Glossary of terms

This page gives an alphabetical list of some of the common terms, acronyms and abbreviations used by Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

ACO - Acting Chief Officer

AM - Area Manager

An area manager is responsible for heading a directorate in the organisation. Will take charge of an incident of up to nine pumps or undertake specialist tasks as support at an incident.

APFO - Association of Principal Fire Officers

ARU - Animal Rescue Unit

Based at Faversham, the Animal Rescue Unit (ARU) was introduced in mid 2003. Since this time the crews have rescued a large variety of large animals. (Large animals being sheep, cattle, horses and wild animals of comparable size).

They carry the following equipment for rescues:

3 3 metre mud paths and ancillary equipment
Life jackets
Buoyancy aids
Throwing lines and winches
Variety of slings from 1 to 3 metres in length
Halters
Ground anchor
Cow harness and cow net
Dry suits and body armour
Disinfectant and cleaning equipment

The ARU has excellent 4x4 off road capability and its crane can lift three tonnes at two metres and 300kg at its maximum extension of 12 metres. The crane also has a winch fitted with a cable length of 38 metres and the capacity to lift 1.2 tonnes.

When the ARU is mobilised, the crew is sent along with a support fire appliance and crew.

ALP - Aerial Ladder Platform

Rescue and firefighting operations which involve high-rise buildings often require a turntable ladder (TL) or hydraulic aerial ladder platform (ALP). In addition to the role of rescuing people from high buildings, one of the other main roles the ALP is used for is high level application of water or foam at a fire. Other uses include lifting, floodlighting, bridging, and scene surveillance.

B

BA - Breathing Apparatus

C

CAA - Comprehensive Area Assessment

Comprehensive Area Assessment, or CAA, is a new way of assessing local public services in England. It examines how well councils are working together with other public bodies to meet the needs of the people they serve. It's a joint assessment made by a group of six independent watchdogs.

CAFS - Compressed Air Foam System

Compressed Air Foam Systems (CAFS) were introduced into service in early 2008. It is designed to minimise the environmental impact of fire fighting and to improve crew safety.

Traditionally, firefighters use large quantities of water to extinguish fires. The adverse affects of which include: the impact it can have on water supplies; it creates steam which in turn causes more damage to property; the contaminated water √írun off√ì from fires has the potential to enter water courses, causing further damage to the environment.

With the CAF system, fire crews are able to mix very small amounts of foam with compressed air and water to make a large quantity of wet or dry foam to fight fires.

When used, the foam sticks to the material that is on fire, immensely reducing the possibility of √írun off√ì from entering water courses. It also has less surface tension than water, so is quickly absorbed, suppressing and cooling fires faster than traditional techniques.

There are several benefits to investing in such equipment:

Because the foam extinguishes fires much faster than using water, we can minimise crews exposure to fumes therefore improving their safety.
KFRS is then able to release appliances and firefighters from the scene of an incident much sooner, enabling the service to respond to other incidents.
In addition, because it uses considerably less water than normal, it vastly reduces the detrimental effects a fire can have on local surroundings.

CBRN - Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear

CFO - Chief Fire Officer

The CFO is head of the organisation and also the Chief Executive of Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority. Will take charge of an incident when Gold Command is set up.

CFOA - Chief Fire Officers' Association

CFOA is a professional membership association and a registered charity, which has been representing the Fire Service and the communities they serve for more than 60 years.

Association provides independent and valuable advice to government on fire prevention, protection and intervention issues as well as on a wide range of community safety and rescue matters.

Membership is made up from a strong blend of both uniformed and non-uniformed staff.

CLG - Communities and Local Government

Communities and Local Government sets policy on local government, housing, urban regeneration, planning and fire and rescue.

CM - Crew Manager

A crew manager is likely to lead a small team on a specific task but can take charge of incidents involving up to 3 pumping appliances.

Co-responders

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) joined South East Coast Ambulance Trust's Co-responding Scheme in 2004 and the partnership now operates in the Eastchurch, Dymchurch, Hoo, Eastry, Edenbridge and Paddock Wood communities.

