Fire Safety Glossary

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Access room – A room through which the only escape route from an inner room passes.
Accommodation stairway – A stairway, additional to that required for means of escape purposes provided for the convenience of occupants
AFA – Automatic Fire Alarm
AFD – Automatic fire detection system A means of automatically detecting the products of a fire and sending a signal to a fire warning system. See ‘Fire warning’.
ALARP – As low as reasonably practicable Is a concept where risks should continue to be reduced until you reach a point where the cost and effort to reduce the risk further would be grossly disproportionate to the benefit achieved.
Alterations notice – If your premises are considered by the enforcing authority to be high risk, they may issue an alterations notice that requires you to inform them before making any material alterations to our premises
Alternative escape route – Escape routes sufficiently separated by either direction and space, or by fire-resisting construction to ensure that one is still available irrespective of the location of a fire.
Approved Document B – (ADB)24 Guidance issued by Government in support of the fire safety aspects of the building regulations.
BA – Breathing Apparatus, provides respiratory protection to wearers in non breathable environments
Backdraft – a rapid deflagration following the introduction of oxygen into a fire compartment filled with accumulated unburnt fuel.
Basement – A storey with a floor which at some point is more than 1,200mm below the highest level of ground adjacent to the outside walls, unless, and for escape purposes only, such area has adequate, independent and separate means of escape.
BCP - Business Continuity Program
BV – Best Value
BVPI – Best Value Performance Indicator
BVPP – Best Value Performance Plan
CACFOA – Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association
CAFFS – Compressed Foam Fire Fighting System
CBRN – Chemical Biological Radiological, Nuclear
CFOA – Chief Fire Officers Association
CFRMIS – Community Fire Risk Management Information System
Chimney Effect – upward thrust of smoke and hot gases by convection currents confined within a vertical enclosure
CHIP – Chemical Hazard Information and Packaging
CIMAH – Control of Industrial major Accident Hazards replaced by COMAH in April 1999
CIPFA – Chartered Institute of Public Finance Association
COMAH – Control of Major Accident Hazards
Combustible or combustibles – capable of undergoing combustion
Combustion – reaction of a substance with oxygen with release of heat generally accompanied by flaming and/or glowing and/or emission of smoke
Compartment wall and/or floor – A fire-resisting wall or floor that separates one fire compartment from another.
Competent person – A person with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them properly to assist in undertaking the preventive and protective measures.
COSH – Control of Substances to Health Regulations Association
CPA – Comprehensive Performance Assessment
CPD – Continuous personal Development
CSMT – Community Safety Management Team (replaced by Community Safety Forum)
CSP – Community Safety Plan
CSU – Command Support Unit
DAM – Duty Area Manager
Dangerous substance – A substance which because of its physico-chemical or chemical properties and the way it is used or is present at the workplace creates a risk. Or A substance subject to the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).
DCLG – Department for Communities and Local Government
DDA – Disability Discrimination Act
Dead end – Area from which escape is possible in one direction only.
DEFRA – Department for Environmental Food and Rural Affairs
DESPI – Dorset Emergency Services Partnership Initiative
DESSG – Dorset Emergency Services Strategic Group
DFA – Dorset Fire Authority
DFSO – Duty Fire Safety Officer
Direct distance – The shortest distance from any point within the floor area to the nearest storey exit, or fire-resisting route, ignoring walls, partitions and fixings.
Domestic premises – Premises occupied as a private dwelling, excluding those areas used in common by the occupants of more than one such dwelling.
DOSE - Dictionary of Substances and their Effects
DRFA – Dorset Fire and Rescue Association
DSE – Display Screen Equipment
EA – Environment Agency
EDSG – Equality and Diversity Steering Group
EFCP – Equality and Fairness Capital programmed
Emergency escape lighting – Lighting provided to illuminate escape routes that will function if the normal lighting fails.
Enforcing authority – The fire and rescue authority or any other authority specified in Article 25 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
ER – Employer Relations
Escape route – Route forming that part of the means of escape from any point in the premises to a final exit.
Escape Time – calculated time from ignition until the time at which all the occupants of a specified part of a building are able to reach a place of safety
Evacuation lift – A lift that may be used for the evacuation of people with disabilities, or others, in a fire.
Evacuation Time – interval between the time of a warning of fire being transmitted to the occupants and the time at which all of the occupants are able to reach a place of safety
External escape stair – Stair providing an escape route, external to the building.
