Glossary of Firefighting - W

W

• Water drop: A forest fire fighting technique when an airplane (also called an "airtanker") or helicopter drops a supply of water or other fire suppressant onto an exposed fire from above.
• Water hammer: Large, damaging shock wave in a water supply system caused by shutting a valve quickly, or by permitting a vehicle to drive across an unprotected fire hose.
• Well Involved: Term of size-up meaning fire, heat and smoke in a structure are so widespread that internal access must wait until fire streams can be applied.
• Wet down ceremony: A traditional ceremony for the placing of new apparatus in service. There are several versions of this but it usually includes: pushing the old apparatus out, wetting down the new vehicle and pushing it back into the station. It may also include the moving of the bell to the new apparatus, photos, etc.
• Wildfire or Wildland fire: Fire in forests, grasslands, prairies, or other natural areas, not involving structure fires (although wildland fires may threaten structures or vice versa - see interface zone.) For a complete list of terms used in wildland fire, see Glossary of wildland fire terms.
• Wholetime firefighter: (U.K.) A firefighter employed full-time by one of the 63 brigades in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Working fire: A fire that is in the process of being suppressed. Typically reserved for a structure fire or an outside fire with a considerable fire load that requires the Incident Command System be initiated, additional support and suppression assets dispatched, and necessary notifications made to other municipal agencies. Aka a "real" fire that will probably not be handled quickly by a single company.
• Whacker: A person who talks a great deal about fire and being a very busy fire fighter but rarely has ever been to a working fire. The person will usually post about everything he or she does in the fire department on social media. This person also will, usually, be involved in several different fire companies and will also carry more gear than needed with PPE. Also known as a "gear queer."