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| ALS | ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT | |
| BLS | BASIC LIFE SUPPORT | |
| Boiling Point | The minimum temperature at which a liquids rate of evaporation exceeds its rate of condensation. | |
| BTU | BRITISH THERMAL
UNIT The amount of energy (heat) needed to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. |
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| Calorie | The amount of energy (heat) needed to raise one gram of water one degree Centigrade | |
| Carbon Monoxide Detector | A carbon monoxide detector is a device that detects the presence of carbon monoxide gas. The gas is a colorless and odorless chemical which can be produced by incomplete combustion. It can be deadly at high levels. CO is absorbed in human tissues 200x (200 times) faster than Oxygen is. If CO is detected -at any level of concern- the detector sound an audible alarm. | |
| CO
Carbon Monoxide |
Carbon Monoxide -also know by its chemical
formula; CO- is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas at normal
temperatures. It is an unstable gas which is combustible and can be toxic
at elevated levels. It is usually present due to incomplete combustion of
carbon based fuels. also see CARBON MONOXIDE |
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| Centigrade | A unit of measurement for temperature. In the Centigrade scale water boils at 100 degrees. Water freezes at 0 (zero) degrees. Commonly abbreviated by a capital C. It has replaced the Fahrenheit scale in most of the world. also see CENTIGRADE | |
| Common Fee Schedule | A listing of fees for the most commonly handled inspections, events, or services. A listing that does not include uncommonly encountered fees. The most common fees processed. | |
| EMS | EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES | |
| EMT | EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN | |
| EMT-D now obsolete- incorporated into all EMT's |
Is an Emergency Medical Technician that is trained to the Cardiac Defibrillation level. This level of training allows the use of an Automatic Defibrillator in heart attack cases. | |
| EMT-I | Is an Emergency Medical Technician that is trained to the Intermediate level. In Massachusetts this allows them into implement many ALS life support skills. | |
| EMT-P | Is an Emergency Medical Technician that is trained to the Paramedic level. In Massachusetts this allows them into implement all of the ALS life support skills allowed to pre-hospital emergency care providers. These skills include drug intervention as deemed by protocols and/or as directed by their Emergency Room Physician | |
| Endothermic Reaction | A chemical reaction in which the process absorbs heat energy. (example: a medical cold-pack cools when activated) The opposite of Exothermic Reaction | |
| Exothermic Reaction | A chemical reaction in which the process releases heat energy. (example: a fire, the curing process of cement, etc.) The opposite of Endothermic Reaction | |
| Explosive Limits | a.k.a. Flammable Limits. The ratio of the concentration of fuel and air, which will support combustion once ignited. Most common substances have a lower limit (too lean of a mixture) and an upper limit (too rich of a mixture) to support combustion. The range between these limits supports combustion and is therefore within it's Explosive or Flammable Limits | |
| Fahrenheit | A unit of measurement for temperature. In the Fahrenheit
scale water boils at 212 degrees. Water freezes at 32 degrees. Commonly abbreviated by a
capital F. It has been replaced in most places of the world by the Centigrade scale of temperature measurement. see also FAHRENHEIT |
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| Fire Point | When a liquid fuel is heated past it's Flash Point a few degrees it usually enters it's Fire Point. This is the minimum temperature at which a fuel must be heated to provide enough vapors to provide for combustion, once ignited. | |
| Flammable Limits | see Explosive Limit | |
| Flash Point | The minimum temperature at which a liquid fuel gives off a sufficient amount of vapor to form a mixture that is ignitable near its surface. While at this temperature the fuel vapor might flash, but they won't continue to burn. (see FIRE POINT) | |
| HAZMAT (HAZ-MAT) |
Is an abbreviated term. The term was made by joining segments of the words: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. |
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| Heat | A form of energy that raises temperature. It is measured by how much work it does. (see British Thermal Unit, Calorie) | |
| Ignition Temperature | This is the minimum temperature that a fuel/air mixture must reach in-order to have a self-sustained combustion without any other external heat source. | |
| Mutual Aid | The most common use of this term in Public Emergency Services describes the assistance either given to another jurisdiction, or received from another jurisdiction. (example: A local municipal fire department called for Mutual Aid assistance from a neighboring municipal fire department to help mitigate the incident). | |
| Oxidation | The chemical reaction between Oxygen (or another oxidizer) and another material. | |
| Rehab | abbreviated form of REHABILITATION. In the fire service personnel performing for long periods at a high energy (and/or stress) level are frequently cycled through a REHAB station. REHAB stations usually attempt to re-hydrate, re-supply, re-fresh, and re-turn able personnel to operations. It is also where they may be medically evaluated and assigned to remain in REHAB, resume firefighting activities, or be sent to hospital should they have progressed passed the stage of being REHABILITATED on-scene. | |
| RIC & RIC Team | RAPID INTERVENTION CREW, a.k.a. RIT TEAM. see RIT Team | |
| RIT & RIT Team | a.k.a. RIC | |
| SCBA | SELF CONTAINED
BREATHING APPARATUS.
These are the air filled tanks that supply a viable air supply to the firefighter operating in a possible hazardous environment. In central Massachusetts they are commonly referred to as SCOTTs. This is a trade name for a manufacturer that has become one of the standards in this area. (OF INTEREST: similar to a SCUBA tank, but not designed for Underwater use -- SCUBA= SELF CONTAINED UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS ) |
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| SCOTT's | see SCBA | |
*** |
a.k.a. David J Hunt, Capt. Northborough Fire Department a.k.a. WEBMASTER, E-MAIL: dhunt /at/ town northborough ma us |
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