As well as answering calls to fires, road traffic collisions and other rescue incidents, firefighters in the areas above respond to life-threatening medical emergencies through the co-responding scheme, which was set up to assist the ambulance service in remote or isolated areas that can be hard to reach.

As part of the scheme, the firefighters have volunteered to extend their existing first-aid training to the use of equipment, such as defibrillators, which can give people a better chance of surviving potentially fatal heart attacks. They also carry oxygen and are trained in basic life-support skills.

Regular training and maintenance of the equipment by South East Coast Ambulance Trust ensures that these life-saving tools and skills are kept up to date so firefighters can provide care in the vital minutes before ambulance crews arrive at the scene.

When we receive a co-responder call, KFRS sends a crew of two trained co-responders in a light vehicle suitable for emergency response work. In every case, an ambulance is also sent at the same time as the fire crew.

South East Coast Ambulance Trust in Kent now has 750 community, co-responders or user groups trained to use defibrillators.

CS - Community Safety

People are very familiar with the emergency services which Kent Fire and Rescue Service provides as our stations and fire engines are highly visible. However, over recent years we have invested a lot in community safety, helping to make the area one of the safest in the country. Over the last year alone we have given safety education to 96,000 young people and carried out 14,000 home safety visits.

There are some key areas which we want to tackle including reducing the number of deaths in road traffic collisions; more people are killed or injured on roads in Kent and Medway than in house fires.

Older people are another growing group in the community who are more at risk. A large proportion of those that died in house fires last year were older people living alone. We are therefore working with social services and other agencies to identify where these vulnerable people live so that we can offer them free smoke alarms and fire safety advice.

CSU - Command Support Unit

D

DIM - Detection, Identification, Monitoring

Funding for DIM vehicles and equipment has been provided through the Mass Decontamination Capability of the Communities and Local Government√ïs New Dimension Programme.

Their role is to support the mass decontamination sector of a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incident.

The vehicles and equipment are provided to enable:

Detection of a range of chemical or radiological hazardous substances
Identification of hazardous substances whether chemical biological or radiological
Monitoring of the levels of contamination present to establish and maintain cordons.

All DIM Advisors are qualified HAZMAT officers. They have been provided with further training on each of the specific items of equipment carried.

Among the equipment carried on the DIM vehicle are special machines to identify chemicals and gases. Key features include:

It only needs a small sample, it will analyse a powder, liquid or paste sample the size of a pinhead.
Compares sample against onboard libraries with 5,000 entries √ê inc. explosives, narcotics, CWA, TIC, common white powders, solvents, agrochemicals, mineral acids.

DIM vehicles have been strategically placed across the UK and may be mobilised regionally, pan regionally or nationally. KFRS√ïs DIM vehicle is based in Maidstone and is crewed by specially trained staff.

As an addition, DIM Advisors may be available for hazardous materials incidents where they can provide a greater degree of safety for personnel through confirmation of effective cordoning and early identification of the hazardous substances involved.

Advice will be available to the FRS Incident Commander and to the other agencies involved which may include the police, ambulance service and the Environment Agency.

F

FBU - Fire Brigades Union

The Fire Brigades Union represents over 85% of the uniformed staff in the UK fire and service. Members are frontline public service workers - covering the roles of Firefighter to Area Manager, including emergency fire control staff and firefighters working the retained duty system.

FIRT - Fire Investigation and Research Team

To tackle fire-related crime in our county, we have a dedicated team of experts who examine the causes of a fire and help to identify dangerous products and practices. They also, in case of deliberate fires, provide evidence to assist the Police in catching and prosecuting those responsible.

The Fire investigation Team normally attends any incident where it is suspected that a fire has been started maliciously. They examine and record the scene, collecting evidence of any ignitable liquids such as petrol, paraffin or white spirit which may have been used to start or accelerate the fire. If evidence of arson is collected, they will then work with the police and other partners to help convict the culprits involved.

