Glossary
| Name | Acronym | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Local emergency planning groups | Known as: Local resilience forums (England and Wales) Regional or local resilience partnerships (Scotland) Emergency preparedness groups (Northern Ireland) | |
| Lower explosive limit | LEL | The lowest concentration of a gas with potential to burn in air or explode |
| Machine-made mineral fibres | MMMF | A wide range of materials that use the inherent strength and durability of woven fibres bonded together with resins. Previously known as man-made mineral fibres. |
| Managed motorways | Managed motorways (often referred to as smart motorways), or roadways with traffic management methods, can be:
Controlled motorways
Dynamic hard shoulder running schemes
All lane running schemes
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| Manual in-line stabilisation | MILS | Holding the head and neck of a casualty in neutral alignment to discourage the casualty from moving their head, protect the head and neck from accidental contact during a busy rescue and provide an indication to other rescuers that there could be a problem with the neck or spine |
| Marshalling area | Generic term for an area to which resources and personnel not immediately required at the scene or being held for further use can be directed to stand by |
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| Microbes | Microorganisms, especially bacteria causing disease or fermentation |
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| Military liaison officer | Assigned to civil authorities to advise on the military capabilities and resources available to support an emergency response |
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| Miniature detonating cord | MDC | Also referred to as a linear cutting cord (LCC) or a mild detonating cord. This is an explosive cord within military aircraft that have assisted escape systems; the explosion shatters the canopy before the ejection seat leaves the aircraft. |
| Miscible | A miscible liquid or material can be mixed with another liquid or material without separating from it |
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| Mobile data terminal | A vehicle-mounted or hand-held computerised device for storing, retrieving, sending and receiving data |
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| Mobile operations manager | MOM | Responsible for ensuring that, during times of rail service disruption or incidents with the potential to cause service disruption, any incident is managed effectively with the aim to minimise delay and to co-ordinate a prompt service recovery |
| Multi Agency Incident Transfer | MAIT | Information can be transferred electronically to various agencies instantaneously providing a clear understanding of assistance required. |
| Multi-agency strategic holding area | MASHA | A pre-identified space which is large enough to accommodate and coordinate the command and logistical support structures of all emergency services and agencies required for a national response to an emergency |
| Mutagenic | Having the ability to cause a permanent change in an organism’s genes |
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| National Chemical Emergency Centre | NCEC | Provides national level support to governments and the emergency services to reduce the local and national impacts of chemical incidents |
| National frameworks | National Co-ordination and Advisory Framework – England
Fire and Rescue National Framework – Wales
Fire and Rescue Framework – Scotland
Corporate Plan and Annual Business Plan – Northern Ireland
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| National grid | The national grid is a term used to describe the high-voltage networks that are operated by:
National Grid – England and Wales
Scottish Power – Southern Scotland
Scottish Hydro – Northern Scotland and Scottish islands
Northern Ireland Electricity – Northern Ireland
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| National Inter-agency Liaison Officer | NILO | A security vetted, trained and identifiable responder from the emergency services who is a tactical adviser but can assume a command role if required. They can operate at pre-planned or spontaneous operations with extensive knowledge of multi-agency capability, procedures and processes to enable operations at high threat and terrorist incidents. |
| National Landscapes | The legal designation is ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, but now referred to as National Landscapes. They are 46 areas within England, Wales and Northern Ireland safeguarded in the national interest for their distinctive character and beauty. |
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| National Protective Security Authority | NPSA | The UK Government’s National Technical Authority for Physical and Personnel Protective Security |
| National Scenic Areas | NSA | In Scotland, areas broadly equivalent to National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) found in England, Wales and Northern Ireland |
| Network incident response manager | NIRM | Responds rapidly to any situation that affects normal rail operations |
| Oxidant | Oxidant is an abbreviation for oxidising agent. An oxidant is normally a non-metal or positive ion, causes oxidation reactions to take place and gains electrons from other atoms or ions. They are useful in the chemistry lab when forming aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids from alcohol molecules. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an example of a molecule which is a strong oxidising agent. |
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| Paediatric | The branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents and young adults, usually until the age of 18. |