|
Terms, etc.
|
| 4 Fingers of Death |
Beef franks. Beware of anything that has been "chunked and formed".
JerseyBoy |
| 404 moment |
On a fire, occurs when a copy of the current IAP cannot be
found. Comes from internet error message, "404 - document not found." |
| A Big Yellow McLeod |
A dozer working on a fire. Jackson |
| Anchor and Hold |
A "big fire, big water" interface firefighting tactic
used when multiple structures ignite and you're in danger of being overrun. It
was developed by San Bernardino firefighters after losing 280 homes to the
1980 Panorama Fire and used it with some success during the Old Fire. One
engine crew plugs into a hydrant and uses their truck-mounted water canon to
pour 1,000 gallons per minute onto a blazing house, while another engine crew
uses bump-and-run tactics to protect nearby homes. SoCal CDF |
| A.H.T. |
Advanced hiding technique, used when you want to shade up and not be seen by the IC.
wyofire |
| Another Pair of Shoes for Baby |
Comment made by some crews with reference to a new fire
assignment. Mellie |
| Asbestos forest |
R6 costal forests. (also R5 NorCal forests) Siskiyou |
| Baby Hose |
1/2" collapsible fire hose. Jackson |
| Backburn or Backfire |
A combination of art and science, it's a fire set along the inner edge of a fireline to consume the
fuel in the path of a wildfire and/or change the direction of force of the
fire’s convection column. How well it meets its objectives varies with
slope, aspect, time of day, topography, vegetation, wind, humidity. If you do
it too early, sparks may spot across your own containment line. If you do it
too late, the main fire throws embers across.
People who don't know may get this confused with
burnout. The experience of the two can be dramatically different. Backburnfs
and SoCal Capt
|
| Baggers |
Contract crews. Joatmon |
| Bambi |
Fish and Wildlife personnel. 40acrefarmer |
| BattleStar Galactica |
CDF Wildland Engine built on a Type 1 Structure Engine Chassis; looks good but gets stuck when it leaves
the pavement. MOC4546 |
| Be Safe |
Parting reminder, invocation, or wish to those heading out to fight
fire. Mellie |
| Bees |
Type four helicopters. Fightfire75 |
| Bell-Worm |
A hot deep stump hole. Outsourcer |
| Bench Warmers or Home Team |
Fuels folks who are not allowed to go on fire due to NEPA/Forest Targets. And, typically cover for the "suppression" folks while they
are on assignment. 2nd Generation IHC Supt. |
| Big Ernie |
The "being" in the sky that was responsible for sending lightning and money.
Cache Queen |
| Black Mountain=Green Wallet |
A fire saying. An R5er |
| Bladder Bag |
Collapsable backpack pump. Fedfire |
| Blagg-reflex |
Similar to a gag-reflex. Joatmon |
| Blamestorming |
What agency lawyers have done to fire managers. Mellie |
BLM
(there may be a lot here because
these 3 letters lend themselves to
alternative monikers) |
Here are a few for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Bureau of Land
Mismanagement, Bureau of Loose Money, Bureau of Lotsa Money, Bureau of Lonely
Men, and B*stards, L*ars, and Morons. MOC 4546; also B*stards, L*ars &
Misfits. Shooter; Bureau of Livestock & Mining. TNF LO; Bureau of Lame
Mules. Forester; Burn Lewiston by Midnight, Buncha Lazy Maggots. Firehawg;
burning land management. bw; Bureau of Lots of Meetings, Broads Leading Morons.
DM2; Bureau of Land Manglement, Boys Learning to be Men,
Busted, Lame, and Mean, Big Loads of Manure. Nerd on the Fireline;
Bold Leading Mentors. Jess |
| Blow-up |
Sudden increase in fire intensity or rate of spread, often accompanied by violent convection and may have other characteristics of a fire storm.
FireWolf |
| Blue kiss |
This is received when you release a "load of jumpers" in a
freshly pumped blue-room without laying in the appropriate, "TP-LZ". Joatmon |
| Blue Room or Blue Hut |
Porta-pottie in Firecamp. Many stories associated with this
facility. NorCal Tom |
| Blue Sauna |
As in "I'm gonna go take a blue sauna now." It is normally about 115 degrees in the
porta-potty! Red Army Wife |
| BOHICA |
"Bend Over, Here It Comes Again" The first reaction when a notice/email/order arrives
from "higher up". Courtesy of our Initial Attack (IA) crews. 40acrefarmer |
| Boom-boom & Wham-whams |
CDF term for all the extra goodies out of fire lunches that can be shared with the
"hoods in the woods" as a reward for good behavior.
Red Army Wife |
| Boot Him |
Snore inhibitor. MTgroundpounder |
| Boot Scruff |
Fireline construct by dragging your boots. DM |
| Bowling for Hotshots |
Any time (either by natural causes or an inadvertent human cause) a large rock, log etc
tumbles down hill scattering people working below.