Ff - Firefighter

Firefighters undergo rigorous training equipping them to rescue people from a large variety of emergency incidents including fires, road, rail and air traffic accidents, lift and machinery entrapments, floods and toxic emissions.

Flex Pack

A back pack with capacity to hold water and a hose enabling firefighters to access more remote outdoor areas to extinguish small grass fires and hot spots.

FRA - Fire and Rescue Authority

FRS - Fire and Rescue Service

G

GM - Group Manager

A group manager undertakes specialist duties in a number of different disciplines such as fire safety, operations and training.

H

HAZMAT - Hazardous materials

HSE - Health and Safety Executive

HV - Height Vehicle

HVP - High Volume Pump

Under the New Dimensions programme, Kent Fire and Rescue Service has been identified as one of a number of strategically located Fire and Rescue Services to be allocated a High Volume Pump (HVP).

The HVP is intended to enhance the Services resilience to a variety of incidents where the ability to move large volumes of water is required.

These include:

Natural flooding - flooding is an increasing problem and causes widespread disruption and damage to areas affected. This can often affect a large number of locations simultaneously. The HVPs may be used to enhance the ability of the FRS to assist in mitigating the effects of flooding, working together with other agencies.
Deliberate flooding - it is recognised that there is a risk of deliberate acts being carried out to instigate flooding.
Firefighting - HVPs can enhance the existing capacity to pump high volumes of water for firefighting at a variety of incident types.

As a New Dimensions Programme appliance the HVP is available for mobilising both within and outside the county as required. It is stationed at Whitstable fire station. The HVP is capable of delivering up to 8,000 litres of water per minute.

I

IRU - Incident Response Unit

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has two of the country's 82 Incident Response Units that form part of the UK resilience programme, along with Urban Search and Rescue and other specialist equipment.

The unit has the capability to decontaminate or shower large numbers of people who may have been involved in a release of a harmful substance such as diesel, petrol, asbestos, chemical leak from factory, or in extreme circumstances chemicals deliberately released.

The responsibility for decontaminating people lies with the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAmb), but when large numbers of people need to be decontaminated they will ask us to assist by calling out the Incident Response Unit.

Our IRU will work alongside additional structures that are manned by SECAmb staff, the type and style of decontamination will be assessed by SECAmb and the tents set up accordingly. The fire service will manage the tent for walking casualties and the more clinical cases will be dealt with by SECAmb.

IRMP - Integrated Risk Management Plan

Our Integrated Risk Management Plan sets out our strategy to identify and manage fire risks and other emergencies faced by the communities we serve in Kent and Medway. The plan also details our targets and standards so we can continuously improve as a fire service, reduce the number and severity of fires and other incidents and achieve best value for local council taxpayers.

K

KMFRA - Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority

The fire authority is responsible for the overall Corporate Governance of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, including its strategic direction, setting its budget, establishing goals for management and monitoring the achievement of those goals. To help carry out these responsibilities the authority has set up various committees and panels with specific remits.

KFRS - Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for delivering fire and rescue services to more than 1.6 million people in Kent and Medway, from 66 fire stations and 4 fire safety offices.

With more than 400km (250 miles) of motorway and major trunk roads, Kent Fire and Rescue Service is used to dealing with a huge range of hazardous and dangerous incidents every day.

More than 225km (139 miles) of coastline, inland waterways and the busiest sea channel in the world means Kent Fire and Rescue Service works closely with HM Coastguard and the Royal Air Force when called upon to deal with off-shore ship fires and rescues. Firefighters also get called upon to help with many smaller incidents on our inland waterways and the Thames Estuary.

The White Cliffs at Dover present their own unique challenge each time the service's line rescue team is called out to pluck people to safety.

Kent and Medway also has a diverse range of industries including paper-making factories, processing plants, nuclear power generators and other potentially hazardous businesses.

L

LAA - Local Area Agreement

Local Area Agreements (LAAs) set out the priorities for a local area agreed between central government and a local area (the local authority and Local Strategic Partnership) and other key partners at the local level.

