About the Houston Fire Department -- HFD Units and Terms

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Houston Fire Department

HFD Units and Terms

Current Units
Unit Types and Names
Common Terms

Currently, the Houston Fire Department has (units per shift)
87	Engine Companies- Staffed with 4 members who are cross trained as firefighters and EMTs. A Fire Engine functions as a BLS unit without transport capabilities. Some Engines are also staffed with paramedics. When responding to a fire, the primary purpose of an engine is to locate and extinguish the fire.
32	Ladder Trucks – Staffed with 4 members who are cross trained as firefighters and EMTs. A Ladder Truck functions as a BLS unit without transport capabilities. When responding to a fire, the primary purpose of a ladder is search and rescue and ventilation.
5	Tower Trucks - Staffed with 4 members who are cross trained as firefighters and EMTs. A Tower Truck functions as a BLS unit without transport capabilities. When responding to a fire, the primary purpose of a tower is the same as a ladder, but the tower has a bucket at the end of the ladder.
11	Booster Trucks - The primary purpose of a Booster is to put out small fires (dumpster, trash) and/or respond to grass fires and/or used as directed by the district chief at a fire scene.
21	District Chiefs - District Chiefs respond to all incidents within their district, be it fire or other incident / non-fire related (accidents, firefighter injuries, at citizen's request, etc.)
3	Safety Officers – responsible for safe operations on the fireground and insures injuries are reported and documented.
2	Shift Commander Suburban - Deputy Chief responsible for the North and South response areas and personnel.
56	Ambulances (BLS) - An ambulance staffed with 2 EMT's operating in the capacity of an Emergency Medical Technician providing prehospital care. (BLS) Transport unit
36	Medic Units (ALS)- An ambulance staffed with 2 Paramedics operating in the capacity of an advanced life support prehospital care provider. Transport Unit
12	Squad Unit - A Squad is an EMS unit that consists of two paramedics, usually in a suburban or other vehicle that responds to an incident to administer advanced medical care. If they are not needed to actually transport the patient, once a BLS unit has arrived, the BLS unit can take the patient to the hospital.
10	EMS Supervisors
2	Hazmat Response Units - The primary purpose of a Hazmat unit is to define chemicals, what type of incident they are dealing with and stop the flow of the substance .
1	Hazmat Foam Engine
9	ARFF Crash Trucks - These units respond only to airport emergencies.
4	ARFF Trucks - These units respond only to airport emergencies.
2	ARFF Medical Service Units
2	ARFF Rapid Intervention Units
1	ARFF Triage Vehicle
2	ARFF Triage Trailers
2	Special Operations Rescue Trailer
1	Special Operations Rescue Triage Trailer
2	Special Operations Rescue Incident Vehicle
3	Technical Rescue Trucks - The primary purpose of the Rescue unit is to excavate and rescue.
8	Evacuation Boats - Placed into service during times of high-water, primarily used when there are a large number of people trapped in high waters.
5	Rescue Boats - The primary function of the rescue boat is to be used to effect rescue in high water situations, removal of a victim and/or stranded individual.
4	Fast Water Rescue Craft - Jet Bikes arrived 2007.
4	Cascade Trucks - These units see that all air bottles are in their quadrant are kept full. They also respond to the request of district chiefs at working fires to fill air bottles.
1	Rehab Truck - This special piece of equipment is designed to re-hydrate firefighters and can be called for use by captains and district chiefs to an incident.
1	Command Van
1	Mobile Ventilation Unit – This special piece of equipment is used to disperse large volumes of smoke within a designated area.

What Do the Letters & Numbers Mean?

The numbers will usually indicate what fire station the unit is from. An "5" before the station number indicates that the station has two of that type of unit. For example, station 10 has two basic ambulance units, one "A - 10" and the other "A- 510".

