tillerman one who steers the rear portion of a long ladder truck.
turnout coat a firefighter's waterproof, fireproof coat.
turntable the platform and hydraulic motor that raises a ladder and turns it on a ladder truck.
water cannon a cannon capable of shooting water up to 500 feet. Also known as a deluge gun.
funeral services
algor mortis the cooling of the body after death.
arrangement room in a funeral home, a room where the family meets with the funeral director to make burial arrangements.
aspiration the removal of abdominal fluid or gases from the deceased.
bereaved those mourning the deceased. burial case see casket.
burial certificate a legal permit authorizing burial.
burial vault a container that holds a casket after burial to help prevent the collapse of a grave.
casket a long boxlike container made of wood, metal, or plastic in which the deceased is placed for burial. Also known as a coffin or burial case.
casket coach see hearse.
casket veil a transparent veil draped over the casket to prevent flies from landing on the deceased.
catafalque a draped framework on which a casket rests during a funeral service and while the deceased awaits burial.
coffin see casket.
columbarium a vault with multiple niches for holding urns containing cremains.
coroner a medical officer who investigates and determines cause of death, especially if anything other than natural causes are suspected.
cortege a funeral procession.
cosmetology the art of applying cosmetics to the deceased to make him or her appear lifelike.
cremains the ashes and remains of the deceased after cremation.
cremation the burning of a corpse to reduce it to bone fragments, which are then pulverized.
crematory a furnace for burning dead bodies. Also, the building that houses such a furnace.
crypt a vault used to hold remains.
death certificate a legal document signed by an attending physician registering the cause of death.
death notice a small notice on the obituary page of a newspaper announcing a death and scheduled funeral services.
deceased dead. Also, one who has died.
disinter to dig up or remove the remains of the dead from its burial or holding place.
disposition the final resting place for the body or remains of the deceased.
door badge a spray of flowers hung from the bereaved's doorway to announce a death in the family.
embalm to disinfect and temporarily preserve the deceased by injecting the veins and arteries with preserving and antiseptic fluids.
embalmer one who works to disinfect and temporarily preserve the body of the deceased through the use of chemicals.
entombment placement of the deceased in a mausoleum.
exhume to dig up the remains of the deceased from the burial site.
family car the limousine the immediate family members of the deceased ride in during a procession to the cemetery.
family room in a funeral home, a room where family members may retire to grieve in private.
flower car a car that transports floral arrangements to the cemetery.
final rites a graveside funeral service.
first call the first meeting between a funeral director and the family of the deceased, usually at the home of the deceased.
funeral coach see hearse.
funeral director one who runs a funeral home and arranges for the care and burial of the deceased and who may act as a counselor to the bereaved. Also known as a mortician or undertaker.
funeral home an establishment that embalms and otherwise cares for the remains of the deceased and arranges for burial. Also known as a mortuary.
funeral spray cut flowers or a floral arrangement sent to the home of the deceased or to the funeral home.
grave the hole in the ground into which a coffin containing the deceased or an urn containing the cre- mains of the deceased is placed.
grave liner a container into which a casket is placed to protect it from the collapse of a grave.
hearse a vehicle that carries a corpse to its gravesite. Also known as a casket coach or funeral coach.
honorary pallbearer one who acts as part of an honor guard for the deceased but who does not carry the casket.
hospice an organization made up of volunteers and nurses who care for the dying in their home.
inquest an inquiry by a jury into the cause of death.
in state of the deceased, presented for viewing by the bereaved.
inter to bury a body in a grave.
interment the burying of a body in a grave.
inurnment the playing of the deceased's ashes into an urn after cremation.
medical examiner a physician who performs autopsies on those who die by suicide, criminal action, or other violent means.
morgue a facility where unknown dead bodies are stored until they can be identified by relatives and then examined for cause of death.
mortician see funeral director.
mortuary see funeral home.
mortuary science the art and science of embalming and preparing a body for burial.
niche a small space in a wall for holding cremains in an urn.
obituary a death notice appearing in a newspaper.
pallbearers friends or family of the deceased who carry the casket during a funeral service or as needed.
preparation room in a funeral home, a room used to ready a body for burial.
preparation table a table on which a body rests while it is being embalmed and otherwise prepared for burial.
procession a slow-moving line of vehicles, including a hearse, proceeding from the funeral service to the cemetery.
purge a putrefied discharge of intestinal material from an orifice of the deceased due to inadequate embalming.
register a sign-in book in which visitors to the funeral home register their names during a service.
reposing room the room in which a body lies in state in its casket until the funeral.
restorative art dermatological repair of damaged features of the deceased.
rigor mortis the stiffening of the muscles after death.
slumber room in a funeral home, a room in which the deceased may lie in a bed before being placed in a casket.
trade embalmer an independent embalmer who may work for several different funeral homes.
undertaker see funeral director.
urn a container in which cremains are held.
vigil among Roman Catholics, a service held the night before the funeral.
visitation in a funeral home, a scheduled time when friends and family may pay their respect to the deceased.
wake a viewing of the deceased before burial, sometimes lasting all night long.