FAB – Fire Accounting and Budgetary (systems)
Fail-safe – Locking an output device with the application of power and having the device unlock when the power is removed. Also known as fail unlock, reverse action or power locked.
False alarm – A fire signal, usually from a fire warning system, resulting from a cause other than fire.
FBU – Fire Brigades Union
FDP – Firefighter Development Programme
FDR – Fire Damage Reports
FEMIS – Fleet & Equipment Management Information System
FESS – Fire and Emergency Support Service
FFS – Formula Funding Share
Final exit – An exit from a building where people can continue to disperse in safety and where they are no longer at danger from fire and/or smoke.
FINDS – Fire Information National Database System
Fire – a process of combustion characterised by the emission of heat accompanied by smoke and/or flame
Fire Behaviour – all the physical and chemical changes which take place when materials and elements of building construction are exposed to the destructive action of fire
Fire compartment – A building, or part of a building, constructed to prevent the spread of fire to or from another part of the same building or an adjoining building.
Fire Compartment – an enclosed space in a building that is separated from all other parts of the building by enclosing construction having a specified period of fire resistance, within which a fire can be contained (or from which a fire can be excluded), without spreading to (or from) another part of the building
Fire door – A door or shutter, together with its frame and furniture, provided for the passage of people, air or goods which, when closed is intended to restrict the passage of fire and/or smoke to a predictable level of performance.
Fire inspector – An inspector or assistant inspector appointed under section 28 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004
Fire resistance -The ability of a component or construction of a building to satisfy, for a stated period of time, some or all of the appropriate criteria of relevant standards. (Generally described as 30 minutes fire-resisting or 60 minutes fire-resisting.) See BS EN 1363-1,46 BS 476-733 and associated standards for further information.
Fire safety manager – A nominated person with responsibility for carrying out day-to-day management of fire safety. (This may or may not be the same as the ‘responsible person’.)
Fire safety strategy – A number of planned and coordinated arrangements designed to reduce the risk of fire and to ensure the safety of people if there is a fire.
Fire stopping – A seal provided to close an imperfection of fit or design tolerance between elements or components, to restrict the passage of fire and smoke.
Fire-warning system – A means of alerting people to the existence of a fire. (See automatic fire detection system.)
Firefighting lift – A lift, designed to have additional protection, with controls that enable it to be used under the direct control of the fire and rescue service when fighting a fire.
Firefighting shaft – A fire-resisting enclosure containing a firefighting stair, fire mains, firefighting lobbies and if provided, a firefighting lift.
Firefighting stairway – See firefighting shaft.
Flammable material – Easily ignited and capable of burning rapidly.
FOI – Freedom of Information
FSC - Fire Service College
FSCA – Fire Services Consultation Association
FSEB – Fire Service Examining Board
FSEC – Fire Service Emergency Cover
FSNB – Fire Service National Benevolent Fund
GIS - Geographical Information System
GOSW – Government Office for the South West
GPMS – Classification General Purpose Memory System
GPS – Global Positioning system
GREY BOOK – Scheme of Conditions of Service
Hazardous substance – 1. See Dangerous substance. 2. A substance subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).
HFRC – Home Fire Risk Check
Highly flammable – Generally liquids with a flashpoint of below 21°C. (The Chemicals Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply Regulations 200247 (CHIP) give more detailed guidance.)
HMFSI – Her Majesty’s Fire Service Inspector
HRMIS – HR Management Information System
HTRG – Hard to Reach Group
IEG – Implementing Electronic Government
IIP – Investors in People
IMD – Indices of Multiple Deprivation
Inner room – A room from which escape is possible only by passing through another room (the access room).
Inner room Inner room – This is not allowed, where a room from which escape is possible only by passing through another two rooms (two access rooms).
IPDS - Integrated Personal Development Scheme
IRMP – Integrated Risk Management Plan
IRU – Incident Response Unit (New Dimensions Vehicle)
ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network
LDP – Leadership and Development Programme
LGS – Local Government Services
Licensed premises – Any premises that require a license under any statute to undertake trade or conduct business activities
LLP - Light Portable Fire Pumps
LSC – Learning Skills Council
LSP – Local Strategic Partnerships
MAFF – Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food
MCA – Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Means of escape – Route(s) provided to ensure safe egress from the premises or other locations to a place of total safety.