A- Ambulance (BLS)	MD-Medical Directors
ACR-Airport Coordinator	M-Medic (ALS)
AR-Airport Rescue	MS-Medical Safety Unit (airports)
AS-Ambulance Supervisor	OPS - Special Events Unit
ARS-Arson	RB - Rescue Boat
B-Booster	RH-Rehab Unit
BL-Mobile Fan	RUT-Rescue Utility
C-Cascade	SC-Shift Commander
CV-Command Van	SEE-Engine (special event)
D-District Chief	SEFC-Fire Cart (special event)
EB-Evacuation Boat	SEMBT-Med. Bike Team (special event)
E-Engine	SEMC-Medical Cart (special event)
EMSD-EMS Medical District Chief	SEM-Medic (special event)
FB-Fire Boat	SERC-Rescue Cart (special event)
F-Foam Truck	SF-Safety Officer
FT-Foam Trailer	SR-Senior Ambulance Supervisor
HD-Hazmat District Chief	SQ-Squad
H-Hazmat Truck	TR - Technical Rescue
HS-Senior Hazmat Coordinator	UT-Utility Trailer
L-Ladder	VL-Village Ladder
MC-Medical Cart (golf)	WS - Water Supply Unit

Common Terms

Term	Definition
2-11, 3-11, etc.	Two-Alarm, Three-Alarm Incident. The more alarms, the greater number of units and firefighters. 7-1 tap out, fire is under control and emergency no longer exists.
AC or AFC	Assistant Fire Chief, command staff directly under EACs
ALS	Advance Life Support care, EMS unit with paramedics - Medic, Squad and some Engine units
APPARATUS	Any Type of Fire Unit
BLS	Basic Life Support care. EMS unit with EMTs - Engine, Ladder and BLS Ambulance units , the Ambulance is a transport unit.
BOX	Ambulance, transport unit
BOX ALARM	Structure fire for such structures as a house (also see heavy box)
CHIEF HOUSE	Fire Station w/ a District Chief
DC	District Chief or Deputy Chief. Deputy Chief is a shift commander, next level up from a District Chief.
DOUBLE HOUSE	Fire Station, 2 fire apparatus, usually an engine and ladder
DTO	District Training Officer, officers who document and conduct training for members within the district
EAC	Executive Assistant Fire Chief, Command Staff directly under Fire Chief.
EAS	Emergency Alerting System, alerts fire stations and announces the dispatch
E/O	Engineer Operator (Driver)
EMS	Emergency Medical Service
EQUIPMENT	Tools
FFT	Firefighter Trainee or a Cadet, civilian being trained at the HFD training academy to be a firefighter.
FOUR INCH	4 inch hose located in the back of the fire engine. 100 foot sections, used to connect to a plug.
FTA	Fire Training Academy or VJTF (Val Jahnke Training Facility)
FTO	Field Training Officer, captain or senior captain who documents and conducts training for probationary firefighters
GEAR	What they wear / safety gear / bunker gear / Firefighting ensemble
HEAVY BOX	Box fire for buildings and apartments, etc.
HFD	Houston Fire Department
HOT ZONE	Hazardous area around the incident, distances varies and is established by the IC
IC	Incident Commander, usually a district chief
INCH & THREE QUARTER	1 3/4 inch hose usually pre-connected in 150 ft or 200ft to make a rapid fire attack.
INCIDENT	An incident is the event the HFD is responding to.
LADDER	Ladder Truck
MVA	Motor Vehicle Accident
MVI	Motor Vehicle Incident
OEC	Office of Emergency Communications (formally Dispatch)
PAR	Personal Accountability Report, conducted every 30 minutes and whenever a sudden hazardous event occurs
PLAN A	EMS code for CPR protocol
PLUG	Fire Hydrant
PM	Preventive Maintenance
PROB FF	Probationary Firefighter
PUBLIC SERVICE	Call on phone
PUMPER	Fire Engine
REDLINE	1 inch hose, reeled on an engine, used for small fires (car, trash, dumpster...)
RESPONSE	Response is referring to individual units. For example, one incident may have three responding units.
RIT	Rapid Intervention Team, to deploy when a firefighter is lost or trapped
SINGLE HOUSE	Fire Station, 1 Bay
STAGE	Units on location about 1 or 2 blocks away, uncommitted, standing by for an assignment
SYNCOPE	EMS term, passing out, fainting, etc.
TAP OUT	Also known as 7-1, means the fire is under control and an emergency no longer exists.
TIC	Thermal Imaging Camera, tool to aid in rescue and to locate hidden fire
TOUR	shift work week
TUSH HOG	Good Firefighter