FIRE OUT--This is when all visible flames have been
EXPOSURE RATE (RADIOLOGICAL)--The
amount of ionizing nuclear radiation per unit of
extinguished. Smoldering fires may still be present.
time to which a person, an object, or a system is
FIRE POINT--The temperature at which a fuel will
subjected; the intensity of the radiation.
continue to burn after it has been ignited.
EXPOSURE RATE METER--A RADIAC instru-
FIRE TRIANGLE--Three components are heat, fuel,
ment used to measure radioactive intensity or
and oxygen. Fires are generally controlled and
exposure rate.
extinguished by eliminating one side of the fire
FACEPIECE--That portion of a respirator which
triangle; that is, if you remove either the fuel, heat,
c o v e r s t h e w e a r e r 's n o s e a n d m o u t h i n a
or oxygen, you can prevent or extinguish a fire.
quarter-mask (above the chin) or half-mask (under
FIRE UNDER CONTROL--A fire under control is
the chin) or that covers the nose, mouth and eyes in a
when one or more hose teams are making progress
full facepiece. It is designed to make a gas-tight or
advancing on a fire and the fire is contained in a
particle-tight fit with the face and includes the
single area within a compartment.
headbands, exhalation valve(s), and connections
for an air-purifying device or respirable gas source,
FIREMAIN SYSTEM--Receives water pumped
or both.
from the sea. It distributes this water to fireplugs,
sprinkling systems, flushing systems, machinery
FALLOUT--Radiological contamination formed in a
nuclear surface burst consisting of radioactive
cooling-water systems, washdown systems, and
particles and droplets that fall to the surface after the
other systems as required. The firemain system is
explosion, sometimes many miles away from the
used primarily to supply the fireplug and the
location of the detonation.
sprinkling systems; the other uses of the system are
secondary.
F I R E BA L L -- A b r i l l i a n t l y g l ow i n g s p h e r e o f
extremely hot gases formed by a nuclear explosion.
FISSION--A nuclear reaction in which the nucleus of
an atom of a heavy element splits into the nuclei of
FIRE BOUNDARYMEN--The fire boundarymen set
lighter elements, releasing a tremendous amount of
primary and secondary fire boundaries as directed
energy.
by the repair party leader or fire marshal. They
secure all doors, hatches, and openings in the
FISSIONABLE MATERIAL--Unstable isotopes of
boundary of the fire area. They remove or relocate
heavy elements, such as uranium and plutonium.
combustibles as required. They cool boundaries
They can be caused to fission, or split, when
with hoses as required. They are normally
impacted by free neutrons. They are radioactive,
monitored by and report to the roving investigators.
giving off alpha particles as they decay.
FIRE CONTAINED--When one or more hose teams
FLAMMABLE RANGE/EXPLOSIVE RANGE--
are making progress advancing on a fire and the fire
The range between the smallest and the largest
is contained in a single area within a compartment.
amounts of vapor in a given quantity of air that will
This term means the same as "Fire Under Control"
burn or explode when ignited.
and is used when reporting from the scene to avoid
confusion with the term "Fire Out of Control."
FLASH--The initial extremely bright pulse of light
produced by a nuclear explosion.
FIRE-FIGHTER'S ENSEMBLE--Designed to
protect the fire fighter from short duration flame
FLASHOVER--A flashover is the transition from a
exposure, heat, and falling debris. The components
growing fire to a fully developed fire in which all
o f t h e fi r e - fi g h t e r 's e n s e m b l e i n c l u d e t h e
combustible items in the compartment are involved
fire-fighter's coveralls, antiflash hood, damage
in fire.
control/fire-fighter's helmet, fire-fighter's gloves,
FLASH POINT--The lowest temperature at which a
and fire-fighter's boots.
flammable substance gives off vapors that will burn
FIRE HOSE STATION--A fire hose station is the
when a flame or spark is applied.
location where fireplug and associated equipment
FLATS--Plating or gratings installed only to provide
are stored; commonly referred to as either a fire
station or a fireplug.
working or walking surfaces above bilges.
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