The decibel level of any verbal
warning is in direct proportion to the mass of the falling object. Pulaski |
| Brain Bucket |
Hardhat. backburnfs |
| Brain Dead (or Damaged) Crew |
BD Crew (BD actually stands for Brush Disposal crew). DM |
| Bucket |
Helmet. Fedfire |
| Bug Juice |
Any kind of fruity drink, e.g. lemonade. MTgroundpounder |
| Build-Up |
The appearance of cumulus overtimus on a clear, sunny day. Kibby |
| Build-Down |
When cumulus overtimus clouds that looked promising a few hours ago suddenly evaporate.
Kibby |
| Bump and Run |
A highly mobile tactic used in interface structure protection.
You don't put any more than 150 feet of hose on the ground and you don't hook
up to a hydrant, so if the fire moves, you can move with it. SoCal CDF |
| Bump the line |
As in "when the fire bumps the line", that is it tests
the containment line. Embers or flaming brands may spot or roll over the line,
spreading the fire and delaying containment. Backburnfs |
| Bump up |
One crew moves past another when building a handline. Original
Ab. |
| Burnout |
Setting fire inside a control line to widen it or consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line.
People who don't know may get this confused with backburn. SoCal Capt. |
| Caffeine Transfer Device |
Coffee cup. MTgroundpounder |
| Camp FiFi |
A gal in fire camp who wears full make up, has her hair and nails done up perfect and wears a bright clean nomex shirt (normally tied at the waist Daisy
Mae style!) example: She is such a Camp FiFi! A Red Army Wife |
| Camp Slug |
Someone working out of base camp, often part of the
overhead team or support staff. Camp Slug |
| Camp Tether |
What keeps overhead from getting onto the line. Old Fire Guy |
| CDF |
The three grades you didn't want to get in school. Cache Queen
Can't Dig Fireline. crusader
The best firefightin' outfit in the world, just ask 'em. MTgroundpounder
Cold Drinks and Food, California Doughnut Farmers. Forester
Crazy Dumb f@#*6, Cool Down Foundation. Firehawg
Can't Do Fire, Constantly Depleting Funding. ;) CDF Dude
Cool Dudes Forever, Courageous Dedicated Firefighters. AL
CDF= California's Dumbest Firefighters. CLJ |
| CHAOS
|
Chief Has Arrived on Scene. Happy California Cow |
| Chinga
|
Another name for the rhino tool. another fire girl in OR |
Chinger-ed
Going Chingadera
Chinger
90210
Chicharron
|
Regional terms (R3):
In a very bad situation
Same as going gunnysack
A chip out of your tool
The only anglo on the crew
The slowest guy on a handcrew (Chicharrones are fried pork fat, a northern New Mexican delicacy).
Nerd on the Fireline |
| Cluster |
As in cluster F<word>, a term borrowed from the military,
usually indicating that a group is at risk or is being risked (because of
safety violations). AL |
| Coffee, Donuts, & Fun |
California Dept. of Forestry ( CDF ). MOC4546 |
| Cold Trailing |
Making sure the fire is dead out by testing for hotspots with
your hands. Todd |
| Contained |
When referring to a fire: A fuel break around the fire has been completed. This break may include natural barriers or manually and/or mechanically constructed line.
SoCal Capt |
| Cons in the conifers |
Inmate crews. Siskiyou |
| Controlled |
When referring to a fire: The complete extinguishment of a fire, including spot fires. Fireline has been strengthened so that flare-ups from within the perimeter of the fire will
not break through this line. Those who don't know often get contained
and controlled mixed up. SoCal Capt |
| Coot and Carp |
Fish and Wildlife. NV 'yote |
Couth List
Couth Officer
Couth Nazi |
Couth List = List of minor infractions such as cussing in public, passing
gas, forgetting any piece of equipment, breaking tools, etc. punishable by donations to the crew fund
or many pushups depending on crew.
Couth Officer = Keeper of the Couth List, term limited to 1-2 weeks or duration of assignment.
Couth Nazi = See Couth Officer and make them mean and spiteful. backburnfs |
| Coyote |
Person on a self-sufficient crew who engages in Coyote Tactics
of building fireline until the end of the operational period, remains
near the fireline while off duty, and begins building fire line again the next operational period where they left off.
Often camps out for up to 3 days in rugged terrain. FireWolf |
| Crew |
A group of firefighters operating as a unit, such as handcrew,
engine crew, hotshot crew, helitack crew, etc. Sometimes called a team by
those who don't know the fire world. AL |
| Crew Buggie |
Also: CrewHaul, Crummy, Love Bug, Germ Box, Green Machine, Short Bus,
Stink Box,
The Cage: A ten man crewhaul. J |
| Crowning in the Leaf Litter |
Oak/hickory type fire with 2 foot flamelengths. Old Fire Guy |
| Cumulus overtimus |
According to CDF Mike: Thunderheads or money clouds
According to Original Ab: "What those big angry looking clouds are called that rumble, shoot down lightning, ignite
new fires, pad the paycheck, and keep the firefighters dreams alive of owning a
'new' (ok, a nice pre-owned) vehicle at the end of the season." |
| DAPS |
Dog and Pony Show. Old Fire Guy |
| Death March |
Long walk to and from your work area. Usually several miles up hill. Known to cause Hotshot Butt.
backburnfs |
| DIC |
Deputy IC, must say it out loud to get the full effect. <noname> |
| Dirt Darts |
Smokejumpers. Fedfire |
| Dope on a Rope |
Helitack. Hickman |
| Dozer Driver |
Heavy fire equipment operator, dozer operator. See also tread
head, rock roller. L.A.V.E. |
| Driving for Dollars |
The act of driving to or from a fire, when said driving occurs exclusively or mostly on overtime.
