Incident Types

AID

Auto Aid (AA)
Auto aid is resource assistance that is dispatched across jurisdictional boundaries without request (i.e., automatically) according to a contractual agreement between the agencies. This is typically done to allow response from the closest station but may be done for a variety of reasons.

Mutual Aid (MU)
Mutual aid is an agreement between agencies to help each other across jurisdictional boundaries upon request. The term mutual describes the reciprocal nature of the assistance. No agency can adequately staff on a daily basis for the largest possible incident or volume. Public safety organizations must rely on neighboring agencies to assist during large-scale incidents or periods of unusually high demand.

Strike Team/Task Force (ST)
A strike team is a self-contained, self-supporting set of resources of the same type with a leader (e.g., five wildland engines and a chief officer). A task force is very similar but has a mix of resource types to accomplish a specific mission. Grouping resource in this fashion helps address “span of control” challenges on large scale events.

AIRCRAFT

Aircraft Crash (AC)
Indicates that an aircraft may have crashed or there is a high probability that an aircraft will crash (e.g., faulty landing gear, no hydraulic pressure, engine failure).

Aircraft Emergency (AE)
This is a broad category for a variety of aircraft emergencies both inflight and on the ground. Some agencies only use this type for all aircraft-related incidents.

Aircraft Emergency Standby (AES)
Indicates that an inbound aircraft is reporting a defect and a difficult landing may be expected. Emergency crews have been dispatched to pre-position at the airport in anticipation of the landing.

Landing Zone (LZ)
Resources dispatched to prepare a safe helicopter landing area (e.g., secure the perimeter, notify the pilot of obstructions, provide lighting).

ALARM

AED Alarm (AED)
An alarm indicating a monitored AED cabinet has been opened. Assuming the AED is being placed in service due to a cardiac emergency, agencies will typically dispatch a medical assignment in response to this alarm type.

Alarm (OA)
A general alarm type used when the specific alarm type is not specified or cannot be categorized further.

Carbon Monoxide (CMA)
An alarm indicating the presence of carbon monoxide (CO) gas.

Fire Alarm (FA)
An alarm indicating fire conditions are present.

Manual Alarm (MA)
Manually actuated alarm (e.g., fire alarm box, manual pull station).

Smoke Detector (SD)
An alarm indicating smoke conditions are present.

Trouble Alarm (TRBL)
An alarm indicating an operational issue or failure (e.g., loss of power, loss of pressure).

Waterflow Alarm (WFA)
An alarm indicating water flow in a building's fire protection system such as an activated fire sprinkler head.

ASSIST

Flooding (FL)
Flooding, emergency water removal/diversion.

Ladder Request (LR)
Request for fire department ladder assistance. This request is typically from another city department (e.g. police requesting access to rooftop to search for a subject).

Lift Assist (LA)
Uninjured, but requesting assistance due to limited mobility.

Police Assist (PA)
A law enforcement request for fire department assistance (e.g., ladder, tools, lighting).

Public Service (PS)
The incident type Public Service is typically used for lower priority routine calls. Use of this catch-all category varies between agencies but is commonly used for incidents such as a leaking hydrant, a low-hanging sign, or assistance with an appliance (e.g., pilot light, won't turn off, making a funny sound). Even the classic "cat stuck in a tree" call would likely be coded as a Public Service type.

Sheared Hydrant (SH)
Close street valve to control water flowing from damaged fire hydrant.

EXPLOSION

Explosion (EX)
Report of an explosion.

Pipeline Emergency (PE)
Pipeline incident (e.g., leak, fire, failure).

Transformer Explosion (TE)
Report of an explosion involving an electrical transformer.

FIRE

Appliance Fire (AF)
A fire reportedly contained to an appliance (e.g., oven, clothes dryer).

Chimney Fire (CHIM)
A fire reportedly contained to the inner surfaces of a chimney, flue, or stove pipe (typically combustion of residue deposits of soot or creosote).

Commercial Fire (CF)
Fire reported in a commercial building (e.g. office building, retail store, warehouse).

Confirmed Structure Fire (WSF)
Fire in a building with confirmation of active fire by emergency personnel.

Confirmed Vegetation Fire (WVEG)
Fire in an area of combustible vegetation with confirmation of active fire by emergency personnel.

Controlled Burn/Prescribed Fire (CB)
A controlled or prescribed burn is a fire set intentionally for purposes of hazard reduction. Prescribed burning is conducted under tightly controlled conditions to reduce fuel buildup and decrease the likelihood of more serious fires.

