Fire Fighting Training: Terminology to Expect in EMCARE's Course

While in the heat of the moment when on the job as a firefighter, it can often be difficult to stress how important it is to remain as calm and collected as possible. With this, each firefighter needs to be able to communicate with an exceptional amount of clarity and efficiency, as wasting time can result in a number of unforeseen accidents in the worst possible moments. This is an aspect that we take great care in covering in each of our fire fighting training courses at EMCARE. By reading through this article, you can get a glimpse into the terminology that is used in the field for a head start before enrolling into any one of our highly acclaimed firefighting training courses today.

Why is Reduced Communication so Vital as a Trained Fire Fighter?

When it comes to even the smallest of fires that fire firefighters are called to, there is a large risk of danger that remains ever-present until that fire is subdued. Even in controlled environments, a gust of wind can see these seemingly manageable fires quickly turn into raging flames that grow in size at a deadly pace, consuming everything surrounding it. This requires fire fighters to remain on their toes and at peak performance at all times in order to minimalize the risk of injury and danger to themselves and their crew, as well as the civilians and environment around them too.

Due to how the nature of a fire can change within such a short span of time, fire fighters need to be able to communicate with their fellow colleagues in a way that is as precise and efficient as possible. This is seen in the form of general and context-specific phrases being condensed into exact terms with their own explicit definitions. Since the implementation of such terms, which may change slightly from country to country, fire fighting has certainly been able to become a bit safer for all those involved.

For instance, condensing entire phrases into only about a word or two, an immense amount of time is saved during critical moments while out in the field. By using condensed phrases that are short and snappy, they become easier to understand while simultaneously preventing individual firefighters from overexplaining certain strategies and actions while in a state of panic, which may only cause confusion and increase risk. By being able to save time while a growing fire is present, it reduces the risk of danger and injury to firefighters as well as civilians.

When in a burning house or building, smoke will inevitably begin to collect and fill the entire house. This requires everyone involved to speak is minimally as they can, as lengthy explanations can result in the loss of oxygen and lead to increased danger to those around them. With all of this in mind, it becomes easier to understand why these sometimes-strange terms have been implemented and relied upon.

Some Terms You Can Expect in an EMCARE Fire Fighting Training Course

When it comes to the terminology that is used throughout the field of firefighting, there may be some that are more commonly used and easily understood than others. Regardless, it is vitally crucial that each of these terms are committed to memory with a deep understanding of what they mean as each job can be as unpredictable as the last. Going down in alphabetical order, here are just a few of the many different terms that are used and relied upon while fighting fires:

• Accelerant: this is a flammable substance, often seen as a liquid, that is used to increase the size as well as the intensity of fires caused by arsonists. Examples of accelerants include petrol or gasoline, alcohol, paint thinner turpentine, etc.
• Accountability: this is when all emergency responders (including fire fighters, police, medics, etc.) announce themselves to the onsite accountability officer. All of those present and working during the incident are then tracked and accounted for until they are cleared to leave the scene to increase the safety of all personnel.
• Auto extended fire: This is a form of structure fire that emits from windows or other openings, setting the floors and materials above aflame in the process
• Backfiring: a tactic that is used to attack wildfires indirectly. By intentionally creating fires within the control lines that can be easily extinguished in a more controlled environment, the original wildfire becomes unable to spread past the control line and wreak more havoc.
• Bank down: this is when smoke begins to fill the room in the midst of a fire. While flowing down onto the ground, different layers of heat and smoke at different temperatures are created, with the coolest being at the bottom.
• Bus: simply just another term for an ambulance.
• Charge a hose: only attended to on the scene after the hose has been deployed, this is a technique that is used to provide the hose with enough water pressure during the final stages of preparation before it is used.
• Collapse zone: An area within a burning structure that would collect debris if the structure itself were to collapse.
• Company: This is a group of two or more firefighters that are organized and grouped together as a team while being led by a single fire officer. Each member is equipped to perform their own duties and context-specific functions. This is often compared to platoons and units in the army.
• Direct attack: This is a form of attack that sees the fire fighters deal with the fire directly, often seen in the form of hoses being brought to quench the fire inside of the burning structure. * Discharge flow: How much water is seen flowing from a fire hydrant once opened. Often compared to residual and static flow.
• Drills: Treated as real scenarios, drills are fire fighting training sessions that simulate dangerous situations that trainees are required to go through in the correct steps of handling and dealing with the situation.
• Engine: This is short for fire truck, a vehicle that is designed to transport fire fighters and their equipment while also being equipped to suppress the fire itself. By coming with a firehose and a large but limited supply of water, a fire truck is able to subdue flames that may otherwise be too large for even a team of well-trained fire fighters.
• Evolution: This is a sequence that is performed step by step by a company of fire fighters, where common tasks are completed in order to provide a greater degree of predictability and efficiency in times of emergency. These tasks include placing ladders in their correct areas, stowing hoses away in their hose bed, following the correct pattern when placing hoses and tools into service, etc.
• Explorer: A young adult, aged between 14 to 21, who is still getting to know the ropes of their fire fighting training course.
• FDC: Otherwise referred to as the "Fire Department Connection", this is where the pumping apparatus is able to hook onto a building's standpipe or sprinkler system.
• Fire flow: This refers to the amount of water that is needed in order to subdue a flame, as even an ordinary fire will not be put out unless there is enough water to reduce the flame's heat.
• Fire watch: Moving or fixed groups that are meant to sound the alarms and raise awareness in the event of any signs of fires or other hazards appearing during a lookout.
• Grease fire: this relates to a fire that involves any form of cooking oil or lubricant that is flammable. These forms part of the B, F, and K classes of fire.
• Goer: An incident that is confirmed to have persons involved in one way or another.
• HAZMAT: These refer to solid, liquid, or gaseous materials that are hazardous and can lead to injuries, damage or even death if triggered or released.
• High-rise building: This is a building that is 4 stories high or more, which would require a company of fire fighters to climb stairs or aerial ladders in order to reach the higher floors.
• Hotshot crew: A crew of well-trained and highly experienced fire fighters that specialize in suppressing wildfires without the need for external support. These crews usually consist of roughly 20 people or so.

As you can tell, there are countless different terms that are commonly used throughout the field of fire fighting, with the above examples only being the very tip of the iceberg. This may seem like an overwhelming amount of different context-specific terms, but rest assured that these terms can and will be used with efficiency and precision as if it were second nature with the right training by your side. This is exactly where EMCARE's fire fighting training course can help.

Why Choose EMCARE Over Other Fire Fighting Training Courses?

Since our founding in 1997, EMCARE and its ever-growing number of specialized courses within general health and safety training have become revered and widely sought after throughout South Africa. Our wide range of different courses have allowed tens of thousands of individuals to pursue and excel in their chosen fields, providing them with the foundational knowledge that is needed in order to protect themselves and their livelihoods, as well as individuals and the environment around them. The training courses that we provide throughout the country include:

• First Aid Levels 1 - 3
• Emergency Care
• Health Care
• Rescue and Fire Fighting Training
• HAZMAT
• Health and Safety
• Emergency Evacuation
• Height Safety
• Working at Heights
• CPD Point Refresher

For those of you that are looking to enrol yourself into a fire fighting training course but are not sure of where to start, or are wary of enrolling into a training academy that does not provide you with all the theoretical and practical knowledge within fire fighting, then EMCARE may be the place for you. This is because we provide our trainees with all courses that are necessary in order to excel within this career from the moment of graduation. Our fire fighting training courses include:

• Basic Fire Awareness Course (BFP)
• Basic Fire Fighting Course (BF1)
• Advanced Fire Fighting Course (AFF)
• Fire Fighter 1 SP and HAZMAT Awareness SP Course (FF1)
• Fire Fighter 1 SP and HAZMAT Operations SP Course (FF2)
• Hazardous Material Handling Course (HMH)

Our fire fighting courses each consist of their own durations, with our shortest consisting of only half a day of training through our BFP course, and our longest consisting of 9 weeks of training through our FF1 course. Despite this, each of these courses come included with A4 certificates, learner manuals, training as well as presentational equipment too. Certificates also remain valid for 2 years following your graduation. To get your qualifications today, simply click the "Contact Us" button found at the top of this very webpage to get into contact with an EMCARE consultant today!