FireBill |
| Dry Mopping |
Mixing dirt with embers from a hot spot or chopped off a log,
spreading them out until feel no heat when cold trailing. Strider |
| Earthpig or Groundpig |
Hotshot. Later, Dave |
| Egg Ball |
Breakfast from a ice cream scoop. DM |
| EMBO |
Ask an old SJ. Ab. |
| Engine Slugs |
Interchangeable term referencing CDF and/or USFS engine crews. Used, of
course, exclusively by Hotshots and CDF FC'B's of the Orange Herd! Another CDF BC |
| Eyes in the Green |
Handcrew watching the green side of the containment line that you don't
want to burn so as to be able to catch any spotfires. Strider |
| Fell-ette |
What a fella calls a female on the crew. Joatmon |
| Fighting Fire with Fire |
Dripping fire on the forest floor and burning out to widen the
containment line. Strider |
| Fire Boogers |
Black nasty things that grow inside your nose, especially while mopping up.
backburnfs |
| Fire Triangle |
This triangle is composed of 1) Travel time pay 2) Overtime pay
3) Hazard pay. A Red Army Wife |
| Fire Rectangle |
Fuel, heat, oxygen, overhead.....remove one of four and fire goes out.
OFG
Fuel, Oxygen, Heat, USFS... CDF Mike |
| Fire Virgin |
New firefighter who has never seen fire in the wild. Dee |
| Fire Weenie |
Weenie of the fire type. WP |
| Fireworks |
(my new favorite word for blamo) SLR |
| Fish, or Fish and Feathers |
US Fish and Wildlife Service. Jackson |
| Fish Cops |
Fish & Wildlife. MOC4546 |
| FNG |
F*ing New Guy. CLJ |
| Foam & Go |
On a fast-moving interface fire, the practice of foaming a
house and leaving it; to get out of the fire's way or to move on to foam or
defend another house. Often used when standing and defending the house puts the
firefighters at great risk or when many houses can be protected by foaming.
Requires engines equipped with CAFFS units. Q |
| FOOL |
Food Unit Leader (FDUL). Outsourcerer |
| Forest Circus |
Forest Service. L.A.V.E. |
| FUBAR |
F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition (Forest Service / CDF Combo Fires).
MOC4546 |
| Fuels Geek |
(said with humor) - Fuels Officer or Specialist. Fire Goy |
| Gator-aide Guard |
USFS Cop at fire camp. danfromord |
| Geek Net |
National Park Service FMO Radio Net to an adjoining National Forest.
MOC4549 |
| Ghosting |
When a crew (or crew members...) simply disappear for a while
during a shift. Joatmon. |
| Gill-Poke |
Bent over sapling that can spring on unsuspecting Ground Pounders.
Outsourcerer |
| Goat Head |
The constant radio response "Go ahead" occasionally devolves
into this. CDFMike from Arroyo Grande |
| Gobbler |
A crown fire that's goin' and blowin'. A firestorm that destroys
everything in its path. SoCal Capt |
| Going Direct vs Going Indirect |
Two strategies for fighting a fire, both assume LCES are in
place. When conditions warrant, fireline can be constructed immediately
adjacent to active flames: this is fighting fire using the direct
approach. It is more often done on the fire flanks and presumes working from
an anchor point. Going indirect means that firefighters construct
fireline at a distance from the active fire and may burnout to widen the line.
FireWolf |
| Goin' Gunneysack |
Describing a fire that just grew big enough to assume the characteristics of a nuclear bomb. Or an easy term
for BCs to understand that the little fire that they sent the 1-ton to just got out of hand.
AH
More:
gunnysack = gunnybag; synonyms: things went gunnybag. things went to shit. things went south on us. Or as Krs puts it, "Where are we going and why am I in this
handbasket?" kb |
| Goin' into the Green |
What you do when there is no Blue Room. Outsourcerer |
| Grape-eater |
A person working at an Incident Command Post, (where the grapes are
ubiquitous) Jackson |
| Green Army |
Forest Service fire forces. Original Ab. |
| Groundpig |
Hotshot. Groundpig |
| Ground Pounder |
Firefighter on a hand crew. A Red Army Wife |
| Hand Held |
Portable Radio. backburnfs |
| HT=Handy Talky |
Old term for the Portable Radio; see also Hand Held. backburnfs |
| Hand Tools - customization |
mini-Moes, rhinos, super-pukes. Nerd on the Fireline |
| HAUL Chart |
Flames 1-3ft, haul men; 3-9 haul equipment; 9+ haul ASS. Flash
in Florida |
| Head Shed |
Ones supervisory office. Example: "I need to go have a meeting with the boss at the 'Head Shed'."
