Fire Terminology

Hammerhead/T

A roadway that provides a “T” shaped, three-point turnaround space for emergency equipment, being no narrower than the road that serves it.

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Helicopter

CAL FIRE uses its Super Huey helicopters for fast initial attack on wildfires. The copters are able to quickly deliver a nine-person fire crew wherever needed as well as battle fires with water/foam drops. The copters are also used for medical evacuations, backfiring operations on wildland fires, to ignite prescribed burns using either a helitorch or a ping-pong ball machine - Chemical Ignition Device System (CIDS), cargo transport (internal and external loads), re-seeding operations, infra-red mapping of incidents, and numerous non-fire emergency missions. Since 1997, CAL FIRE helicopter crews have been trained to do "short haul" rescues. Short haul involves a crew member being lowered from a hovering helicopter to an injured or trapped person below. Once hooked to a harness or basket, both the victim and crew member are then carried a short distance to safety.

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Hose Lay

Arrangement of connected lengths of fire hose and accessories on the ground, beginning at the first pumping unit and ending at the point of water delivery.

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