevated risk of new remote fires exists. The key objective of the program is to control remote, small fires before they develop into larger fires.
RASCAL	Retardant and Suppressant Computerised Automated Loading - aircraft loading system
RBAC	Role Based Access Control - in Athena. User roles define permission levels (Tier 1 - Tier 4), and control what a user can see and do.
RCR	Road Crash Rescue - The capability required to gain access to and extricate casualties from vehicles travelling on the road, while minimising the potential for further injury and preserving the integrity of evidence.
RDS	Relational Database Services - A collection of data or information organised in one or more tables (or "relations") of columns and rows, making it easy to see and understand how different data structures relate to each other.
Reasonable Height	An elevation determined to be sufficient to damage equipment falling on to a hard surface, generally considered to be over 2.5 metres.
Recovery	The coordinated process of reconstruction and restoration, returning an affected community to its proper level of functioning after an emergency.
Re-ignition	The action of a material that ignites again after it has been extinguished.
Relative Humidity	A traditional indicator of the air’s moisture content. Expressed as a percentage using the ratio of the amount of moisture actually in the air to the maximum amount of moisture, the air could hold at the same temperature.
Relevant manager	The RFS staff member who is the direct supervisor or manager of the person impacted by a WHS incident. During major operational incidents this may be the Incident Controller.
Relief	The provision of material aid and emergency medical care necessary to save and preserve human lives and enable families to meet their basic needs for shelter, clothing, water and food (including the means to prepare food).
ReOC	Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator's Certificate - Allows the individual or business to trade as a drone service provider.
Repeal	To formally revoke or withdraw a policy document with the approval of the Commissioner.
Reportable Incident	Any incident which the RFS attends or investigates.
Resco	OCC Response Coordinator
Rescue	The safe removal of persons or domestic animals from actual or threatened danger of physical harm.
Rescue Crew	Competent and current rescue operators.
Rescue Equipment	Sufficient and appropriate equipment to perform the tasks for which the unit has been accredited.
Rescue phase	The part of a firefighting operation when the emphasis is on protecting people. It begins on arrival and ends when it is reasonably certain that all saveable victims have been located and protected or removed from danger.
Rescue Vehicle	A vehicle that is designed, adapted, or equipped for use in rescue work; and is clearly marked with the word 'RESCUE'; or is fitted with warning devices such as flashing lights, or a siren, or both.
Rescue Vessel	A vessel that is designed, adapted, or equipped for use in rescue work and is clearly marked as a rescue vessel.
Rescue Winching	Winching for the purposes of rescuing people or animals.
Resilience NSW	Leads, coordinates, and develops capability in the emergency management sector in NSW; in partnership with local councils, communities, and state agencies. Responsible for delivering the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act (SERM) and administering the State Emergency Management Plan (EMPLAN). Formerly known as the NSW Office of Emergency Management.
Resource Management System	System established to capture and manage information regarding the status of resources (e.g. aircraft) allocated to an incident.
Resources	All personnel, vehicles, plant, and equipment available, or potentially available, to respond to an incident and carry out tasks.
Response Driving	Members driving an RFS vehicle while responding to an emergency incident using visible and audible warning devices.
RFD	Rural Fire District - An area of land within the geographic jurisdictional boundaries for which RFS has legal responsibility for fire response; or Rural Fire Driving - RFS Training qualification.
RFLO	Rural Field Liaison Officer - Is responsible for disseminating information and warnings to affected communities and acts as an information conduit between the rural community and the Incident Management Team (IMT).
RFS	NSW Rural Fire Service - the lead combat agency responsible for bush fires in NSW
RFS LO	RFS Liaison Officer - The officer responsible for attending an Incident Control Centre or Emergency Operations Centre where the RFS is assisting or cooperating with another agency controlling the incident.
RH	Relative Humidity - Is an indicator of the air’s moisture content. Expressed as a percentage, it is the ratio of the amount of moisture actually in the air to the maximum amount the air could hold at the same temperature. At saturation the relative humidity will be very close to 100%.