FireBill |
| Helibutt |
What helitacks find themselves sitting on far too much at some
times during a fire. Mellie |
| Heli-camping |
(spiked with helicopter access only) SLR |
| Helidonna |
Helitack. WP |
| Helislacker |
Helitack. Hickman |
| Helitack's LCES |
Locate Cooler Establish Shade. Outsourcerer |
| Heliwhiner |
Helitack. The difference is that the "Donnas" don't do much real work but
they sure do look good in their flight gear. A whiner usually starts about 1100
asking for more ice and cold drinks, and complain if dinner service is 10
minutes late. Have you seen the R-5 Helitack rigs complete with coffee pots and microwaves?
WP |
| Hide the iron/ playing hide the iron |
When there are FAR too many engines on a fire that's pretty
much dead. Spend most of the time looking for smokes that just aren't there. The
local district is charging the added iron to the fire so there are more
resources available for a new start. EngineSlug |
| Holdover |
Fire that persists from one season to the next. Strider |
| Honey Bucket |
Blue Huts in Camp: portapotties. NV 'yote |
| Hoods in the Woods |
Inmate crew. Old Fire Guy |
| Hooters |
Forest Service Firefighters paid OT to go look for Spotted Owls.
MOC4546
Little blue houses. Siskiyou |
| Hose Jockey |
Engine crew. Later, Dave |
| Hose Weenies |
Engine crew. Fedfire |
| Hotline the Fire |
Go to where the fire burns and cut line. CDF Sal |
| Hot Sack |
Hacky Sack played with penalty pushups for poor play or breaking
the rules. backburnfs |
Hotshot Shower
Hotshot Butt |
Hotshot Shower = Liberal dousing of Gold Bond powder before hitting the line.
Hotshot Butt = Well known medical condition requiring application of a Hotshot
Shower. backburnfs |
| Hotshot Hacky Sack |
Ten pushups every time the hack touches the ground, gets caught, or somebody swears. One sadist on our mixed wildland/structure crew suggested playing this in bunkers.
Nerd on the Fireline |
| Hotshot Taxi |
Any type of helicopter used to shuttle in hotshot crews. Firefly |
| Hot Shoveling |
Working direct and tossing dirt from the fire's edge onto the
fire. Todd |
| Humping It or Hump It |
Walking or hiking hard, especially with a pack and/or equipment. Example: We will be trucked to the end of the road then "hump it" to the
fireline. Mossback |
| Hunker |
Lay down and take it easy on the line (out of sight of course). Two clicks on the HT when the DIVS walks by the point man!
Another CDF BC |
| IOUs |
What the State of California pays state firefighters and contractors when they don't pass the State Budget on time.
MOC4546 |
| I feel a slurry load coming on. |
A statement some of the guys on our crew used to insinuate "taking a dump".
2nd Generation IHC Supt |
| "Im hearing Banjo music" |
What you tell your Eng. crew when the folks that live in the house (the one Waaaaaaaay back out in the woods your protecting) remind you of the cast of the movie "Dueling Banjos".
danfromord |
| I've got to deploy a load of Jumpers. |
A statement some of the guys on our crew used to insinuate "taking a dump".
2nd Generation IHC Supt |
| Iron Man |
3 to 4 fingers of instant coffee in a standard issued quart canteen, depending
on the expected length of the shift. Firefly |
| ** Jerky |
Very old road kill (** insert small animal name). DM |
| john wayne paper |
The TP supplied in the blue-rooms. it's tough as nails and don't
take sh_t from nothin'. Joatmon |
| Juice Slug |
Base/Camp slugs. Another CDF BC |
| Jumper Humper |
Girlfriend/wife of smokejumper (not trying to be offensive -- as I was one also).
Cache Queen |
| Jump list |
Goes hand in hand with above -- real list is where you are on the call out to fires -- other list was "on the cuff".
Cache Queen |
| KENNEL-UP!! |
Get in the buggy. Joatmon |
| Klingon |
Anyone with a higher rank than the speaker, but generally a
battalion Chief and above. Evan |
| Knuckle Dragger |
A genuine firefighter who has the knowledge and has developed the abilities to beat on
the Dragon. In short, a damn good fireman. Fire Goy |
| Ladies Left |
When there ain’t no blue room handy and you’ve got a mixed engine crew, ladies on the left side of the engine, gentlemen to the right.
Nerd on the Fireline |
| Land Mine |
The results of someone taking a dump in the woods or along the
fireline. Also known as a Cornback Rattlesnake. Kibby |
| Landing Queens |
Burn Boss/Prescribed Fire Manager and groupies. Fire Goy |
| Lawn Darts |
Smoke Jumpers WP |
| Lawyer Up |
What Incident Commanders and other managers have had to do
following the Cramer Fire. Tahoe Terrie |
| LCES |
Locate, Coolers, Establish, Shade. jt (for the real meaning,
check the acronyms page) |
| Legs |
People that were firefighters, but not jumpers -- as they still had workable legs. |
| Lickies & Chewies |
Supplemental/snack/quick energy food products offered in large fire camps from the
mid-80's through 2002. A source of heated debate among top level administrators
without fireline experience in the winter of 2002/2003. Identified as a major cause of
large fire costs and targeted for elimination. ECC1 |
| Lid |
Hard hat. MTgroundpounder |
| Lip Sh_t |
Carmex or Blistex. DM |
| Longshot |
Firefighter (southwestern term) who locates fire often after
lightning bust passes thru. Strider |
| Lookie Loo |
Member of the public who somehow has to get to the fire just to
gawk. They often get in the way. Mellie |
| M&M Breakfast |
Motrin & Move Free, A daily ritual for some of us on the line.
