Library Details

ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND USEFUL TERMS

ACRONYMS & USEFUL TERMS

AAHA  AmericanAnimalHospital Association

ACO  Animal Control Officer

ADC  Animal Disaster Committee

ADPAC  Animal Disaster Planning Advisory Committee

AED  Automated External Defibrillator

AERO  Animal Emergency Response Organization   (USDA)

APHIS  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA)

APPMA  American Pet Products Manufacturing Association

AR  Animal Response

ARC  American Red Cross

ARDA  American Rescue Dog Association

ARES  American Radio Emergency Service

AVMA  American Veterinary Medical Association

AVMF  American Veterinary Medical Foundation

CAP  Civil Air Patrol

CART  CountyAnimal Response Team

CEM  Certified Emergency Manager

CERT  Community Emergency Response Team

COAD  CountyOrganizations Active in Disaster

CPR  Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation

DART  Disaster Animal Response Team

DAT  Disaster Action Team   (American Red Cross)

EAS  Emergency Animal Shelter

EMA  Emergency Management Agency

EMAC  Emergency Management Assistance Compact

EOC  EmergencyOperationsCenter

ESF  Emergency Support Function – See “Useful Terms”

FEMA  Federal Emergency Management Agency

FOG  Field Operations Guide

GPS  Global Positioning System

HHS  US Department of Health and Human Services

HSUS  The Humane Society of the United States

IAEM  International Association of Emergency Managers

IAP  Incident Action Plan

ICP  Incident Command Post

ICS  Incident Command System

IMS  Incident Management System (more commonly known as Incident Command System)

IS  Independent Study (through FEMA)

LAR  Large Animal Rescue

LEPC  Local Emergency Planning Committee

MOU  Memorandum of Understanding

NACA  National Animal Control Association

NAHEMS  National Animal Health Emergency Management System -USDA/APHIS

NARSC  National Animal Rescue and Shelter Coalition

NASAR  National Association for Search and Rescue

NCAD  National Conference on Animals in Disaster

N-DART  National Disaster Animal Response Team

NDMS  National Disaster Medical System (part of US Department of Health and Human Services)

NEMA  National Emergency Management Association

NFPA  National Fire Protection Association

NGO  Non-government organization

NIFC  National Interagency FireCenter

NIMS  National Incident Management System

NOAA  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US Department of the Interior)

NRP  National Response Plan (formerly Federal Response Plan)

NVOAD  National VOAD - Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

NWS  National Weather Service

PIO  Public Information Officer

RACES  Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services

SART  State Animal (or Agricultural) Response Team

SOP  Standard Operating Procedure

SORT  Special Operations Response Team 

SOU  Statement of Understanding

TAR  Technical Animal Rescue

USAR  Urban Search and Rescue

USDA  United States Department of Agriculture

VMAT  Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams

VOAD  Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

WMD  Weapons of Mass Destruction

CBRNE  Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive – warfare agents

USEFUL TERMS

AFTERSHOCKS:  Lesser tremors which occur after an initial earthquake.  These tremors can begin within minutes, hours, or days of the initial shock, depending on the severity of the quake.

BLIZZARD:  An intense, severe snowstorm with sustained freezing winds of 35 miles per hour or more.

COASTAL FLOOD:  Flooding along low-lying coastal areas caused by tropical or winter storms, combined with the effects of tides, waves and wind, which may cause extensive erosion and property damage.  This type of flooding may occur even if the storm generating the flooding is not a direct threat to the affected area. Coastal residents should consult storm surge maps to determine the risk to their property in the event of coastal flooding.

CYCLONES:  Violent tropical storms located in the southern hemisphere, with winds rotating in a clockwise direction and reaching a sustained speed of 74 miles per hour or more near its center. (See HURRICANE)

DISASTER: Any natural, technological, or civil event that causes injuries, deaths or property damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to disrupt the essential functions and services (i.e., water supply, electrical power, sanitation systems, roads, communication and hospitals) of a community. Smaller events may also be classified as disasters.

EMERGENCY: An event that cause injury or property damage beyond the capability of the victim(s) to handle without outside assistance.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: The process of preparing for, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from an emergency or disaster.

EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION: An aspect of a disaster or emergency response assigned to a particular agency for management. The National Response Plan (NPR) organizes tasks by ESF.

                    ESF #1 - Transportation 

                    ESF #2 – Communications  

                    ESF #3 - Public Works and Engineering 

                    ESF #4 - Firefighting

                    ESF #5 - Emergency Management

                    ESF #6 - Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services

                    ESF #7 - Resource Support

                    ESF #8 - Public Health and Medical Service

                    ESF #9 - Urban Search and Rescue 

                    ESF #10 - Oil and Hazardous Materials Response

                    ESF #11 - Agriculture and Natural Resources

                    ESF #12 - Energy

                    ESF #13 - Public Safety and Security

                    ESF #14 - Long-Term Community Recovery and Mitigation

                    ESF #15 - External Affairs

EPICENTER: Location on the earth’s surface directly above an earthquake’s first tremor (focus).

EYE (of a Hurricane): The relatively calm area at the center of the storm where winds are light and the sky may be clear.  Intense storm conditions may be experienced 12 hours or longer before the eye actually makes landfall.  When the eye passes, the winds come in the opposite direction.

FAULT/FAULT LINE: A fracture in the earth’s crust accompanied by a displacement of the two sides of the fracture.

FLASH FLOOD: A flood with virtually no onset time.  Swift-moving floodwaters may pose a significant threat to lives and property due to the inability to mitigate or evacuate.  Generally caused by heavy rainfall or dam or levee failures. 