Risk Analysis	A systematic process to understand the nature of an incident to reduce the level of risk.
Risk Assessment	A systematic use of available information to determine how often specific events may occur and the magnitude of their likely consequence. During an emergency situation a risk assessment is conducted dynamically (continuously due to progressive activity).
RMC	Rail Management Centre - Is the centre provided by RailCorp to manage the operation of RailCorp's rail network and other networks as contracted.
Rocker	A rope grab device which employs a cam allowing the device to slide freely in one direction (usually the intended direction of movement) and provide a firm grip on the rope when pulled on in the opposite direction.
ROPs	Rollover Protection Systems - Provides protection for the vehicle operator in the case of a rollover incident.
ROS	Rate of Spread - The speed with which a fire moves in a horizontal direction across the landscape at a specified part of the fire perimeter.
RPAS	Remotely Piloted Aircraft System - An aircraft without any persons aboard which is piloted from a remote pilot station (also referred to as a drone).
RPE	Respiratory Protective Equipment - is Personal Protective Equipment (certified to Australian Standards) that is designed to protect the wearer from inhalation of airborne contaminants and other hazardous substances.
RPI	Regional Pollution Index - Air pollution is monitored at five sites including: Central East Sydney, North West Sydney, South West Sydney, Illawarra and Lower Hunter. Reports on the RPI are issued twice daily and are e-emailed to the Operations Officer.
RPSC	Review and Policy Sub-Committee - A subcommittee of the Fire Services Joint Standing Committee.
RSS	A Roof Safety System - Utilises approved identified equipment by trained competent crews to work safely on roofs; Or can refer to Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds - a technology widely used to share web content.
RSS kit	Roof Safety System Kit - Is the life support equipment and must be treated accordingly.
RTC	Response Team Coordinator
s44	A section of the Rural Fires Act 1997, that empowers the Commissioner or their delegate to take charge of bush firefighting operations.
s99	A section of the Rural Fires Act 1997, that allows the declaration of a TOBAN (total fire ban).
SA	Safety Advisor - A person, delegated by and responsible to the Incident Controller, responsible through the chain of command for the overall function of health and safety of all at the incident.
SACFS	South Australian Country Fire Service.
SAD	State Air Desk - A centralised location where aircraft for NSW agencies are dispatched or tasked.
SADDO	State Air Desk Duty Officer.
SADO	State Air Desk Operator - Assists the State Air Operations Manager with appropriate dispatch of aircraft in ARENA.
SAF	Safety Advisor Field
Salvage	Any actions done to minimise or repair the damage from a fire/incident or fire/incident control operations.
SAOM	State Air Operations Manager - Responsible for ensuring that aircraft and aviation support resources are dispatched and coordinated to an incident, when the State Air Desk is activated.
SAP	State Assistance Plan/Procedures - Are the mechanism whereby Districts and Incident Management Teams can access resources beyond those normally assigned to them; or Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing - A set of software products provided by the vendor ‘SAP’, used to control all types of critical business functions such as Employee, Member and Asset Management.
SAR	Search and Rescue.
SCBA	Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (formerly known as CABA) - A form of respiratory protection which supplies clean breathing air to the wearer from a compressed air cylinder. Expired breath is passed to waste via an exhalation valve incorporated in the facemask.
SDAO	State Duty Aviation Officer - responsible for maintaining a 24/7 point of contact for the provision of aviation assistance to Districts and other Agencies.
SDBFILO	State Duty Bush Fire Line Officer - Is the officer responsible for maintaining a 24/7 point of contact for the provision of services from the Bush Fire Information Line.
SDFBAs	State Duty Fire Behaviour Analyst - Is responsible for afterhours coordination of routine fire behaviour analysis products and services for bush and grass fires in addition to prescribed burning.