LAAs are about what sort of place you want to live in. They set out the local priorities that will make your town, city or community a better place to be; they have been negotiated between all the main public sector organisations in your area, your local authority and central Government.

LFT - Live Fire Training

LGA - Local Government Association

Based in Westminster, close to the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall, the LGA is a voluntary lobbying organisation, acting as the voice of the local government sector, and an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf.

LR - Line Rescue

The line rescue unit, based at Deal, is crewed by a team of qualified, competent rope rescue operators. The unit provides a rescue capability to enable our trained operators to gain access to confined and or difficult places and to perform rescues from height.

M

MD - Mass Decontamination

Mass Decontamination is the decontamination of large numbers of people, in the event of industrial, accidental, or intentional contamination by toxic, infective, caustic, polluted, or otherwise unhealthful or damaging substances.

MIRG - Maritime Incident Response Group

The Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) consists of 15 local authority fire and rescue service teams working in partnership with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to provide an emergency fire and chemical incident response to ships at sea.

The teams are all made up of approximately 50 firefighters and officers who are specially trained and equipped to work safely at Sea. The Kent team - based at Thanet fire station - are usually transported out to the vessel requesting assistance by Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopters or other support ships. The incidents they attend are co-ordinated by the MCA from the nearest Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC). The MRCC task the nearest MIRG team and source the nearest and most appropriate transport to get the firefighters to the scene. The MIRG scheme has operated since April 2006 when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the MCA, John Astbury, and thc chief fire officers from the fire and rescue services that provide the staff and support for the 15 teams.

N

ND - New Dimensions

The New Dimension project supplies equipment and procedures to enhance the capability of the fire and rescue service to respond to a range of incidents and is one of three projects under Communities and Local Government's Fire and Resilience Programme.

The New Dimension project was established following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre. It provides the fire and rescue service with equipment, procedures and training to respond to a range of threats including:

Terrorist CBRN threats
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear incidents
Industrial and domestic accidents
Chemical spills and collapsed buildings
Natural disasters
Floods and earthquakes
Government investing in the fire and rescue service

The government has invested considerable resources to deliver new equipment, training and procedures to the fire and rescue service (FRS) to enhance national capabilities. To date over ¬£200m along with additional on-going revenue costs has been invested.

On 28 July 2008 Communities and Local Government announced future funding amounting to ¬£80m over the next three years to enable the FRS to continue to deliver New Dimension capability, along with confirmation of a 16 year maintenance contract worth ¬£100m, for the New Dimension equipment.

P

PPV Fans - Positive Pressure Ventilation Fans

Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) fans are designed to minimise the environmental impact of fire fighting and to improve crew safety. They were introduced into service at KFRS in early 2008.

The PPV fans are used to increase pressure inside fire hit buildings which, subsequently, drive out heat, smoke, gases and other products of combustion.

The fan typically provides a flow of cool, fresh air into a building, making it much safer for firefighters who may have to enter a building to tackle the fire within or if they had to rescue people trapped inside.

R

RCC - Regional Control Centre

Fire and rescue authorities across the country are being required by the Government to set up Regional Control Centres to deal with 999 calls.

Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority was informed of the decision to base a regional control room in Fareham, Hampshire in 2005.

The authority is complying with the Communities and Local Government (CLG) plans to replace local control rooms with a regional network and will work on the project, together with other fire authorities, through the Regional Management Board Task Group on control rooms.

The existing 46 UK control rooms use a variety of technology and risk management systems. Under FiReControl, nine networked regional control centres will all use the same new technology, systems and processes, and have access to the same information.

RFU - Retained Firefighters' Union

The Retained Firefighters Union (RFU) represents serving personnel within the Retained Duty System (RDS).

RTC - Road Traffic Collision

S

SECAmb - South East Coast Ambulance NHS Trust

SHQ - Service Headquarters

Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters is The Godlands, Straw Mill Hill, Tovil, Maidstone. ME15 6XB.

The KFRS control centre is also based at SHQ.

SM - Station Manager

A station manager will manage one or more fire stations and is responsible for all service delivery matters for that stations(s). Can also undertake specialist duties. Will take charge of an incident of up to 6 pumps or undertake specialist tasks as support at an incident.