Electrical Fire (ELF)
Electrical fires are fires involving potentially energized electrical equipment.

Extinguished Fire (EF)
A fire reported to be extinguished. The fire department response is primarily to ensure that the fire is in fact completely controlled and that all risks of rekindle and extension have been mitigated.

Fire (FIRE)
A general incident type for reported fires with no additional detail.

Full Assignment (FULL)
A full assignment incident type is simply a complement of apparatus dispatched together for more complex incidents (e.g. two engines, a truck and a battalion chief).

Illegal Fire (IF)
Typically open burning in violation of local regulations (e.g., burning household garbage).

Marine Fire (MF)
Fire onboard a boat, watercraft or other floating vessel. May include fires on piers or involving marina infrastructure.

Outside Fire (OF)
This is a broad category of typically smaller fires occurring outside (e.g, fence, tree, roadway divider strip, peat).

Pole Fire (PF)
A fire involving a utility pole, column or post used to support overhead power lines or other utilities such as cables, transformers, street lights and related equipment.

Refuse/Garbage Fire (GF)
A fire involving discarded material typically a commercial dumpster, trash receptacle or pile.

Residential Fire (RF)
Fire reported in a residential building (e.g., single family dwelling, apartment, condominium).

Structure Fire (SF)
Fire reported in a building.

Tank Fire (TF)
Fire reported involving a storage tank.

Vegetation Fire (VEG)
Fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Also commonly referred to as brush fire, wildland fire, or grass fire.

Vehicle Fire (VF)
A fire involving a motor vehicle. Also commonly referred to as car fire or auto fire.

Working Fire (WF)
Confirmation of active fire by emergency personnel (fire type unspecified).

Working Commercial Fire (WCF)
Fire in a commercial building with confirmation of active fire by emergency personnel.

Working Residential Fire (WRF)
Fire in a residential building with confirmation of active fire by emergency personnel.

HAZARD

Bomb Threat (BT)
A staged response to a threat to detonate an explosive device whether or not such a device is known to exist.

Electrical Emergency (EE)
Incidents involving electricity, electrical hazards, appliances, and power sources.

Emergency (EM)
A generic incident type for potential emergency conditions.

Emergency Response (ER)
A generic incident type for emergencies with no additional detail (e.g. "still alarm", "station walk-in").

Gas Leak (GAS)
Report of escaping gas or other signs of a leak.

Hazardous Condition (HC)
The incident type Hazardous Condition is somewhat a catch-all category. Uses vary between agencies but is commonly used for incidents such as a small fuel leak or a weakened building or structural component. Even a "snake in the house" call could be coded as a Hazardous Condition type.

Hazmat Response (HMR)
Incidents involving the release or potential release of chemical, biological or radiological materials including spills, leaks, hazardous waste dumping/abandonment, and industrial accidents.

Tree Down (TD)
Response to a fallen tree, typically into a structure or across a roadway creating a hazard or secondary problem.

Water Emergency (WE)
Response to a significant water problem (e.g., leak, broken pipe, potential flooding, contamination risk).

INVESTIGATION

Arson Investigation (AI)
Investigation to determine if the cause of a fire was accidental or deliberate.

Fireworks Investigation (FWI)
Fireworks complaints and violations.

Hazmat Investigation (HMI)
Investigative response to an incident potentially involving hazardous materials (e.g., abandoned drum, chemical odors, leaking fluid).

Investigation (INV)
A general type for incidents of an investigatory nature.

Odor Investigation (OI)
Investigation to determine the source or cause of an odor.

Smoke Investigation (SI)
Investigation to determine the origin of smoke seen or smelled.

LOCKOUT

Commercial Lockout (CL)
Response to gain entry to a locked commercial space, typically when there is an immediate secondary risk associated with not gaining immediate access.

Lockout (LO)
Response to gain entry to a locked space, typically when there is an immediate secondary risk associated with not gaining immediate access.

Residential Lockout (RL)
Response to gain access to a locked home or interior room, typically when there is an immediate secondary risk such as a young child inside or a potential for a fire (e.g. unattended cooking).

Vehicle Lockout (VL)
Response to gain access to a locked vehicle, typically when there is an immediate secondary risk such as a young child or pet inside.

MEDICAL

Community Paramedicine (CP)
Community paramedicine is an evolving model of community-based healthcare that allows paramedics to function outside their traditional emergency response and transport roles to help facilitate more appropriate use of emergency care resources while enhancing access to primary care.

CPR Needed (CPR)
CPR-needed alerts are sent for cardiac arrest events that occur in public locations. These alerts are only sent to those in the immediate vicinity (e.g. floor above, business next door) and likely to arrive before emergency responders.