SDGISO	State Duty Geographical Information Systems Operator - Is the officer responsible for maintaining a 24/7 point of contact for the provision of Geographical Information Systems assistance to Districts and State Operations in support of incidents.
SDI	Soil Dryness Index - A form of Drought Index, usually with slightly more detailed inputs than the Keetch-Byram Drought Index. May be on a scale of 0-200 like the KBDI, but some versions have different scales (e.g., Western Australia: 0-2000).
SDMO	State Duty Media Officer - Is responsible for providing 24-hour assistance to members of the RFS and the media on any issue involving the RFS.
SDOO	State Duty Operations Officer - The Officer responsible for maintaining a State-wide oversight of incident activity, providing advice and support to Districts and providing advice and briefings to the State Operations Controller, the Deputy Commissioners and Commissioner.
SDS	Safety Data Sheet - Describes the properties and uses of a substance. Identifies chemical and physical properties, health hazard information, precautions for use and safe handling information.
SEAT	Single Engine Air Tractor.
Section	That organisational level having responsibility for the functional segments of incident management: planning, intelligence, operations, investigation, logistics and finance.
Sector	The organisational level under the control of a Sector Commander, having responsibility for operations within a defined area of a division or having a specific functional responsibility at an incident.
Sector Commander	Responsible, within their sector for the combat of the fire and the management of all personnel and equipment within the sector. They are responsible to the Divisional Commander if appointed and if not then to the Operations Officer or the Incident Controller.
SEMC	State Emergency Management Committee.
SEOC	State Emergency Operations Centre -Receives information disseminated from the State Operations Centre. At times of significant bush fire activity, the SEOC will monitor bush fire operations and keep members of the State Emergency Management Committee informed, by distributing RFS situation reports and other operational information.
SEOCON	State Emergency Operations Controller.
SERCON	State Emergency Recovery Controller.
SERM Act	State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989.
SES	NSW State Emergency Service - a volunteer-based emergency and rescue service dedicated to assisting the community in NSW 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
SEWS	Standard Emergency Warning Signal - This distinctive tone will be played immediately before an urgent public safety message.
SFICU	Supervisor Fire Investigation and Compliance Unit - responsible for State Fire Investigation Coordination.
SIC	State Intelligence Coordinator.
Significant Combustibles	Any combustible material other than very short grass, or limited amounts of vegetation or materials of a type unlikely to become involved in the fire.
Significant Tree	Remnants of the bush, plantings by early settlers, important landscape or streetscape elements, or trees planted to commemorate important people or events.
Simplex	The simplest type of radio system. It uses only one frequency and all stations operating on that channel transmit (TX) and receive (RX) on the same frequency.
Sitrep	Situation Report - provided regularly on the progress of the fire and the efforts to control it until the fire is declared safe. It confirms the location of the fire, its status and potential and the number, nature and effectiveness of resources deployed.
Situp	Situation Update - abbreviated situation report function in ICON.
Size up	The evaluation of a fire to determine a course of action for suppression.
SLD	Styled Layer Descriptor - a styling language that allows software and users to define and control how geospatial data is visually presented.
SLO	State Logistics Officer - responsible for ensuring appropriate provision and coordination of state logistics support for goods and services.
SLSO	State Logistics Support Officer - Supports the State Logistics Officer for the provision and coordination of state logistics support for goods and services.
SLT	Senior Leadership Team - consists of district committee comprising of the District Manager, some operational staff, and senior volunteers, providing guidance on matters effecting the district.
SMA	State Media Assistant - Is responsible for providing support to the State Media Supervisor.
SMEACS	The standard briefing model as an acronym - Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration/Assistance, Command/Control/Communications, and Safety.
SMO	Social Media Officer - posts content to the RFS social media accounts, monitors activity, and replies to comments and messages as they are received.
Smoke Plume	The column of smoke that rises from a fire.
SMS	State Media Supervisor - Determines communications strategies for current incidents throughout the state and oversees the release of this information to the media.
