Fire Safety Glossary
Operation Tools and Commandment Structure
Hi! My name is Olivier Valet and I'm 21 years old. I'm currently a second year student in Fire Safety at Montmorency College, a Higher Educational School in Quebec, Canada. This glossary will certainly help you understand a little bit more about the tools that firefighters use on a daily basis. We tend to use a variety of equipment, so I found 21 words related to the job and wrote their definition. You can also see examples of how to use the word in a sentence, audios of the words, images and translations in French. I want you to read the terms one by one and try to understand the context in which the tools are used and the different grades in an organization.
- fire hydrant
- noun
- A fixture in a street or other public place with a nozzle by which fire hoses may be attached to a water main.
- Example: The firefighter opened the fire hydrant to get water quickly.
- fr: borne d'incendie
- Halligan bar
- noun
- A Halligan bar is a versatile heavy-duty tool used by firefighters and law enforcement for forcible entry into buildings and other emergency operations.
- Example: He pried the door open with the Halligan bar.
- fr: barre Halligan
- ladder truck
- noun
- A ladder truck is a firefighting vehicle, also known as an aerial apparatus, equipped with a long, extendable ladder or platform used for accessing high places, rescue, and ventilation during emergencies.
- Example: The operator used the ladder truck to reach the balcony.
- fr: camion-échelle
- fire hook
- noun
- A fire hook is a long, stout pole with a metal hook or other specialized head used in firefighting to pull down burning structures, open ceilings and walls, ventilate buildings, and probe for hidden fires.
- Example: He used the fire hook to create an opening in the ceiling.
- fr: gaffe
- fire hose
- noun
- A fire hose is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it.
- Example: The pump operator plugged the fire hose to the fire hydrant.
- fr: tuyau d'incendie
- gas detector
- noun
- A gas detector is a device that monitors an environment for the presence and concentration of potentially hazardous or harmful gases, such as toxic, flammable, or oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
- Example: The gas detector was used to detect the quantity of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere.
- fr: détecteur de gaz
- pumper
- noun
- A pumper truck is a type of fire engine, also known as a fire suppression vehicle or engine, designed to pump water and other agents onto fires.
- Example: The pumper was the first truck to arrive on site.
- fr: autopompe
- bunker gear
- noun
- Bunker gear is the specialized, layered personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by firefighters to protect them from the hazards of structural firefighting, including extreme heat, flames, chemicals, and physical dangers.
- Example: The bunker gear protects firefighters from burns.
- fr: habit de combat
- face mask
- noun
- Firefighting face masks protect from the smoke, debris, and embers present in fire operations.
- Example: I put on my face mask before entering the burning building.
- fr: partie faciale
- air cylinder
- noun
- An air tank for a firefighter is the cylinder within a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), which is a critical safety device that provides the firefighter with a personal supply of breathable, compressed air in hazardous, smoke-filled environments.
- Example: He almost used all of the air of his air tank.
- fr: bouteille d'air
- fire nozzle
- noun
- A fire nozzle is a device attached to a fire hose that controls the flow, pressure, and spray pattern of water or other fire-retardant agents to extinguish fires, protect property, and ensure firefighter safety.
- Example: The water was coming out of the fire nozzle.
- fr: lance
- fire extinguisher
- noun
- A fire extinguisher is a portable device, often cylinder-shaped and red, that releases an extinguishing agent like water, foam, dry chemical powder, or carbon dioxide to put out small fires by cooling the fuel, cutting off oxygen, or disrupting the chemical reaction of the flame.
- Example: He used the fire extinguisher to put out the fire.
- fr: extincteur portatif
- sprinkler
- noun
- A device that sprays water installed in the ceilings of a building.
- Example: The sprinkler went off by accident during reparations.
- fr: gicleur
- lieutenant
- noun
- A Fire Lieutenant is a leader within a fire department who supervises a team of firefighters, ensuring they are prepared for emergency situations, follow safety protocols, and maintain their equipment and station.
- Example: The lieutenant gave orders to his crew.
- fr: lieutenant
- captain
- noun
- A Fire Captain is a supervisory officer (a grade above lieutenant) in a fire department who leads a single company or crew during emergencies, managing both on-scene operations and daily station tasks like training, equipment maintenance, and pre-incident planning.
- chief
- noun
- The highest-ranking officer in a fire department responsible for overseeing all firefighting and prevention operations, managing personnel and the budget, developing strategies, and ensuring the overall safety of the community.
- Example: The chief gave a warning to a rookie firefighter.
- fr: chef
- size up
- noun
- A fire size-up is the ongoing, systematic evaluation of information and conditions at an emergency scene to determine the best course of action for suppression and safety.
- Example: The lieutenant did a size up when he arrived at the house.
- fr: reconnaissance
- incident command post
- noun
- An Incident Command Post (ICP) is the primary, physical location on a fire or other incident scene where the Incident Commander (IC) directs and manages all on-scene tactical operations.
- Example: The first officer who arrived on the structure fire was in charge of the incident command post.
- fr: poste de commandement
- first aid kit
- noun
- A first aid kit for a firefighter is a specialized collection of medical supplies and equipment, including trauma dressings, tourniquets, and specialized scissors, designed to provide immediate care for injuries encountered in fire and rescue environments.
- Example: I needed the first aid kit to help the victim.
- fr: trousse de premiers soins
- defibrillator
- noun
- A defibrillator is a medical device that uses an electric shock to stop a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm (like ventricular fibrillation) and allow the heart's natural pacemaker to restore a normal heartbeat.
- Example: The patient had a cardiac arrest so I used the defibrillator on him.
- fr: défibrillateur
- primary search
- noun
- A primary search is a rapid but thorough operation performed by firefighters in a burning structure to quickly locate and rescue any trapped or endangered occupants.
- Example: The firefighters did a primary search on the second floor.
- fr: recherche primaire
