100+ Common Fire Service Acronyms to Help Your Students in the Field
As seasoned fire service professionals know, there are many acronyms and abbreviations used in all aspects of a fire career. Whether these acronyms are used in reference to specific equipment, operational roles, or simply for relevant organization names, mastering these shorthand phrases takes time and practice. To help your students in the field, we have put together a list of 100+ fire service acronyms that can be referenced as they begin to navigate the complex terminology used in the fire service.
- AAR: After Action Review
- AC: Assistant Chief
- ACLS: Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- AEMT: Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
- AGL: Above Ground Level
- AHJ: Authority Having Jurisdiction
- ALS: Advanced Life Support
- AMLS: Advanced Medical Life Support
- ARFF: Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting
- ATLS: Advanced Trauma Life Support
- BC: Battalion Chief
- BLS: Basic Life Support
- CDC: Centers for Disease Control
- CFO: Chief Fire Officer
- CRM: Crew Resource Management
- CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- DL: Distance Learning
- DNR: Do Not Resuscitate
- DOA: Dead on Arrival
- DOT: Department of Transportation
- DPS: Department of Public Safety
- ED: Emergency Department
- EFO: Executive Fire Officer
- EGH: Everybody Goes Home
- EMS: Emergency Medical Services
- EMT: Emergency Medical Technician
- EMT-B: EMT-Basic
- EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
- ePCR: Electronic Patient Care Report
- ETA: Estimated Time of Arrival
- ETD: Estimated Time of Departure
- ETE: Estimated Time En Route
- EVOC: Emergency Vehicle Operator Course
- FADO: Fire Apparatus Driver Operator
- FC: Fire Chief
- FD: Fire Department or Fire District
- FDIC: Fire Department Instructors Conference (annual conference)
- FDSOA: Fire Department Safety Officers Association
- FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
- FESHE: Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education
- FF: Fire Fighter
- FPO: Fire Prevention Officer
- FRI: Fire-Rescue International (annual conference)
- HazMat: Hazardous Materials
- HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
- IAAI: International Association of Arson Investigators
- IABPFF: International Association of Black Professional Firefighters
- IAFC: International Association of Fire Chiefs
- IAFF: International Association of Fire Fighters
- IAP: Incident Action Plan
- IC: Incident Commander or Incident Commander
- ICS: Incident Command System
- IFSAC: International Fire Service Accreditation Congress
- IMS: Incident Management System
- ISFSI: International Society of Fire Service Instructors
- ISO: Incident Safety Officer
- JPR: Job Performance Requirements
- LODD: Line of Duty Death
- Lt.: Lieutenant
- MAC: Multi-Agency Coordination (or Command)
- MCI: Mass Casualty Incident
- MPH: Miles Per Hour
- MVA: Motor Vehicle Accident
- MVC: Motor Vehicle Collision
- NEC: National Electrical Code
- NFA: National Fire Academy
- NFC: National Fire Codes
- NFFF: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
- NFIRS: National Fire Incident Reporting System
- NFPA: National Fire Protection Association
- NHTSA: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NIMS: National Incident Management System
- NIOSH: National Institute of Safety and Health
- NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology
- NP: Nozzle Pressure
- NPS: National Park Service
- NREMT: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
- NTSB: National Transportation Safety Board
- NVFC: National Volunteer Fire Council
- OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- PALS: Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- PEPP: Pediatric Education for Prehospital Providers
- PCR: Patient Care Report
- PD: Police Department
- PHTLS: Prehospital Trauma Life Support
- PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
- PIO: Public Information Officer
- PSA: Public Service Announcement
- PSG: Public Safety Group, a Jones & Bartlett Learning Brand
- PTA: Prior to Arrival
- RIC: Rapid Intervention Crew
- RM: Risk Management
- SA: Situational Awareness
- SFM: State Fire Marshal
- SME: Subject Matter Expert
- SOB: Shortness of Breath
- SOP: Standard Operating Procedure
- TC: Traffic Collision
- TO: Training Officer
- UL: Underwriters Laboratories
- USFA: United States Fire Administration
- USFS: United States Forest Service
- UTL: Unable to Locate
- VFD: Volunteer Fire Department
- WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction
- WUI: Wildland Urban Interface
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Fundamentals of Firefighter Skills and Hazardous Materials Response, Fifth Edition, provides new content that meets the intent of NFPA 1010, 2024 Edition Standard on Professional Qualifications for Firefighters that includes Chapter 6: Firefighter I (NFPA 1001) and Chapter 7: Firefighter II (NFPA 1001).
Instructors: Request More InformationRead more:
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Looking for more ways to help your students prepare for the fire service? Check out this first-hand account of how one fire instructor is helping her students achieve 100% first-time pass rates on their certification exams.
To learn more about how the Public Safety Group can help you reach your unique training goals, please contact your dedicated representative today.