SMSS	State Mitigation Support Services.
SO	Safety Officer - Works within Incident Management Team and reports to the Incident Controller.
SOC	State Operations Controller - Primary responsibility for supervising RFS operations to control bush fires in NSW and respond to other emergencies for which it or the Commissioner are responsible.
SOCA	State Operations Controllers Assistant - supports the State Operations Controller, and is responsible for production of the various instruments, associated documentation and completion of checklists.
SOCO	Senior Operational Communications Officer.
SOI	Southern Oscillation Index - calculated from the monthly or seasonal fluctuations in the air pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin and shows a strong correlation with rainfall.
Solar Battery	An array of deep cycle solar cells, used as asource of electrical power, that are connected in series to meet the required voltage of the designed solar system.
SOOA	Strategic Overview Officer's Assistant - responsible for production and dissemination of reports and weather information.
SOP	Standard Operating Procedure - Annexed to a policy document and forming part of that document.
Span of Control	A concept that relates to the number of groups or individuals that one person can successfully supervise.
Spark Arrestor	A device fitted to the exhaust system of machinery for trapping carbon sparks.
SPIA	State Public Information Assistant - Is responsible for providing support to the State Public Information Officer.
SPIC	State Public Information Coordinator - responsible for ensuring information is effectively communicated to and from Public Information Officers.
SPIO	State Public Information Officer - reports to the State Public Information Coordinator and actively manages resource requirements for Public Information Units in Incident Management Teams.
SPIU	State Public Information Unit
SPLO	State Public Liaison Officer - reports to the State Public Liaison Coordinator and actively manages resource requirements for Public Liaison Units in Incident Management Teams.
Spot Fire	An isolated fire started ahead of the main fire by sparks, embers, or other ignited material. May also refer to a very small fire that requires little time or effort to extinguish.
Squall	A sudden increase of the average wind speed which lasts for at least several minutes before returning to near its previous speed. A squall may include many gusts.
ST	Strike Team - A set number of resources (usually 5) of the same type (e.g. vehicles, crews, earth moving machinery) that have an established number of personnel, a leader (usually in a separate vehicle), and a common communications system.
Staging Area	A suitable location (designed to eliminate congestion at an incident) in which resources can be marshalled prior to being allocated to an incident. Staging areas may include the provision of welfare and equipment maintenance facilities.
Stand-alone System	A solar panel system not connected to the electricity grid for power, relying on battery storage to provide current when photovoltaic electricity is not being generated.
Standard Precautions	Reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens from both recognised and unrecognised sources.
Standby	Service/member required to be available (at any time) to be dispatched or otherwise tasked by an authorised person, to conduct operations. Standby can also be referred to as ‘stand up’ in some jurisdictions.
Stand Down	A member/service, or a component of the service (e.g. aircraft, flight crew/person) is directed to cease operation, or to not commence operation, until permitted to recommence.
Strategic Backburning	A pre-emptive and primary means to halt the main fire or to secure the spread; conducted over a large area. Informed by fireground commanders, members with local knowledge, and Fire Behaviour Analysts, plans are carefully coordinated, suitably resourced and must only be conducted with approval from the Incident Controller.
Strike Team	A set number of resources (usually 5) of the same type (e.g. vehicles, crews, earth moving machinery) that have an established number of personnel, a leader (usually in a separate vehicle), and a common communications system.
Suppression Phase	The part of a firefighting operation when the emphasis is on protecting property. It begins at the end of the rescue phase and ends when it is reasonably certain that the incident is under control.
Swiftwater Rescue	The rescue of persons from fast moving water in areas such as stormwater drains, canals, rivers or creeks.
SWR	Safe Working on Roofs.
Tactical Backburning	Used to protect specific assets or for other small-scale purposes, conducted at the discretion of field commanders and/or Brigade and Group officers, often reactively, and is not usually contained in the Incident Action Plan.