FUJITA-PEARSON SCALE: A categorical method which indicates the intensity (wind-speed) of a tornado.

                    F0: Gale tornado                           40-72 mph             

                    F1: Moderate tornado                 73-112 mph           

                    F2: Significant tornado                113-157 mph         

                    F3: Severe tornado                       158-206 mph         

                    F4: Devastating tornado             207-260 mph         

                    F5: Incredible tornado                 261-318 mph         

                    F6: Inconceivable tornado          319-379 mph      

GALE: Winds with sustained speeds of 39 - 73 mph. (see Tropical Storm)   

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: Any substance that has the potential to cause damage to the environment or the population if released. The substances are usually identified as being either flammable or combustible, explosive, toxic, noxious, corrosive, oxidizable, irritants or radioactive.

HURRICANE: A violent tropical storm located in the northern hemisphere, with winds rotating in a counter-clockwise direction and reaching a sustained speed of 74 miles per hour or more near its center.  The size of the storm can range from 50 to   1000 miles in diameter and may be accompanied by coastal storm surge and inland flooding, heavy rains, severe lightning and tornadoes. See Saffir-Simpson Scale.

INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM: The system used to organize and coordinate the field response to an emergency or disaster.

MITIGATION: The process of planning and preparation for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of a disaster or minimizing the severity of its impact.

PREPAREDNESS: Activities that enhance the abilities of individuals, communities, and businesses to better respond to a disaster.

PRIMARY AGENCY: The agency or organization assigned primary responsibility to manage and coordinate a specific ESF.  Primary agencies are designated on the basis of having the most resources, capabilities or expertise relative to management of an ESF.  Primary agencies are responsible for overall planning and coordination with their support agencies and other ESFs.

RECOVERY: Activities associated with the orderly restoration and rehabilitation of persons and property affected by disasters.

RESPONSE: Activities during and after a disaster that use all systems, plans and resources necessary to adequately preserve the health, safety and welfare of victims and property affected by the disaster, with emphasis on meeting emergency needs and restoring essential community services.

RICHTER SCALE:  An exponential scale used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake. (Because of the logarithmic basis of the scale, each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude.)

Less than 2.0 - Micro – Micro earthquakes, not felt.
2.0-2.9 - Very minor - Generally not felt, but recorded.
3.0-3.9 - Minor - Often felt, but rarely causes damage.
4.0-4.9 - Light - Noticeable shaking of indoor items, rattling noises. Much like a passing truck  
5.0-5.9 - Moderate - Can cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings over small regions; at most, slight damage to well-designed buildings.           
6.0-6.9 - Strong - Can be destructive in areas up to about 100 miles across in populated areas
7.0-7.9 - Major - Can cause serious damage over larger areas.
8.0-8.9 - Great - Can cause serious damage in areas several hundred miles across.
9.0 or greater - Rare great - Devastating in areas several thousand miles across

SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE: A categorical method which indicates the intensity    (wind-speed) of a hurricane.

                            Category 1: Winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr).

                            Category 2: Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr).

                            Category 3: Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr).

                            Category 4: Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr).

                            Category 5: Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr).

SEVERE WEATHER: Strong thunderstorms, frequent lightning, gusts of high winds and heavy rainfall, usually associated with an identified weather system.

SEVERE WINTER STORMS: Heavy snow, ice, freezing rain, and winds with sustained speeds of less than 35 miles per hour.

SQUALL/SQUALL LINE: Strong winds associated with thunderstorms that maintain peak speeds over a period of two or more minutes and then decrease rapidly.  Squall lines may precede approaching intense storms.

STORM SURGE: A dome of water forced onto shore in advance of approaching intense storm.  Combined with wind-driven wave action, a storm surge can be deadly and cause extensive property damage. Storm surges at high tide are of particular concern. Residents in surge areas should evacuate immediately when advised to do so.  

SUPPORT AGENCY: Organization or agency designated to assist a primary agency with available resources, capabilities, or expertise to accomplish the mission of the ESF response and recovery operations under the coordination of the primary agency.  

TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARD: A range of hazards emanating from the manufacture, transportation, and use of hazardous materials, such as radioactive substances, chemicals explosives, flammables; pesticides, herbicides and disease agents; oil spills on land, coastal waters on inland water systems; and debris from space.

TORNADO: A violent, whirling windstorm that can reach 300 miles per hour or more.  A tornado is identified by a funnel-shaped cloud that progresses in a narrow path over land.  A waterspout is a tornado that occurs over water. See Fujita-Pearson Scale.

TROPICAL STORM: A storm with sustained winds of 39 to 73 miles per hours.  If the winds increase in speed to 74 mph, the storm is classified as a hurricane.

TSUNAMI:   An ocean wave produced by a sub-marine earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. These waves may reach enormous dimensions and have sufficient energy to travel across entire oceans.

TYPHOON: The term used for hurricanes east of the International Date Line (i.e., the western Pacific).

WEATHER ADVISORY: A regularly scheduled public news release issued by the National Weather Service providing details on a continuing weather event.  Details include location, intensity, direction, and speed of movement of the event.

WARNING: A public news release issued by the National Weather Service indicating that a severe weather event is taking place or is imminent (within 24 hours or less) in a specified area.  It is of utmost importance that all precautionary measures and actions be taken immediately for the protection of life and property.

WATCH: A public news release issued by the National Weather Service advising that conditions are present indicating possible development of a severe weather condition within a specified area.  Preliminary disaster preparations should begin immediately and television, radio, and/or weather alert radio should be monitored for additional information and updates.