Paul |
| Major Rager |
BIG fire. MTgroundpounder |
| Maximum ching ching |
Overtime with hazard pay. Kevin |
| Meatpuck |
Grilled beefsteak. Beware of anything that has been "chunked and formed".
JerseyBoy |
| Mid-day Lullaby |
Sound of a reefer truck and/or generator, which puts firefighters to sleep if they can find shade.
MTgroundpounder |
| Minnesota Fire Shelter |
Life jacket. Paul |
| Minnesota Pack Test |
Portaging between lakes to fight fire. Kicks |
| M.I.S.T. |
USFS suppression efforts "Maximum Income Suppression Tactics"
The Jurassic Captian (Ab note: really stands for Minimum Impact Suppression
Tactics, and is used in wilderness areas.) |
| $$Money Clouds |
Also known as thunderheads. A Red Army Wife |
| Monkey Butt |
...also known as hotshot butt. The Goldbond isn't working. This
condition precedes the Swampy walk, as the firefighter doesn't want any body
parts to touch anything. Red turned to Green |
| Mop Shots |
Hotshots who are complaining about being held for a mop up shift.
Fedfire
or Type 2 AD Crews mopping up. MOC4546 |
| Mop-up |
Hardest part of suppressing a fire, see dry mop, wet mop, cold
trailing. Strider |
| Motel Attack |
Helisugs. Firefly |
| MREs |
Meals Rejected by Ethiopians. Mellie |
| MRE-good |
A lower standard of taste. Joatmon |
| Muck-e-muck |
Person of great importance, a big shot, for example in
reference to a "white hat" or folks in the "head shed",
originally from Chinook trade jargon of the Pacific Northwest. 2nd Generation IHC Supt. |
| Mud Droppers |
Air Tankers. Fightfire75 |
| Mud Flap on a Stick |
Fireswatter tool -- widely used in the southern area. Cache
Queen |
| Mystery Meat |
The Green meat in your sack lunch that has sat out tooooooo long.
danfromord |
National SPARKS and WILDFIRE Service
"Flea's, Bee's and Tree's"
"Dept of Constant Name Rearrangement" |
From Australia:
The state of New South Wales's "National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)" became known by firefighters
by this term, perhaps the NPS in the US could be renamed the National Sparks Service?
The state of Victoria's former Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR) was normally referred to "Flea's, Bee's and Tree's", however as this was the 4th different name in about 10 years due to dept re-organisation, the DCNR came to stand for "Dept of Constant Name Rearrangement". The name has been changed twice since.
Peter from Downunder |
| Nativity Scene |
A group of Chiefs, 3 or more, (usually Local Agency) that stand
around and watch a wildfire running. They usually have their arms crossed and
thoughtful expression on their faces. Dan |
| Nif Nerd |
Fire Planner. Fire Goy |
| Nineteenth watch-out situation |
Joatmon says CDF + fire =
Ab adds this could be any agency, crew or team depending on who is talking. |
| Nugget |
Firefighter whose parent was a firefighter; as in "He's a
nugget." CalFire term, don't know if other agencies use it. SoCal CalFire |
| Nunya |
As in "Nunya bidness." Used when needed by hotshots and others.
Some Hotshot. |
| 0'Dark'30 |
When a firefighter starts or ends work. It's usually dark.
Mellie |
| On a Roll |
A crew is dispatched and on the road to a fire assignment.
Tahoe Terrie |
| On the Board |
A firefighter, crew or other resource who has quals met and
is listed with dispatch as ready and available for assignment... red bag
packed. Example: "Whoo Hoo, I'm on the board." Mellie |
| Orange Herd |
CDF inmate firefighters. Another CDF BC |
| Overhead Threat |
What you get when a State or Federal agency arrive on scene and take command of a fire.
John |
| Parent Company |
A vintage term used by old CDFers to describe the USFS. |
| Parkies |
National Park Service personnel. Jackson |
| Papa Uniform/Tango Uniform |
Paws Up / Tits Up (Out of Service Mechanical). NV 'yote |
|
Para-camping |
(smokejumpers, enough said) SLR |
|
Pavement Queen |
An engine that stays on the pavement. Fedfire |
| P.C. |
Politically Correct. |
| P.T. |
Physical Training |
| Pecker Pole |
Small diameter tree, tall and skinny. BLM Bob |
| Pencil Hose |
5/8" hose. Fedfire |
| Pencil Whip a Taskbook |
Sign off on OJT before the tasks are truly completed. NorCal
Tom |
| Pigs Are Gonna Die |
Means that there's a big fire, with a big base camp. With pork served every meal, it takes a lot of dead pigs to supply meat to the camp.
elkski |
| Pigs in Blankets |
Firecamp security....off duty. Old Fire Guy |
| Pine Pigs |
FS law enforcement. Siskiyou |
| Pine Swine |
USFS Law Dogs. NV 'yote |
| Piss Pump |
Backpack pump. Usually 5 gal. Fedfire |
| Piss Pump on Wheels |
Type 6 engine. Fedfire |
| Pissfer Willies |
Forestry types: CDF, MOC4546
also FS Forestry types, at least in NorCal where there is a fir that
smells like piss. NorCal Tom |
| Pole Patch |
An area of downed and crisscrossed blowdown trees, generally but not always
lodgepole.