Task Force	A combination of resources assembled to meet a specific purpose/tactical need.
TBO	Trial Bike Operations - RFS program deploying trail bike teams in remote or difficult to access areas.
TBT	Trial Bike Teams - Consisting of at least two riders deployed on RFS operations, and carrying equipment for basic firefighting, communications, first aid, navigation and basic bike maintenance.
T-card	Colour-coded cards used to oversee the deployment of resources, including details such as: agency, callsign, vehicle/appliance, and personnel.
TCP	Traffic Control Plan - A diagram showing signs and devices arranged to warn traffic and guide it around, past or, if necessary through a work site or temporary hazard.
Terrorism	The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to attain goals that are political, religious, or ideological in nature.
TFF	Tree Fall Fireline - RFS training qualification.
TFI	Tree Fall Intermediate - RFS training qualification.
TFT	Trim and Crosscut Felled Trees - RFS training qualification.
Thunderstorm	Deep convective clouds or clusters of clouds from which lightning (electrical discharges) and the resulting thunder occur. Usually associated with rain or sometimes hail.
TIC	Thermal Imaging Camera - An instrument used to measure heat energy via infrared radiation, aiding firefighting in low visibility environments (due to smoke, darkness etc).
TMP	Traffic Management Plan - A plan detailing work to be undertaken and describing its impact on public transport and passengers, cyclists, pedestrians, motorists, and commercial operations.
TOB	Temporary Operating Base.
TOBAN	Total Fire Ban - During a Total Fire Ban you cannot light, maintain or use a fire in the open, or to carry out any activity in the open that causes, or is likely to cause, a fire.
TOES	A hazardous environment characterised by: Toxic atmospheres, Oxygen deficiency, Elevated temperatures and Smoke. See IDLH.
TracPlus	Real-time asset tracking, communications, and telemetry solutions used to track RFS aircraft.
UHF CB	Ultra high frequency citizen band - two-way radio system used for short-distance communications
Unit	A small cell of people working within one of the sections undertaking a designated set of activities at an incident.
USAR	Urban Search and Rescue.
Validation	Ensures that the original observation has been checked or proving the accuracy of the observation.
VCE	Vapour Cloud Explosion - An explosion resulting from the ignition of a flammable vapour or gas cloud.
Vegetation (native)	Plants (alive and dead) native to NSW including trees (sapling, shrub or scrub), understorey plants, groundcover (any type of herbaceous vegetation), or plants occurring in a wetland.
Ventilation	Making openings to release smoke and circulate air through a fire affected structure to improve safety and assist firefighting.
Vertical Separation	The nominated vertical airspace over the fire where the large air tankers will operate usually between ground level and 2000 feet above ground level.
VFR	Visual Flight Rules - regulations guiding pilots to navigate an aircraft using visual references on the ground or water.
VLAT	Very Large Air Tanker - Multi engine fixed wing water bombing aircraft providing >30000 litre capacity.
VR	Vertical Rescue - Any heights or depths situation where person(s) need resources to gain access to, move within, and extricate from hazardous environments utilising rope based and/or mechanical systems, in order to ensure the safety of person(s) and/or animals(s).
Warm Front	Occurs when warm air of lower density moves into an area where cooler air is present. This brings warmer temperatures and often leads to clouds and precipitation.
Watch and Act	There is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family.
WCDI	Wind Change Danger Index - measures how quickly the wind changes direction over time. When strong winds suddenly change direction, it can affect how fires behave. The WCDI helps predict how dangerous these wind shifts could be during bush fires, helping firefighters make better decisions.
WFI	Fire Investigation - Wildfire - RFS training qualification.
WHS	Work Health and Safety
Widow Maker	Tree limbs which are hooked up or tangled in other limbs. Widow Makers can be dislodged without warning and are more likely to fall during felling, when burning or during wind.
Winch	Also known as a 'Hoist'. A mechanical lifting or lowering device fitted to a helicopter.