Interfacility Transfer (IFT)
Transport response to move critically ill or injured patients between hospitals or other healthcare facilities.

Medical Emergency (ME)
Essentially all incidents of a medical nature are displayed in PulsePoint as a generic medical emergency.

Multi Casualty (MCI)
A multi casualty incident (often shortened to MCI) and sometimes called a mass casualty incident is any incident with significant casualties (e.g. multiple vehicle accident, train derailment).

NATURAL DISASTER

Earthquake (EQ)
An advised event when an earthquake has occurred in the region.

Flood Warning (FLW)
An advised event when the hazardous weather event is imminent, expected, or occurring.

Tornado Warning (TOW)
An advised event when the hazardous weather event is imminent, expected, or occurring.

Tsunami Warning (TSW)
An advised event when a tsunami with the potential to generate widespread inundation is imminent, expected, or occurring.

Weather Incident (WX)
A general incident type for a wide variety of weather-related emergencies.

OTHER

Burn Permit (BP)
Permitted debris fire typically of dead vegetation on residential properties.

Community Activity (CA)
Resources assigned to community events such as races, street fairs, etc.

Fire Watch (FW)
Resources assigned to the scene after a large fire to stand watch for an extended period of time to reduce the possibility of a rekindle and address other hazards that may arise.

Move-up/Cover (MC)
Strategic deployment of resources to fill coverage gaps and balance response capabilities.

Notification (NO)
The notification incident type is used for information/advisory messages. For example, this incident type might be used to advise crews of a fire alarm system being temporarily out of service for maintenance or for a road closure or detour.

Standby (STBY)
Staged resources pre-positioned or assigned to specific events or details to improve response times.

Test (TEST)
A general incident type for various dispatch system initiated tests.

Training (TRNG)
Resources assigned to training activities.

RESCUE

Animal Rescue (AR)
Response to an animal trapped, entangled or otherwise imperiled.

Cliff Rescue (CR)
Rescue operations using rope, rigging systems and other life safety equipment to perform work a cliffside location.

Confined Space Rescue (CSR)
Rescue operations to locate, treat and remove victims trapped inside a confined space or beneath collapse debris.

Elevator Rescue (ELR)
Rescue operations to access the occupants of a stalled elevator.

Elevator/Escalator Rescue (EER)
Response to a report of occupants in a stalled elevator or escalator entrapment.

Ice Rescue (IR)
Rescue operations in cold-water, ice, or freezing conditions.

Industrial Accident (IA)
Workplace accidents that occur at industrial facilities, such as falls, burns, and entrapment.

Rescue (RES)
A general incident type for various search and rescue operations.

Rope Rescue (RR)
Rescue operations using rope, rigging systems and other life safety equipment to perform work at height.

Structural Collapse (SC)
Response to the failure of load-bearing structural elements due to construction activity, an earthquake, explosion, or natural forces such as weather.

Technical Rescue (TR)
Rescue operations using rope, rigging systems and other life safety equipment to perform work at height.

Trench Rescue (TNR)
Rescue operations involving shoring and removing victims from a collapsed underground excavation.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
Special operations involving USAR resources

Vessel Sinking (VS)
Response to a report of a sinking vessel.

Water Rescue (WR)
A general incident type for a wide variety of water rescue emergency situations.

VEHICLE

Collision Involving Pedestrian (TCP)
Response to a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian.

Collision Involving Structure (TCS)
Response to a vehicle that has collided with a building.

Collision Involving Train (TCT)
Response to a train that has collided with a vehicle, pedestrian, or another object.

Expanded Traffic Collision (TCE)
Expanded Traffic Collisions typically have a higher probability of serious injuries, more patients, or complex rescues. They may involve higher speeds (freeway vs. surface roads), reports of multiple vehicles or patients, patients trapped needing extrication, a vehicle overturned or off the roadway, etc. Response assignments are typically larger (more units and personnel) and may include specialized apparatus and equipment.

Railroad/Train Emergency (RTE)
A general incident type for incidents involving trains (e.g. fire, derailment).

Traffic Collision (TC)
Response to a vehicle that has collided with another vehicle, animal, road debris, or another object.

WIRES

Powerline Emergency (PLE)
Response to a utility cable safety concern such as a low-hanging or downed powerline.

Wires Arcing (WA)
Response to a report of utility power lines arcing.

Wires Down (WD)
Response to downed utility power lines.

Wires Down/Arcing (WDA)
Response to a report of utility power lines down and/or arcing (unspecified).