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Name Acronym Description
4x4 Response A voluntary sector organisation that provides 4x4 vehicles and drivers to support emergency responders and voluntary organisations.
Access Control Point ACP Controlled point through which essential non-emergency service personnel may gain access through the outer cordon
Accord européean relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route ADR European agreements concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road.
Aerial fuels Any fuel found at a height of more than 3.5 metres above the ground surface
Aeronautical rescue co- ordination centre ARCC Royal Air Force facility at Kinloss responsible for the co-ordination of all airborne assets deployed in a rescue operation
Air Accidents Investigation Branch AAIB An independent organisation embedded within the Department for Transport and responsible for the investigation of civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the UK.
Air management The safe, effective and efficient management of available BA air supplies, by the individual BA wearer, the BA team leader and the person responsible for BA entry control, to ensure air/work evaluation and management to achieve BA wearer welfare and safety and operational objectives. This will necessarily involve managing the wear to meet any turn-around pressure, specified exit pressure and report to BA entry control point pressure criteria. This will more than likely include (for example) appropriate selection of BA wearers at the entry control point; the use of appropriate air consumption rate/s and duration tables; the use of telemetry; appropriate tasking and briefing of BA team/s; use of an appropriate turn-around pressure (where required); regular gauge readings by both the BA wearer and the team leader; and regular/ dynamic communications between the BA team and the entry control point, etc.
Aircraft Co-ordinator AirCO Person who supervises the involvement of multiple aircraft in search and rescue operations
Aircraft post-crash management incident officer APCMIO The primary police point of contact for liaison on military support requirements associated with the control and cordon of the site
Airstair An airstair is a set of steps built into an aircraft so that passengers may get on or off the aircraft
Airwave AIRWAVE The common, secure digital radio system used by the emergency services and others in the resilience and security community. The system is based on the TETRA standards set.
All lane running ALR The permanent conversion of the hard shoulder to a running lane on a motorway, whilst retaining the ability to dynamically control traffic.
Alpha (a) radiation a-radiation
Anaerobic digestion

Renewable energy process involving a collection of processes by which micro-organisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen to produce fuel (methane).
Anaphylaxis An acute allergic reaction to an antigen (e.g. a bee sting) to which the body has become hypersensitive
Aqueous film-forming foam AFFF Low-expansion foams such as AFFF are low-viscosity, mobile, and able to quickly cover large areas.
Areas of nature conservation ANC Areas of nature conservation (ANC) are important sites designated and protected for being the best examples of their characteristic wildlife and geology.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty AONB In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, these are areas of land that have been identified for special protection to preserve their character and qualities because of their identified national importance. Refer to http://www.landscapesforlife.org.uk/
Areas of Special Scientific Interest ASSI Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) are important sites designated and protected for being the best examples of their characteristic wildlife and geology in Northern Ireland.
Association of Lowland Search and Rescue ASLAR Charitable organisation dedicated to assisting the emergency services in looking for missing persons and to coordinate adequate arrangements for search and rescue in the lowland areas of the UK
Auxiliary power units APU Usually a small engine carried on board an aircraft to provide an independent power source for such services as electrics, hydraulics, pneumatics, ventilation and air conditioning.
Avionics Avionics are the electronic systems used on aircraft, with systems including those for communication and navigation
Back burning Back burning is a way of reducing the amount of flammable material during a controlled burn or wildfire by starting small fires along a manmade or natural firebreak in front of a main fire front
Backwash Water flowing back toward the dam face. Water in the backwash can be highly aerated. Aerated water may not support a person at the surface.
Base Controller (EA role) An experienced EA member of staff responsible for overall incident control. They will be responsible for directing the environmental response and providing support services to the site controller and field staff at the incident. Other duties include mobilising external and internal resources at a regional and area level.