Accordion load - Arrangement of fire hose in a hose bed or compartment in which the hose lies on
edge with the folds adjacent to each other
Advanced Life Support (ALS) - An advanced level of pre-hospital and interhospital emergency care
and nonemergency medical care that includes basic life support care, cardiac monitoring, cardiac
defibrillation, electrocardiography, intravenous therapy, administration of medications, drugs and
solutions, use of adjunctive medical devices, trauma care, and other authorized techniques and
procedures as outlined in the ALS National Curriculum of the US Dept. of Transportation and any
modifications to that curriculum specified.
Abrasion - The act of wearing away by rubbing, as the rubbing of hose against the curb
Academy - The educational institution where firefighters receive their initial trading and
subsequent formal retraining
Accelerant - A substance used to start a fire and/or make it spread rapidly
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Public Law 101-336 - A federal statute intended to
remove barriers - physical and otherwise - that limit access by individuals with disabilities
Adapter - Device for connecting, joining, or fitting one object to another; example: the mechanism
that changes a two-prong electrical outlet so that it will accept a three-prong plug
Affirmative Action - Administrative law adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) to implement the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Air chisel - A device that operates on compressed air and is used for cutting sheet metal. The air
chisel is commonly used for extrication fro autos.
Ability - The capacity to perform a task