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National Mutual Aid Glossary of Terms and Definitions
October 2004
M A Glossary II.pdf (8 MB)
M A Glossary II.doc (727 KB)
M A Glossary II.txt (104 KB)

NIMS
Resource Typing Glossary

National Mutual Aid and Resource Management Initiative

Glossary of Terms and Definitions

Purpose
This glossary of terms and definitions provides a basic understanding of the resources commonly used and/or exchanged during a disaster.  These terms provide a basis for the Federal Emergency Manage­ment Agency’s (FEMA’s) resource typing initiative.  An annex of 11 Federal assets is also included in the glossary to provide a snapshot of the Federal capabilities available to State and local entities.  The glossary is a living document, and will continuously be updated and revised.  To provide additional information to the glossary, please e-mail Jonathan Jenkins at Jonathan.Jenkins@associates.dhs.gov.

Background
The National Mutual Aid and Resource Management Initiative supports the National Incident Management System (NIMS) by establishing a comprehensive, integrated national mutual aid and resource management system that provides the basis to type, order, and track all (Federal, State, and local) response assets.

For ease of ordering and tracking, response assets need to be categorized via resource typing.  Resource typing is the categorization and description of resources that are commonly exchanged in disasters via mutual aid, by capacity and/or capability.  Through resource typing, disciplines examine resources and identify the capabilities of a resource’s components (i.e., personnel, equipment, training).  During a disaster, an emergency manager knows what capability a resource needs to have to respond efficiently and effectively. Resource typing definitions will help define resource capabilities for ease of ordering and mobiliza­tion during a disaster.  As a result of the resource typing process, a resource’s capability is readily defined and an emergency manager is able to effectively and efficiently request and receive resources through mutual aid during times of disaster.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Annex A

W

Water Purification Team (Emergency Water Teams)
A water purification team is a specialized team designed to support the Emergency Water Mission in support of the Federal Response Plan (FRP).  Teams provide an emergency supply of potable water, both bottled and bulk, to include procurement, transportation, and distribution to impacted areas for usage by both the general public and response personnel.  FEMA, who is the lead agency under the FRP for coordinating all Federal activities following a natural disaster or manmade emergency, assigned the Department of Defense (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) as the lead agency in support of Emergency Support Function (ESF) #3 – Public Works and Engineering, that includes tasking of emergency potable water.  Team members are fully trained and knowledgeable of water certification requirements and daily consumption rates, the procurement process including the Advanced Contracting Initiative (ACI) Water Contract, which is a supply and service contract for procuring bottled and bulk water, transportation, security measures, distribution processes, emergency management, and have previously worked with or able to build rapport with State and local governments.  Teams coordinate with FEMA, State and local governments, and other ESF elements to scope the magnitude of the water mission.  After mission scoping, teams assist FEMA in writing the mission assignment and tasks, estimating mission-funding requirements, and assessing when all emergency needs have been met and the water mission can be closed out.  Emergency water teams are responsible for timely procurement and delivery of potable water to all Staging Areas and distribution sites.  Teams are deployed on 30-day rotations, with 3 to 5-day transition periods, however, the average water mission only lasts about 2 to 3 weeks.  In events with warning, such as hurricanes, emergency water teams are predeployed to the region and contract for the delivery of a small amount of potable water to predesignated Staging Areas so that water deliveries can begin immediately following the event.  Following the event, the teams focus on meeting all post-declaration water mission mandates tasked by FEMA to ESF #3, including mass distribution at appropriate staging areas.

Water Search and Rescue Team
Team conducts surface and subsurface search and rescue operations in all-water environments, including swift water and flood conditions.  Water rescue teams come with all team equipment required to safely and effectively conduct operations.  Water rescue teams can be assigned to special events to provide for the safety of citizens.

Water Truck
A truck with a permanently mounted water tank with the capabilities of dispensing potable or nonpotable water.  The dispensing is handled through gravity or pumped.  For pumping action, the truck’s engine or transmission is usually used to generate the requirement dispensing energy.  Uses can range from delivering potable water to shelter locations, nonpotable form for irrigation, assisting in wildfire situations, dust control, compaction requirements, flushing of storm conveyance sanitary sewer lines, and washing areas of dirt, debris, and dust.

Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
(1) Any destructive device as defined in section 921 of this title (destructive device defined as any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas, bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than 4 ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than 1/4 ounce, mine or device similar to the above); (2) any weapon that is designed or intended to cause serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors; (3) any weapon involving a disease organism; or (4) any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life.  (United States Code, Title 18-Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Part I-Crimes, Chapter 113B-Terrorism, Sec. 2332a)

Wheel Dozer
A wheel dozer is a rubber-tired piece of equipment used for spreading and compacting without vibratory means.  This equipment can accomplish mass leveling tasks for agriculture, construction, forestry, heavy construction, industrial needs, open pit mining, and similar earth moving requirements.  Rubber tires contribute by compacting the earth being moved during the process of leveling.  Leveling in layers to maximize density requirements usually performs this action.  Layered leveling limits will also be accommodated by the weight and size of the equipment being employed.  Equipment can operate on slight slopes.  Equipment capacities can vary from 100,000 lbs. at 33 ydł to 22,000 lbs. at 3.5 ydł.  Mobilization is usually required.  A front-end loading detachable trailer is usually the preferred option.  Over-width escort services would be used for wide loads.

Wheel Loaders (Large: 41cy to 8cy)
Rubber-tired equipment used for moving and/or loading large masses of various aggregate materials or demolition debris.  Materials are usually loaded into material carrying equipment, such as dump trucks or stockpiled, processed, and/or moved around onsite.  Accessories are also available for handling bulky materials/waste.  A tractor-trailer unit usually handles the mobilization.  Depending on the bucket size, dismantling is usually not an issue.  Depending on the width, a transport permit may be required, along with escort services.

Wheel Loaders (Medium to Small: 7cy to 2cy)
Rubber-tired equipment used for moving and/or loading small to large masses of various aggregate materials or demolition debris.  Materials are usually loaded into material carrying equipment, such as dump trucks or stockpiled, processed, and/or moved around onsite.  Accessories are also available for handling bulky materials/waste.  A tractor-trailer unit usually handles the mobilization but is not necessary for some pieces of equipment.  Mobilization without a transport usually requires an operator’s license.  Usually the width of this equipment does not require a transport permit but may still require an escort service.

Wilderness Search and Rescue Team (Ground Search and Rescue)
Team provides response search and rescue services, including all-weather search and rescue of missing per­sons, search and rescue management capabilities, trained ground search teams of all levels, technical rescue specialists, specialized wilderness medical personnel, and safety and survival education.

Wilderness Search and Rescue Team (Ground Search and Rescue Team)
Team provides ground search and rescue services, including all-weather search and rescue of missing per­sons, search and rescue management capabilities, evidence collection, trained ground search teams of all levels, technical rescue specialists, specialized wilderness medical personnel, and safety and survival education.

WMD Chem/Bio
A short-hand phrase for “weapons of mass destruction, chemical/biological, in reference to those sub­stances that were developed by military institutions to create widespread injury, illness, or death.

 

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Annex A

 

 

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