MTgroundpounder |
| Pongee |
When you’re doing a first pass line clearing with a machete or brush hook and it leaves those thumb-thick sticks cut off at an angle, about six inches off the ground…you get those
on a sidehill and they’re just sucking chest wounds waiting to happen. Nerd
on the Fireline |
| Potato Guard |
Firecamp security. Old Fire Guy |
|
Pounder |
Handcrew member. Fire Goy |
|
Propeller Head |
Helitack. Fedfire |
| PUFF |
A magic dragon. Old Fire Guy |
|
# Pulaski |
The Pulaski is the most important firefighting handtool for a 20
person crew, having an axe-head and a hoe. It is named after Edward Pulaski
who led his men to safety in a mine shaft during the Fires of 1910.
Crewmembers often refer to their place on their crew in terms of Pulaski, eg.
2nd Pulaski or Lead Pulaski. Joe |
|
Puma, The Eagle has Landed |
Code words for Overhead passing through your work area.
Outsourcerer |
|
Pumpkin |
Soft sided water container (4800 to 6000 gal) that holds water
or retardant; delivered by a helicopter. NorCal Tom |
|
Pumpkin patch |
Inmate crew found (usually at night) sitting/laying as the
headlamp shines over them looks just like a pumpkin patch. EngineSlug |
|
Punkin |
Big Tree. BLM Bob |
|
Punkin Pine |
A bigass ponderosa. MTgroundpounder |
|
Punt |
What you do to a warm ham sandwich, (after balling it up). DM |
|
PWAC |
Person without a clue. Old Fire Guy |
| Q, Q-man |
Ray Quintanar, head of R5 Fire. "Nameless" |
| "Queeze Bag" |
Term developed by the El Cariso Hotshots in the early 70's for a
firefighter or crewmember who can't cut the hard work or complains about
anything. "Tanker Queeze" Anyone on "tankers". El Cariso Hotshots 1976. KevinJ |
| Quill Pig |
Porcupine. Old School CDF |
| R5 Whine |
The term other regions use towards region 5's (Forest Service) complaints.
Fedfire |
| Rathole (verb) |
To squirrel away food or beverage, e.g. stash the last piece of pie to eat later.
MTgroundpounder |
| Red Army |
CDF, in reference to their red engines. (Could also refer to
other state firefighters in red engines.) Another CDF BC |
| Red Dog |
Firefighter's red time sheet. Time is recorded daily on Form
261, signed by the crewboss and transferred by a timekeeper to the summary
sheet or Red Dog. John W |
| Redline or Horizontal Smile |
The line you get from your fire back rubbing against your butt
all season long as you hike
(more of a shot or jumper thing). RR |
| Rock Roller |
Heavy fire equipment operator, dozer operator. L.A.V.E. |
| Rocky Mountain Barking Spider |
Used to describe the sound that emanates from a person's posterior region after too
much fire food. 40acrefarmer |
| Roger That |
Departure from "Clear Speak" that some DIVS still
insist on using over the scanner. |
| Romper |
BIG fire. MTgroundpounder |
| Rotorhead |
Helitack. Later, Dave |
| Rotor Toads |
Helitack. NV 'yote |
| RTO |
Reverse Tool Order or Reverse The Order of a hotshot or
handcrew. Means turn around and head back, give the supt a head count and
he/she will give you instructions after the count. It's the "eject button" for a handcrew.
Brett & Nerd on the Fireline |
| Saddle Up |
Break's over, "Let's get going." Fire Goy |
| Safety Nap |
The "so called" 8 hrs. you get to sleep after your 16 hr shift.
CLJ |
| Scratchline |
Line scratched down to mineral soil that stops forward spread of
ground fire. NorCal Tom |
| Squeak Tree or Friction Tree |
Trees that have another tree leaning against it and can start a fire when
the wind blows against it -- basically rubbing two sticks together. People new
to firefighting are told that if they can locate these "dangerous" trees, pinpoint by
township, range and section, and fill out the appropriate form (YES, the district actually had a friction tree form -- even had a
number for it) -- they can turn them in and be rewarded with $25 for each "find" at the end of the season.
Cache Queen
WP and Original Ab cooked up the first set of posts on squeak trees some time
back. |
| Shake and Bake |
Your fire shelter (baked tater!) A Red Army Wife |
| Shake and Bake with Seasoning |
The new fire shelter. Chris |
| Ship |
Firefighting aircraft. Fire Wolf |
| Shuddering S- - - House |
Helicopter. Outsourcerer |
| Sidehilling |
Following a contour around a hill, usually on a steep slope.
