|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glossary ICC (INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION) An independent federal government agency in the Executive Branch (not affiliated with DOT) charged with administering acts of Congress affecting rates and routes for transport of interstate commerce. IDLH (IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS TO LIFE OR HEALTH) Concentrations immediately dangerous to life and health. An atmospheric concentration of any toxic, corrosive or asphyxiant that poses an immediate threat to life or would cause irreversible or delayed adverse health effects or would interfere with an individual's ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere. (29 CFR 1910.120) IFSTA International Fire Service Training Association. IGLOO (AIR) A specialized container used in air carrier operations. Each container may hold a variety of commodities. Air carriers load containers individually, then load packed containers into the aircraft. IGNITION The beginning of flame propagation or burning; the start of a fire. IGNITION SOURCES Energy activators that allow chemical reactions (fire or explosion) to take place. Examples are light, heat, friction, or spark. IGNITION TEMPERATURE The lowest temperature at which a fuel when heated will ignite in air and continue to burn; the temperature required to cause ignition of a substance. See burning point. The minimum temperature in degrees F or degrees C required igniting gas or vapor without a spark or flame being present. Values provided in reference texts are only approximate because they change in geometry, gas, or vapor concentrations and in the presence of catalysts. The temperature at which a fuel or substance ignites and the flame is self-propagating. The minimum temperature at which a material will ignite without a spark or flame being present. This is also the temperature the ignition source must be. IMMEDIATE REMOVAL Actions undertaken to prevent or migrate immediate and significant risk of harm to human life or health or to the environment. As set forth in the National Contingency Plan, these actions shall be terminated after $1 million has been obligated or six months have elapsed from the date of initial response. IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS TO LIFE OR HEALTH (IDLH) An atmospheric concentration of any toxic, corrosive or asphyxiant substance that poses an immediate threat to life or would cause irreversible or delayed adverse health effects or would interfere with an individual's ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere. IMMISCIBILITY The quality of being immiscible. IMMISCIBLE That which cannot be mixed. For example, water and gasoline are immiscible. IMO Abbreviation for International Maritime Organization. IMPELLER A rotating disc on a shaft at the center of a centrifugal pump housing. The slanted vanes of a rotating impeller impart the centrifugal force that expels the water from the pump. Vaned, circulating member of the centrifugal pump that transmits motion to the water. IMPELLER EYE Opening through which water flows into the center of an impeller; intake orifice at the center of a centrifugal pump impeller. IMPERMEABLE Cannot be penetrated by liquid or vapor. The state of a material that does not allow another substance to penetrate or pass through it. IMPINGEMENT EVENT As the hazmat and/or its container engulf an area, they will impinge on, or come in contact with exposures. They may also impinge upon other hazmat containers, producing additional problems. IMPINGING STREAM NOZZLE Nozzle that drives several jets of water together at a set angle in order to breakwater into finely divided particles. IN-LINE EDUCTOR Eductor that is placed along the length of a hoseline. IN-LINE RELAY VALVE Valve placed along the length of a supply hose that permits a pumper to connect to the valve to boost pressure in the hose. IN-LINE RESPIRATOR A respirator hooked up to an air supply. INCAPACITATING AGENTS Produce temporary physiological and/or mental effects via action on the central nervous system. Effects may persist for hours or days, but victims usually do not require medical treatment. However, such treatment speeds recovery. INCENDIARIES Substances or mixtures of substances consisting of a fuel and an oxidizer used to initiate a fire INCENDIARY A fire believed to have been deliberately set. An incendiary agent such as a bomb. INCENDIARY FIRES Fires set by human hands. INCHES OF MERCURY A scale used in measuring negative pressure; used to measure barometric pressure. INCIDENT The release or potential release of a hazardous substance into the environment. INCIDENT ACTION PLAN The strategic goals, tactical objectives, and support requirements for the INCIDENT CHARACTERIZATION The process of identifying the substances) involved in an incident, determining exposure pathways and projecting the effect it will have on people, property, wildlife and plants, and the disruption of services. INCIDENT COMMAND POST The location from which all incident operations in the field are directed and planning functions are performed. The communications center is often incorporated into the command post. INCIDENT COMMANDER The