Skip to main content
Home
Accessibility Tool
  • Zoom in
  • Zoom out
  • Reset
  • Contrast
  • Accessibility help
Other languages

Language

Disclaimer

This website provides a translate function to accommodate our diverse audience. However, translations are automated and may not fully capture the nuances of the original language. For critical information, please refer to the source text.

Close
Search

People often search for...

When should I test my smoke alarm?
Home safety visits
Thatch fire safety
Report a problem with a fire hydrant
How safe is my heater?
Chimney fires
Close
  • Home
  • Safety advice
    Back
    Safety advice
      • Safety at home
        Back
        Safety at home
        • How to stay safe
        • Smoke alarms
        • Risks in your home
        • Advice for parents
        • Advice for carers
      • Business safety
        Back
        Business safety
        • Risk assessments
        • High rise buildings
        • Guidance for businesses
        • Landlords and holiday lets
        • Inspections and enforcement
        • Farms and agriculture
      • Safety outdoors
        Back
        Safety outdoors
        • Animal and bird rescues
        • Water safety
        • Wildfires
        • Rescue incidents and tips to avoid them
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
    Back
    About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
        Back
        Have your say
        • Complaints
        • Compliments
        • Public consultations
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
        Back
        Community events
        • Community conversations
      • Customer Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
  • Newsroom
    Back
    Newsroom

    Latest news

    Biker Down attendees at SHQ celebrate 10 years
    News
    14 May 2025

    Major milestone for our Biker Down workshops

    VE Day logo
    News
    06 May 2025

    Remembering Victory in Europe: 80 years of peace

    • Incidents
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media
  • Careers
    Back
    Careers
      • Vacancies
      • Become an on-call firefighter
        Back
        Become an on-call firefighter
        • Application process (on-call)
      • Become a wholetime firefighter
        Back
        Become a wholetime firefighter
        • Application process (wholetime)
      • The role of a firefighter
      • The role of a fire control operator
        Back
        The role of a fire control operator
        • Become a fire control operator
      • Support staff roles
      • Looking after our people
        Back
        Looking after our people
        • Embracing equal opportunities
        • Supporting women in the Service
      • Pay rates
      • Benefits
      • Request a careers talk
  • Education and young people
    Back
    Education and young people
      • Early years, reception and year one
      • Primary schools
        Back
        Primary schools
        • Primary school fire safety visits
        • Great Fire of London
      • Secondary schools
      • Safety resources for children and young people
        Back
        Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire and road safety resources
      • Fire starting behaviour in children
      • Join the fire cadets
      • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
      • Young drivers
      • Work experience

Contact

  • Contact us

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2027
  3. Glossary
FacebookXEmailWhatsappMessenger Share

Glossary

This page will help clarify some of the terms you may see on our website or in our published documents. 

Appliance – the general term used to describe all firefighting vehicles, including the standard fire engine or pumping appliance.

Community risk - the risk of unwanted events that might occur in the community, which Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service aims to reduce. Includes fires, road traffic accidents and other incidents that the Service might respond to.

Co-responders - on-call firefighters who receive enhanced training and respond to medical emergencies in their communities in support of the ambulance service.

Emergency Response Standard - a risk-based target for response times and the number of staff to attend all relevant emergency incidents in Devon and Somerset.

Gaining entry - an initiative where firefighters assist the ambulance service to get into properties where they suspect there is an unconscious or unresponsive casualty inside.

Hazmat – hazardous materials like chemicals, fuel spillages, substances that can cause harm to persons and or the environment.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services - the body that independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of the police and fire service.

Incident - an event requiring fire service assistance.

National resilience – the National Resilience Programme was introduced in 2003 to strengthen the country’s ability to handle emergencies and crises. The national resilience assets are owned by the fire and rescue services that host them. Servicing of the vehicles and procurement of equipment for them is managed centrally. The programme delivers:

  • mass decontamination
  • urban search and rescue
  • high volume pumping capacity
  • operational logistics and support
  • long term capability management.

On-call - firefighters recruited to be available on call close to their local fire station for a certain minimum number of hours per week, plus regular training. They carry an alerter to call them to the fire station when an incident happens in their area. Many have other employment or a lifestyle that enables them to commit a certain number of hours per week to be on call.

Operational risk - the risk of unwanted events that might occur to the Service while carrying out its operations. Includes firefighter occupational accidents or illness.

Prevention – activity associated with fire safety in the home and community.

Primary fire - fires in buildings, vehicles and outdoor structures.

Protection – sometimes referred to as ‘Business Safety’. This activity is linked to the advice and guidance for regulated premises and enforcement of the Regulatory Reform Order 2005.

Resilience – the ability to respond to major or larger incidents whilst maintaining the core service provision. This is made possible through effective emergency planning and flexible resource arrangements.

Risk analysis – the process of examining in detail the risks that could affect the communities in Devon and Somerset.

Road traffic collision - an incident involving vehicles on the highway.

Secondary fire - the majority of outdoor fires, including grassland and refuse fires.

Wholetime – operational staff immediately available while on duty.

Pre-engagement for our Community Risk Management Plan

Find out more

Community Risk Management Plan 2022-2027

Find out more

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Safety advice
      • Safety at home
      • Business safety
      • Safety outdoors
      • Safety on the road
  • About us
      • Our people
      • Our fire stations
      • Fleet and equipment
      • How we respond to emergency calls
      • Community Risk Management Plan
      • In your area
      • Information and data transparency
      • What we spend
      • Our performance
      • Request information
      • Have your say
      • Developing our Service
      • Our environmental strategy
      • Equality and diversity
      • Work with us
      • Community events
      • Customer Charter
      • Fire Authority(link is external)
      • Fire, rescue and safety training (Red One)(link is external)
      • Firefighters' pensions board
      • Armed Forces Covenant
    • Newsroom
      • Incidents
      • News
      • Events
      • Social media
    • Careers
        • Vacancies
        • Become an on-call firefighter
        • Become a wholetime firefighter
        • The role of a firefighter
        • The role of a fire control operator
        • Support staff roles
        • Looking after our people
        • Pay rates
        • Benefits
        • Request a careers talk
    • Education and young people
        • Early years, reception and year one
        • Primary schools
        • Secondary schools
        • Safety resources for children and young people
        • Fire starting behaviour in children
        • Join the fire cadets
        • Scout and Guide groups - awards and badges
        • Young drivers
        • Work experience

Translate the website

Footer contact

  • Contact us

Staff login

Always call 999 in an emergency

Did you find this page useful

  • Yes
  • No

Follow us

  • Facebook(link is external)
  • Twitter(link is external)
  • Youtube(link is external)
  • Instagram(link is external)
  • Linkedin(link is external)
  • Follow us
  • Print this page

Footer bottom

  • Our website
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies
  • Privacy notices
  • Modern Slavery Act 2015
  • Accessibility

Disability Confident employer logoEmployers Network for Equality and Inclusion logoBritish Quality Foundation logoEmployers network for equality and inclusion logoFire pride and allies logo Armed Forces Covenant