Nerd on the Fireline |
| Skate |
Someone who can never be found. Old School CDF |
| Skookum |
Really good or excellent, originally from Chinook trade jargon of
the Pacific Northwest. 2nd Generation IHC Supt. |
| Sky-baggers |
Smokejumpers. Joatmon |
| Slimed |
Hit with a load of retardant. AL |
| "Sling Shots" |
What do you call a bunch of Hotshots in a cargo net? "Kicks" |
| Smokechaser |
Firefighter who locates fire often after lightning bust passes
thru. Strider |
| Smoke Happy |
A state you can get in during mopup in which you see smoke
coming out of almost anything: tree trunks, packs, boots, etc. Strider |
| Snook or Snookie |
A second year rookie; also known as a second year firefighter.
Can be more dangerous and harder to manage than a rook because there is an
element of "Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt" that has to be overcome.
Similar to Sophomore in college--sophomore means "Wise fool." Class C Sagebrush
Faller. |
| Snore Inhibitor |
Ziploc sandwich bag containing at least 2 tablespoons of black pepper.
MTgroundpounder |
| Start Digging |
Wake up. Another saying that works, "Drop your @#$% and grab your socks, lets move."
Fire Goy |
| Stomper |
BIG fire. MTgroundpounder |
| Strike Team (Lima Type, Charlie Type, Golf
Type) |
A strike team is a specified combination of the same kind and type of
resource (usually 5), with common communications, and a leader. Lima designates a Dozer Strike Team, Charlie designates an Engine Strike
Team and Golf designates a Crew Strike Team. Rich and Donna, Dozer Support. |
| Stump Humper |
Horned tailed wasp, dangerous in NM, but ubiquitous across the
mountain west, Appalachia; they are attracted to burning wood and smoke; they
lay their eggs in freshly charred wood... they land on you, they might lay eggs.
various chatters in the Fire Pit |
Swass
Swalls |
swass- sweaty a$$.
swalls - I'm sure you've got that one figured out! 1 old jumper |
| Swampy walk |
Also known as "hotshot walk". The very odd wide stance
variation of walking because the FF is suffering from "hotshot butt" (also known as monkey butt). The Goldbond isn't working and the FF
doesn't want any body parts to touch. (Her digital camera video was
quite amusing to watch and see the swampy walk in action.) Red turned to Green |
| Takin' a Rocket Ride |
Going to the Blue Room. Outsourcerer |
| Tanker Kitten |
Cute girl that works on an engine or tender. She may not be a "nice" girl. She
might have been caught doing one too many "hose lays". A Red Army Wife |
| Team |
The group of people who manage large fire or smaller fires, for
example Type 1 Interagency Incident Management Team, Type 2 team, Type 3 Team.
Composed of everyone from IC to people handling Ops and Finances, etc. This is
in contrast to a Crew. AL |
| Tender slugs |
Tender operators. Siskiyou |
Test*cle - as in
"Getting rather Test*cle"
i.e. Testy,
i.e. "Teste". |
So how does this fit into an acronym for CDF -Schedule
B? (It helps to know that the "B" stands for CDF's "Schedule B" which is the wildland fire part of the organization). One of my Inmate Firefighters was in that "T word" condition one night swearing and muttering, and I asked him what the problem was. He replied "Jeez Cap, you got us
Crawling through this this Dam' F*%@@#
brush!. In one of my rare moments of wit it occurred to me that that was the acronym for US! CDF - Schedule B.
CDF Mike at Arroyo Grande |
| "The arse is out of 'er" |
From New Brunswick, Canada we
have the following rather local saying, indicating a sudden significant increase in fire behaviour. SmokeDawg
|
| The Big Green Machine |
US Forest Service fire management. Jackson |
| "The Fellas" or "The Men" |
CDF inmate firefighters. Another CDF BC |
| The Heffers |
CDF Fire Crews. MOC4546 |
| The Highest Priority Is: Everybody Comes Back. |
What it says... Mossback |
| The Show |
CDF Overhead. MOC4546 |
| This Sucker's Rippin'!!! |
When the Forest Service needs more help. MOC4546 |
| Thunder Hut |
Blue Room or porta-pottie. danfromord |
| TIC or TFIC |
"Tongue in Cheek" or "Tongue Firmly in Cheek" |
| Tie in |
Join two sections of fireline or fireline to a natural barrier.