MIS – Management Information System
MOSM – Maintenance of Skills Manual
MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
NFS – National Firefighters Selection
NJC – National Joint Councils
NOS – National Occupational Standards
NRPB – National Radiological Protection Board
ODPM – Office of the Deputy Prime Minster (replaced by DCLG)
OEM – Operational Equipment Management
OHS – Occupational Health Service
ONS – Office of National Statistics
PDA – Predetermined Attendance, A Fire and Rescue Service’s standard response to any given incident type i.e. two applinces to a building fire
PDLR – Personal Development and Learning Review
PDPR – Personal Development and Performance Review
PESTEL – Political Economic Social Technological Environmental Legal
PFI – Private Finance Initiative
Phased evacuation – A system of evacuation in which different parts of the premises are evacuated in a controlled sequence of phases, those parts of the premises expected to be at greatest risk being evacuated first.
Place of reasonable safety – A place within a building or structure where, for a limited period of time, people will have some protection from the effects of fire and smoke. This place, usually a corridor or stairway, will normally have a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance and allow people to continue their escape to a place of total safety.
Place of total safety – A place, away from the premises, in which people are at no immediate danger from the effects of a fire.
POT - Principal Officers Team
PPE – Personal Protective Equipment
Premises – Any place, such as a building and the immediate land bounded by any enclosure of it, any tent, moveable or temporary structure or any installation or workplace.
Progressive horizontal evacuation – An escape strategy that allows for the horizontal movement of people, from one fire compartment (protected area) to another, away from the fire.
Protected lobby – A fire-resisting enclosure providing access to an escape stairway via two sets of fire doors and into which no room opens other than toilets and lifts.
Protected route – An escape route which is adequately protected from the rest of the building by fire-resisting construction.
Protected stairway – A stairway which is adequately protected from the rest of the building by fire-resisting construction.
PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network
PTV – Princes Trust Volunteers
RCC – Regional Control Centre
Refuge – A place of reasonable safety in which a disabled person and others who may need assistance may rest or wait for assistance before reaching a place of total safety. It should lead directly to a fire-resisting escape route.
Relevant persons – Any person lawfully on the premises and any person in the immediate vicinity, but does not include firefighters carrying out firefighting duties.
Responsible person – The person ultimately responsible for fire safety as defined in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005:
RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
RMB – Regional management Board
RoSPA – Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
RPO – Regulatory Reform Order
RTA – Road Traffic Accident
RTC - Road Traffic Collision
RTIC – Road Traffic Collision Instructor
RTIX – Station Based Training (e log) System
SDPG – Service Delivery Protection Group
Self-closing device – A device that is capable of closing the door from any angle and against any latch fitted to the door.
SEMD – Securities Emergency Measures Directions
SEOPAP – South East Operational Policies and Procedures
SHQ – Station Head Quarters
Significant Finding – A feature of the premises, from which the fire hazards and persons at risk are identified. The actions you have taken or will take to remove or reduce the chance of a fire occurring or the spread of fire and smoke. The actions people need to take in case of fire. The necessary information, instruction and training needed and how it will be given.
SIM (1, 2 & 3) - Levels Supervisory Incident Management
SIS - Service Information System
Smoke Alarm – Device containing within one housing all the components, except possibly the energy source, for detecting smoke and giving an audible alarm.
SMT – Strategic Management Team
SOLACE – Society Local Authority Chief Executives
SPOC – Senior Point of Contact
Staged fire alarms – A fire warning which can be given in two or more stages for different purposes within a given area (i.e. notifying staff, stand by to evacuate, full evacuation).
Storey exit – A final exit or a doorway giving direct access into a protected stairway, firefighting lobby, or external escape route.
SWOT – Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
TIG – Training Implementation Group
TNA – Training Needs Analysis
Travel distance – The actual distance to be travelled by a person from any point within the floor area to the nearest storey exit or final exit, having regard to the layout of walls, partitions and fixings.
TRIM – Trauma Risk Management
TSG – Training Strategy Group
Tutis – Latin term for Safe, Ptotected & Secure
UKAEA – United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UPS – Uninterrupted Power supply
VECTOR – Computer Simulation of an Operational Incident for Training Purposes
Vision Panel – A transparent panel in a wall or door of an inner room enabling the occupant to become aware of a fire in the access area during the early stages.