person who has the responsibility for total operations at a hazardous materials emergency. INCIDENT EVALUATION The process of assessing the impact released or potentially released substances pose to public health and the environment. INCIDENTAL ACCELERANTS Flammable or combustible liquids which are usual and incidental to an area where they are detected. INCIPIENT FIRES Fires in the beginning stages. INCOMPATIBILITY The inability to function or exist in the presence of something else such as when a chemical will destroy the container. INCREASER Adapter used to attach a larger hoseline to a smaller one. The increaser has female threads on the smaller side and male threads on the larger side. INCRUSTATION A deposit on the inner pipe wall creating additional friction and loss of pressure. INDICATING VALVE Water main valve that visually shows the open or closed status of the valve. INDIRECT APPLICATION A method of extinguishing fire by applying water fog into a superheated atmosphere to obtain the maximum heat absorption and steam generation for smothering and cooling the fire area. INDIVIDUAL CONTAINER A cargo container, such as a box or drum, used to transport materials in small quantities. INDUSTRIAL AGENTS Chemicals developed or manufactured for use in industrial operations or research by industry, government, or academia. These chemicals are not primarily manufactured for the specific purpose of producing human causalities or rendering equipment, facilities, or areas dangerous for use by man. Hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, phosgene, chloropicrin and many herbicides and pesticides are industrial chemicals that also can be chemical agents. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST A person who, by experience or academic training, is qualified to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control hazards in the workplace. Some industrial hygienists are nationally certified. INDUSTRIAL PLANT An industrial facility that utilizes gas incidental to plant operations, with LPG-Gas storage of 2,000 gallons (7.6 m3) water capacity or more that receives gas by means of tank car, truck transport, or truck lot. INERT GAS A nonreactive gas, such as argon, helium, and neon. Also called nobel gases. INERT INGREDIENTS Material in a pesticide formulation that generally has no pesticidal activity, but could be flammable or combustible. INFECTIOUS AGENTS Biological agents capable of reproducing in an infected host. INFECTIOUS WASTE Waste-containing pathogens; may consist of tissues, organs, body parts, blood and body fluids. INFECTIVITY The ability of an organism to spread; the number of organisms required to cause and infection to secondary hosts; the capability of an organism to spread out from the site of infection and cause disease in the host organism. Infectivity also can be viewed as the number of organisms required causing an infection. INFORMATION Knowledge acquired concerning the conditions or circumstances particular to an incident. INFORMATION OFFICER The individual responsible interface with the media or other appropriate agencies requiring information direct from the incident scene. Member of the Command Staff. INGESTION The taking in of toxic materials through the mouth. INHALATION The taking in of toxic materials by breathing through the nose and mouth. INHALATOR : A mechanical device for administering breathing oxygen to an individual who is breathing. INHIBITOR A chemical added to another substance to prevent or slow down an unwanted or sudden occurrence of chemical change. INHIBITORS (also called stabilizers) Chemicals that are added to unstable substances to prevent violent reaction. INITIAL ATTACK The first point of attack where hoselines are employed to prevent further extension of fire and to safeguard life and property while additional lines are being laid and other forces placed in motion. INITIAL ATTACK APPARATUS Fire apparatus whose primary purpose is to initiate a fire attack on structural and wildland fires and support associated fire department actions. Also called mini-pumpers or midi-pumpers. INITIAL DOWNWIND VAPOR HAZARD AREA Areas initially established to evacuate all unprotected personnel and to prevent other unprotected personnel from entering and thus encountering agent vapors or any other type of contamination. INITIATOR The substance or molecule (other than reactant) that initiates a chain reaction, as in polymerization. INITIATORS Cylindrically shaped explosive or gas pressure devices used to create gas or mechanical pressure to activate another device; usually found in the seat and canopy ejection mechanism of military fighter jet aircraft. INORGANIC Pertaining to or composed of chemical compounds that do not contain carbon as the principal element (except carbonates, cyanides, and (cyanates). Matter other than plant or animal. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY The branch of chemistry dealing with compounds that do not contain carbon. INORGANIC COMPOUNDS Chemical compounds that do not contain the element carbon, with the exception of carbon oxides and carbon sulfides. INORGANIC PEROXIDES Inorganic compounds containing an element at its highest state of oxidation (such as sodium peroxide), or having the peroxy group, -O-O- (such as perchloric acid). INSECTICIDE A chemical product used to kill and control insects. INSERTION LOSS The amount of signal energy lost when a device is inserted into a communication line. Also known as "feed through" loss. INSPECTION Same as investigation INTAKE Inlet for water into the fire pump. INTAKE HOSE Formally called hard or soft suction hose. A Non-collapsible intake hose is used for drafting water into pumpers from static sources lower than the pump. Flexible intake hose is a short length of large diameter hose that is used to connect pumpers to hydrants. INTAKE PRESSURE Pressure coming into the fire pump. INTAKE RELIEF VALVE Valve designed to prevent damage to a pump from water hammer or any sudden pressure surge. INTAKE SCREEN Screen used to prevent foreign objects from entering a pump. INTEGRATED EMERGENCY COMMAND STRUCTURE (IECS) A system that allows for the integration of both career and volunteer fire/rescue personnel by equal rank for purposes of on scene incident command. INTELLIGENCE Information obtained from existing records or documentation, placards, labels, signs, special configuration of containers, visual observations, technical records, eyewitnesses, and others. INTERMODAL CONTAINER Freight container designed and constructed to permit it to be used interchangeably in two or more modes of transport. (i.e., highway and rail or water and rail). INTERMODAL TRAFFIC Combining road, rail, water, and air transportation of goods into an integrated system. INTERNAL BELLY VALVE A reference by some to the excess flow valve in a tank truck. It is designed to close automatically if the external belly valve is, sheared off. INTERNAL FLOATER A liquid bulk storage tank with a roof that moves in relation to the level of liquid within. It is covered at the top usually with a geodesic dome to shield from the weather. INTERNAL VALVE A container's primary shut-off valve where the seat and seat disc remain inside the container so that damage to the parts exterior to the container or mating flange will not prevent effective seating of the valve. An internal valve closes when flow through the valve exceeds its rated excess-flow capacity or when pump actuation differential pressure drops to a predetermined point. INTRINSICALLY SAFE CONSTRUCTION Equipment or wiring is incapable of releasing sufficient electrical energy under both normal and abnormal conditions to cause the ignition of a flammable mixture. Commonly used in portable direct-reading instruments for operations in Class I, Division 2 hazardous locations. INVERSION Horizontal layers of air through which the temperature increases with increasing height of altitude. INVERTER Auxiliary electrical power generating device. The inverter is a step-up transformer that converts the vehicle's 12 or 24-volt DC current into 110 or 220-volt AC current. INVOLVED The actual room, portion, area, or building involved in or affected by a fire. ION An unbalanced atom; any atom that has an electrical charge either positive or negative. IONIZATION The separation of ions. IONIZING RADIATION High-energy radiation, such as an X-ray, that causes the formation of ions in substances through which it passes (gamma rays). Excessive amounts of ionizing radiation will cause permanent genetic or bodily damage. IOS International Organization for Standardization IRD Integrated Receiver-Decoder. All PWPL satellite equipment is IRDs. IRRITANT A material with an anesthetic, irritating, noxious, toxic or other similar property that can cause extreme annoyance or discomfort. A noncorrosive material that causes a reversible inflammatory effect on living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact as a function of concentration or duration of exposure. IRRITATING MATERIALS Liquids or solid substances which, upon contact with fire or when exposed to air, give off dangerous or intensely irritating fumes. ISEA Industrial Safety Equipment Association ISO (INSURANCE SERVICES ORGANIZATION) Private agency that rates fire department for setting insurance rates. Formed January 1971, a national insurance organization licensed as a fire rating organization; acts as an advisory organization to other property-liability lines of insurance. ISO 14001-EMS Part of ISO 14000, this standard outlines the basic Environmental Management System. ISO 9000 & 14000 Two well-known global systems for managing quality and environmental performance. ISOLATING THE SCENE The process of preventing persons and equipment from becoming exposed to a actual or potential hazmat release. Includes establishing isolation perimeter and control zones. ISOLATION The first operational priority of a hazardous material emergency responder. This will set apart a spilled or released material limiting the harm to lives, environment, and property. ISOLATION PERIMETERS An area around a pesticide incident within which only necessary personnel with full protective gear are allowed. |
home | community | join NCFD | apparatus | firehouse | photos | links All material herein Copyright © 2002 - 2010 New City Fire Engine Company No. 1 All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited Site designed/produced by Eric Weisler |