SPP - Service Performance Plan

Under the Local Government Act 1999 Local Authorities are required to continually improve the way in which they deliver their services, with regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

Each year Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority (KMFRA) publishes its plans for the coming year, detailing what the Authority plans to do to help deliver improved services to the public. It sets these out in a document called the Service Performance Plan (SPP). The plan also includes details of our performance for the previous year against national and local targets and performance indicators, along with targets for the coming three years.

T

TIC - Thermal Image Camera

A thermal imaging camera is a type of thermographic camera used in firefighting. The cameras allow firefighters to see areas of heat through smoke, darkness, or heat-permeable barriers.

Since thermal imaging cameras can "see" through darkness or smoke, they allow firefighters to quickly find the seat of a fire, or see the heat signature of visually obscured casualty trapped by fire. They can be used to search for casualty√ïs outdoors on a cool night, spot smoldering fires inside a wall, or detect overheating electrical wiring.

TFS - Technical Fire Safety

The role of Technical Fire Safety is to ensure that the fire safety aspects of building design and use are adhered to correctly. Our staff will engage in activities ranging from design stage risk reduction with architects and designers, through to the enforcement of statutory regulations in occupied buildings. In addition Technical Fire Safety Officers offer advice and guidance to building developers, owners and others within the business community in the form of specific advice or with publicity and education campaigns to ensure a clear understanding of, and compliance with, fire safety legislation.

TL - Turntable Ladder

U

USAR - Urban Search and Rescue

Kent Fire and Rescue Service's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team is one of 20 teams set up nationwide as part of the Government√ïs New Dimensions programme, aimed at providing the UK fire and rescue service with the capability to respond to a variety of different incidents including: chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) events, search and rescue scenarios, major flooding and transport incidents.

Based in Maidstone, the 30-strong team has been selected from existing KFRS staff and is trained to use specialist equipment capable of handling a range of major emergencies, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

The team has five modules (used to store a range of equipment) and four lorries - known as prime movers - (to transport the equipment) so that Kent can respond to the full spectrum of rescue needs.

USAR capability includes kit to lift, cut and remove concrete and rubble from collapsed structures along with sophisticated equipment for finding casualties, including special cameras and a search dog.

The tools they use to penetrate reinforced concrete and metal to gain access to casualties and the use of shoring equipment to allow team members to maintain a safe working position during rescues.

They also carry heavy duty cutters, spreaders, shoring and lifting equipment for use at major road traffic collisions

Each USAR team has a four-wheel drive all terrain vehicle (the Bob Cat), to reach areas of disaster sites that would be inaccessible to conventional fire appliances.

W

WM - Watch Manager

A Watch Manager leads larger groups of staff and in the Retained Service will be in charge of a fire station. Will attend incidents as officer in charge of an appliance and will also take command of incidents involving up to 3 pumping appliances. Will also undertake specialist duties such as training or fire safety.

WMU - Water Management Unit

A specialist appliance able to operate as a hose layer with hydraulic hose retrieval system, carrying dams and ground monitors, getting water to scenes of incidents where either the pressure is low or water is scarce.

WU - Water Unit

KFRS has two Water Units. The appliances are mounted on a six wheeled chassis with the rear axle providing additional steering.

The Water Unit tank has a capacity of 14,500 litres of water. The tank can be filled by three different methods

From a pressure fed supply
From an open water source
Directly from an open water source using the Water Unit integral vacuum pump

The Water Unit is a large vehicle which when fully loaded weighs 26 tonnes.

The 14,500 litres of water carried is equivalent to eight normal pumping appliances.

WSU - Water Safety Unit

Appliance equipped for effecting rescues from water and ensuring safety of staff engaged in activities close to water.

Rescue equipment ranges from inflatable paths used on mud and unstable surfaces, to an inflatable stretcher and associated harnesses for pulling people out of the water. There are also swift water rescue packs containing all the equipment required for these sorts of rescues.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service