Glossary of Firefighting - P

P

• Packables: A term used to refer to fire personnel that are certified and trained with SCBA Apparatus.
• Penciling: The penciling technique is created by adjusting the nozzle to a straight stream pattern and using series of short bursts of water directed at burning materials. This helps reduce the production of flammable gases by cooling the burning walls and ceiling below their ignition point.
• Personal alert safety system: See PASS device in Glossary of firefighting equipment.
• Personnel Accountability Report ("PAR"): End-result of personnel accountability system. Best report is all hands, AOK, worse is squad missing. You will often hear command ask for a "PAR" when something has changed on the fire ground. Often the reply will be something like, "Engine 4, PAR." or "Engine 4 has PAR." Some incident command systems specify a PAR for all personnel on the fire ground at specific time intervals during the course of a working fire.
• Personnel accountability system: Tag, 'passport', or other system for identification and tracking of personnel at an incident, especially those entering and leaving an IDLH area; intended to permit rapid determination of who may be at risk or lost during sudden changes at the scene.
• Pilot: in mutual aid situations a "pilot" is a member of the local department that rides with a mutual aid engine to ensure proper direct. A pilot is usually picked up a the local station before going to the scene.
• Platoon: a subdivision of a fire company, led by a fire officer of either the rank of captain or lieutenant, such that one of several platoons is assigned to duty for a specified period. Also called a "watch". In many areas the word "platoon" is used to describe the different shifts in the fire department. For example, A, B or C Platoon.
• Plug: Slang term for a fire hydrant. This survives from the days when water mains actually had holes in the tops that, after usage, were plugged with a tapered wooden plug. Many firefighters would like to keep this word while many others think it should be replaced with the accurate term, "hydrant".
• Positive pressure: Pressure at higher than atmospheric; used in SCBA facepieces and in pressurized stairwells to reduce entry of smoke or fumes through small openings. High volume, portable Positive Pressure Ventilation fans are now carried by fire departments and used to pressurize the fire building during interior attack to control smoke and heat ventilation at desired points.
• Pre-arrival instructions: Directions given by a dispatcher to a caller until emergency units can arrive.
• Pre-fire, pre-incident planning: Information collected by fire prevention officers to assist in identifying hazards and the equipment, supplies, personnel, skills, and procedures needed to deal with a potential incident.
• Pre-planning: Fire protection strategy involving visits to potentially hazardous occupancies for inspection, follow up analysis and recommendations for actions to be taken in case of specific incidents. Not to be confused with post-planning.
• Probie: (also rookie) new firefighter on employment probation (a period of time during which his or her skills are improved, honed, tested, and evaluated).
• Professional Firefighter: All firefighters are classified as "professionals" by both the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF trade union). All firefighters are required by most state laws and general practice to meet the same training and equipment standards, take the same examinations for promotion and perform the same work under the same hazards. There are two accepted categories of Professional Firefighters: Volunteer Firefighters who may or may not receive pay for services and Career Firefighters whose primary employment and source of earned income is in the fire service.
• Public alarm: Means for public to report a fire, includes telephone, street-corner pull-boxes, building pull-stations, and manual bells or sirens in rural areas.
• Pumper: A fire truck with a water-pump and a water tank.
• Pump operator, technician: (also a chauffeur): person responsible for operating the pumps on a pumper and typically for driving the pumper to an incident.
• Pump Escape: Appliance carrying a wheeled ladder
• Pumper company: Squad or company that mans a fire engine (pumper) and carries out duties involving getting water to the fire.
• Pyrolysis: Process of converting a solid substance to combustible fumes by raising its temperature. See also vaporization of liquids.