New England Fire News

Abbreviations and Codes

The following are typical abbreviations and codes used by NEFN and Affiliate Dispatchers in our Alerts.

Numbers
123×123 building dimensions
1&1 1 engine and 1 ladder
2&1 2 engines and 1 ladder
2-1.75 two inch and three quarter-inch handlines
E2>E4 Engine 2 covering Engine 4

Special
XXXs lower case “s” indicates plurality
XXX’G indicates action
XXX’D indicates past tense

A

ABDN abandoned
AC Assistant Chief
ADDL additional
ADJ adjacent
ALM alarm
ALS advanced life support
AMB ambulance
APPROX approximately
APT apartment

B
B brush truck or mini-pumper
BTWN between
BC Battalion Chief
BLDG building
BLK block
BLS basic life support
BSMT basement

C
C car or Chief
CIV civilian
CLR clear
CMD Command
COMM commercial
COND condition
CORR correct
CTL control
CTY county

D
D/W/H doubtful will hold (indicates incident will escalate)
DC District, Deputy, or Division Chief
DEF defensive mode
DWLG dwelling

E
E engine
EMS emergency medical service
EN RTE en route
ENG engine
EQV equivalent
EVAC evacuate
EXP exposure
EXT extension/extended/extensive
EXTR exterior

F
F/I fully involved
FC Field Communications Unit
FD fire department
FF firefighter
FLR floor
FM Fire Marshal
FMO Fire Marshal’s Office
FRM frame
FS fire station

G
GAL gallons
GSW gun shot wound

H
H/L hoseline or handline
H2O water
HELO helicopter
HL CFP Hot Line
HM haz-mat
HOSP hospital
HVY heavy

I
IC Incident Command
INJ injury
INT interior
INV fire investigator

K
K tanker/tender

L
L ladder
L/P ladder pipe
L/S/O hose lines stretched and operating
L/T life threatening injuries
LAD ladder
LDH large diameter hose
LEO law enforcement officer
LRG large
LZ landing zone

M
M medic
M/A mutual aid
MCI mass casualty incident (6+ injuries)
mi miles (distance)
MULT multiple
MVC motor vehicle collision

N
NAT GAS natural gas
NEG negative
NON-L/T non life threatening injuries
nr near
NUM numerous

O
O/A on arrival
O/N overnight
O/O/S Dispatcher out of service
O/S on scene
O/T overturned
OFF offensive mode
OP operation

P
P pumper
P/W/H probably will hold (indicates incident stable)
PAR personnel accountability report
PD police department
PIO Public Information Officer
POSS possible
PRI primary search
PVT private
PROB problem
PROG progress

Q
Q quint

R
R rescue
RED+ Red Cross
REQ request
RES rescue
RESD residential
RESP respond
RIT Rapid Intervention Team
RPT report
RRT Regional Response Team

S
S/C special call
SEC secondary search
SEV severe
SEVL several
SHWG showing
SMK smoke
SNKL Snorkel
SO Sheriff’s Office
SQ squad
SRCH search
STY story
SUBJ subject
SVC service

T
T truck
T/L tower ladder
T/T tractor trailer
TL tower ladder unit designation
TRK truck

U
UNKN unknown
USAR urban search and rescue

V
VAC vacant
VAR various
VEH vehicle

W
w/ with
WD wood
WRHSE warehouse
WX weather

X
X-FRM across from
XMIT transmit
XPORT transport
X-ST cross street

Y
y/o years old