LearnTheLingo

When called on the scene of an emergency, a fire may not be visible. Regardless, our firefighters may “pull” a hose proactively to ensure they’re always ready to go. But why do that if there is no fire visibly present? We do this as a best practice to quickly minimize damage in case a fire is found. Our firefighters still need to be able to respond at a moment’s notice and ensure that water can be deployed to combat a fire that could rapidly develop. This protocol helps support the department’s mission of saving lives and minimizing property damage or…

Fire. It seems to appear out of nowhere, but the damage can be lasting. The worst time to think about fire safety is when you’re facing one. Do you know how to operate a fire extinguisher? At home or at work, do you know where your extinguisher is — right now? And if you don’t have one, do you know what type you need? If you ever find yourself needing to use a fire extinguisher, the best thing you can be is prepared. Small fires can still be a big deal. The difference between whether or not a small fire becomes…

Some of the most recognizable firefighter equipment includes our fire hoses, axes, and our protective gear. But have you ever heard of the Halligan tool? Created by New York Fire Department First Deputy Chief Hugh Halligan in 1948, his namesake tool has since become a multipurpose piece of standard firefighting equipment nationwide. The Halligan tool is used for striking down barriers, prying open windows and doors, breaking locks, and more to ensure that firefighters can rescue anyone trapped within a burning structure. 77 years after Deputy Chief Halligan’s original prototype, the Halligan tool is a standard piece of our department’s…

We recently asked you what the definition of the term “Two on a Thief” is. And no, the “thief” in this instance isn’t going after a big bag of money. It’s going after H2O! When fighting fires, personnel will sometimes connect two hose lines to an appliance called "a water thief,” which then redirects or divides the volume of water as needed to respond to a growing fire. This officially creates “Two on a Thief!” Thank you for playing and we’ll see you next time for #LearntheLingo!

Hello, Gwinnett! It’s time for yet another round of #LearntheLingo! This week, the term is “Two on a Thief.” With no online aid or help from others, tell us what you believe “Two on a Thief” means in the comments section. "Two on a Thief" in a fire department context likely refers to a firefighting manifold or water thief which allows firefighters to divide one large water source into multiple smaller ones to supply multiple hose lines. Thanks for playing and best of luck!

Commonly Used Fire Department Terminology : Air Attack: Fixed-wing aircraft that directs air tanker drops on a wildland fire. The air attack orbits above all air tankers and helicopters and serves as an “eye in the sky” over the incident. The air attack includes the pilot and the air attack supervisor, and communicates directly with the ground Incident Commander and other aircraft assigned to the incident, including media helicopters. Air Tanker: Fire retardant-dropping, fixed-wing aircraft. Air tankers are “typed” similar to engines, based upon the needs and capability of the incident. Backfire: A fire set along the inner edge of…

Trash Line :  A Trash Line is a short hose that firefighters use for small fires like dumpster fires, car fires, and brush fires. Firefighters can quickly access the trash line from the front bumper of their fire engine. How trash lines are used Trash lines are typically 100 feet long and 1¾ inches in diameter.  They are stored in the hose trays in the front bumper, on the side running boards, or in the compartments.  Firefighters can deploy the trash line directly from the tray or pull out sections of the line.  Why are trash lines used? Trash lines are…

                                                                       Glossary of Fire Department Terms Aerial operation – means master streams flowing from elevated locations, generally the tips of aerial ladders or platforms during defensive operations. All clear – means that a primary search has been conducted and nothing was found. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta – these terms are used to designate the sides of a structure. Generally speaking, the “alpha” side is the front…

Gwinnett County, it’s once again time to #LearntheLingo! This week’s term is “Hookin’ & Lookin’,” which means using a tool called a "hook" or a "Sheetrock puller" to physically pull down sheet rock in a home or structure that is on fire. Once pulled down, County firefighters then look for fire that may be behind the sheetrock and hidden in the studs or void spaces of a home. We look forward to sharing more Fire and Emergency Services terminology in the weeks to come!