Also "get together with someone" as when two
people meet. Examples: "Have your crew construct handline to here to tie
in with the existing dozer line." and similarly, "Johnny, I'll tie
in with you at DP 82 at 0700." NorCal Tom |
| Tool Time |
Time when people gather to sharpen their tools. Tahoe Terrie |
| Tool Up |
Grab your tools and let's get to work. Crewboss to crew. Ab. |
| Touron |
Cross between a tourist and a moron. Hickman |
| TP-LZ |
About half a roll of "john wayne paper" spun down into the
bottom of a freshly pumped blue-room. Joatmon |
| Tread Head |
Heavy fire equipment operator, dozer operator. L.A.V.E. |
| Tree Cops |
Forest Service Law Enforcement. Fedfire |
| Tuber |
A firefighter that spends
more time filming the fire with their digital camcorder to upload onto YouTube
than they do swinging a tool. Paul |
| Twig Pig |
Park Ranger. Hickman |
| Type II Bleachers |
The big snow fences seen along stretches of open highway, we were on a fire and all
the shots got to go play, but all of us on the type II crew got to sit and watch from the
bleachers. wyofire |
| UBI |
"Unexplained Beer Injury" Mellie |
| US DA Forest Service |
USDA Forest Service (ebonics joke relating to the markings on the back of engines.
Fedfire |
| USFS |
Use Sleeve for Snot. DM2
Unlocatable Since Fire Started, or Under Staffed For Season or for those that work for the Forest Service,
Under Stress For Sure. John |
| Vibram Shuffle |
Building line dragging by your boots (see boot scruff). Red Army
Wife |
| Vict’s in the Stix |
DOC Crew. DM |
| Virga |
Rain that doesn't reach the ground, indicates unstable air
aloft. Strider |
| Vollie Ball |
When the vollies tie up the radio frequencies, demand totally excessive resources, refuse to leave their
engines/ crewbosses/ lunchbuckets, and generally get themselves and everybody else who’s trying to actually put the fire out, in knots (it wasn’t us, it was the unit next door). As in: They’re playing vollie ball, they’re such a vollie ball, oh
gawd, it’s them, we’re in for a vollie ball. And by the way, I am very proud to be a volunteer.
Nerd on the Fireline |
| Vollies |
Volunteer Fire Fighters. MTgroundpounder |
| Washing Machine Charley |
Single Engine Air Tankers. Beigefoot |
| Water Dog |
Steam rising from the timber after a wet t-storm that has sent many a smokechaser on a
wild goose chase, as it can easily be confused for a "real" smoke. Cache Queen |
| Water Lily |
Engine personnel. Fire Goy |
| We Don't Bend 'Em, We Don't Break 'Em. |
When speaking of the 10 Fire Orders and 18 Watchouts. FireBill |
| Weed Warden |
CDF Law Enforcement. FireWolf |
Westside/Wetside
Westsider/Wetsider |
Coast Ranges of Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
Someone who lives in above geographical areas. Outsourcerer |
| Wet Mopping |
Mixing water with embers from a hot spot, spreading them out
until feel no heat when cold trailing. Just watering from a piss pump is not
enough, you have to stir things around. Strider |
| Whine cellar |
Whadda you get when you send hotshots down to the basement?
Still Out There As An AD |
| White Bite |
The pinch on the top of your foot caused by boots that aren't yet broken in.
MTgroundpounder |
| White Hat |
DIVS. 2nd Generation IHC Supt. |
| Whizzer or Zipper |
Unseen rock that flys by your head at night. DM |
| Wood Pussy |
Skunk. Old School CDF |
| Wooee |
Wildland urban interface resident (presumably from WUI). Mellie |
| Yeller Up |
Get decked out in yer nomex and ready to go (similar to Tool Up,
Saddle Up). |
| Yellows |
Nomex shirt. Red turned to Green |
| Yogi |
FS law enforcement. Siskiyou |
| Zacklies |
When you've been spiked out a while and your mouth smells
zaklie like your feet (or butt). BG |
14 Days
21 Days
'Till The Fire Is OUT |
14 Days = Current P.C. tour of duty for Wildland Firefighters.
21 Days = What we worked before the 14 Days became P.C.
'Till The Fire Is OUT = What we used to work before 21 Days became P.C.
backburnfs |
| 4-11 |
I know we're supposed to be "clear speak" now, but I remember how those numbers
coming across the radio would make everyone stand up and listen -- as it meant FIRE
REPORT!! |
| Postscript... and a good reminder
to end on... Ab's reply to Dennis, an Oklahoma firefighter who became tired of the
CDF criticism:
Dennis, when this thread started, we began the FIRE Terms/Nicknames page with Ab's admonishment from several
years ago at the top of the FIRE Terms/Nicknames page. Like those on different crews that sometimes are in
competition, CDF and the federal fire agencies of R5 have been in competition for years. This is part of our culture.
(The upside of competition is the group cohesion that may be necessary for survival of a firefighting crew.) That
said, it's also true that a very many of us work for one agency and then the other. Those of us in this
wildlandfire.com community recognize the strengths of the different groups of us. We do not wish each other ill.
Hell, many of us meet up every summer on fires and work together quite well. We have many shared goals even
while having different missions. The rivalry among us, however, is legend.
If you take to time to read back, all the initial "fire jargon" that came in on this thread was slanted against the fed
fire organizations. The Pissfur Willies, Parkies and and Parent Company firefighters didn't take offense when those
terms were sent in. Unless I'm mistaken, the CDFers among us know this is not personal,
dontcha, guys and gals?
Oh, the reason CDF has historically gotten picked on and not other state agencies is that there is no other state
agency that measures up to CDF. It is by far the largest firefighting force outside the federal government. |
