60-Control Changing to Plain English

[Guest]

As of november 1st 2006,

Memorandum 

Department of Emergency Services

Radio Communications Changes Effective November 1, 2006

Date: September 26, 2006

Plain English:

Clear, concise and effective responder communications can mean the difference between life and death in emergencies.

There are almost 100 Fire & EMS Agencies using radio communications everyday in Westchester County. Many of these agencies use their own variation of the “10 codes†to both shorten and provide a form of security to their radio communications. Specific 10 codes have different meanings to different agencies. This disparity creates an unsafe condition for agencies bordering each other or to those supplying mutual aid.

Recognizing the importance for effective emergency communications, the Federal government is advocating the use of “plain English†in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It recommends that face to face and two way radio communications be conducted using plain English, between local, regional, state and federal partners implementing an effective Incident Command System.

The Department of Emergency Services encourages all of Westchester’s providers to please avoid using codes and to use “plain English†when communicating over the radio or face-to-face operations. To help facilitate the transition to “Plain English†communications, the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) “60 Control†will no longer use 10-codes.

Effective November 1, 2006 when an agency calls 60-Control and uses a 10-code, the ECC Operator will translate the request into plain English and restate the message. (10-Code Translation Chart Enclosed)

60- Control:

Over the years agencies have used different call signs/names when contacting 60-Control. Some use abbreviated phrases such as “60†or “Control†when communicating with 60-Control. Such short phrases can make the already difficult job of monitoring frequencies even harder for the Communication operators.  A number of agencies refer to their own dispatch center as “controlâ€. There are also a number of apparatus in the County that are identified as “60â€, i.e., Engine 60, Rescue 60 etc. To achieve clear communication and minimize the opportunity for confusion, all agency radio users are requested to only use “60 Control†when calling. 

Thank you for you assistance in creating a safer communications system for all of our emergency services providers.

[hudson144 150]

10-4!!! in the lower county when you go mutual aid into another city the 10-code is all different,it can be confusing. the only thing about the 10 code in the lower citys that may not make a difference is that half the time you don't hear what the other dept is doing or saying because we are all on different frequencys (another serious problem) plain english-keep it short!!!

Edited September 27, 2006 by hudson144

[DOC22 1]

Message Received! Actually I think this is something that should have been implemented a long time qago.

[Guest]

I think plain old English would take alot of Air time as if we dont already on some Freqs......As always lets be sure to stay calm on all transmitions and try to keep em short, simple, clear/understandable, and to the point.

Stay Calm, Stay Safe...."Work Together, Win Together"--->EMTBravo.com

-Chris

Edited September 27, 2006 by NRFDTL11Buff

[Guest]

Anyone have the "Translation Chart"?

Also, did WC have to make the announcement before 9-30-06 in order to get NY State NIMS certification ??

Edited September 28, 2006 by hoss

[jloftus 28]

Hey Hudson well said , now we cant hear each other in plain language.

Maybe we could write notes to Newro and send them by birds

[CAM502 6]

Didn't Mt Vernon and Yonkers get those brand new ACU-1000 interoperability units recently??? I wonder if they are in service yet??

[DOC22 1]

I found this on the Bearcat website:

WESTCHESTER COUNTY FIRE CODES:

10-1 Phone 10-22 Structure Fire

10-2 Return to Quarters 10-23 Rubbish Fire

10-3 Tone Test 10-24 Vehicle Fire

10-5 Repeat Message 10-25 Brush Fire

10-7 Verify Location 10-26 Public Assistance

10-9 Present Location? 10-27 Request Police

10-10 Emergency Traffic Only 10-28 Request Fire Investigator

10-11 Radio Test 10-29 Progress Report

10-12 Ambulance Call 10-30 Situation Under Control

10-13 Mutual Aid Call 10-33 Request Additional Manpower

10-14 Drill or Meeting 10-35 Extrication Call

10-15 Report to Control 10-36 EMS Assistance

10-16 False Alarm 10-39 In Service on Pager

10-17 Responding 10-40 In Quarters

10-19 Arrived at Scene

10-20 Proceed at Reduced Speed

10-21 Working Fire

[Guest]

about time, it works well in Putnam, it should work well in Westchester.

[JetPhoto 626]

about time, it works well in Putnam, it should work well in Westchester.

←

Dutchess had done this over a decade ago, and it works just fine. There are couple of terms that still get used , such as:

10-4 acknowledged

Code 1 cold response

Code 3 hot response

Code 99 notification to St Francis for incoming trauma

And we use the priority system for EMS jobs, P1 - serious in nature to P4 - minor in nature

Good luck Westchester, but it will no doubt be a little while before everyone stops using the 10 codes.

[JBE 328]

Wow, code 99, I remember that one.

Wow, again 1,100 posts.

Edited September 28, 2006 by JBE

[JohnnyOV 2]

Its about time...plain english is the way to go.

I must admit...ill miss hearing "transmit the 10-75"

[EJS1810 7]

I think plain old English would take alot of Air time as if we dont already on some Freqs......As always lets be sure to stay calm on all transmitions and try to keep em short, simple, clear/understandable, and to the point.

As long as people dont need to hear thier own voice plain english works just fine. It takes just as long to say Working Fire as it does to say 10-75 or is it 10-22? It's just not as buffy.

Along those lines if you need an Ambulance, ask for an Ambulance. If you need a bus, make sure you specify if it is a school bus, transit bus, over the road motor coach, or a handicapped bus.

Thats plain english, not NYC slang!

[JBE 328]

And don't say, "K" to Putnam 911. You will be responded to with "LMNOP". True story.

But seriously, I feel both 10-codes and clear text have their place in Emergency communications. Sometimes 10-codes work better in certain situations than clear text. Other times the opposite is true. Although I have been using 10-codes for nearly my entire career in communications, so I am a little more comfortable with them.

PS, well said, Eddie. If it's kept brief and concise, it works best for those who use it as SOP.

Edited September 28, 2006 by JBE

[res6cue 67]

Hmm, I suspect Rockland will be going that route also, although we have very few "signals" here to begin with and almost always we use plain English along with them. For example, a dispatch would come across as "Signal 10, oven fire..." or "Signal 20, request for extrication..." so the signal is clearly redundant anyway. We'll just have to get used to saying "We have a working fire" instead of "Signal 12" or "Fire is under control" instead of "Signal 11", but that's not too bad.

While I'm not opposed to plain English, in some situations it most certainly will take up more air time. It's too bad we could never agree on or stuck with a nationwide set standard of 10 codes decades ago, this whole restructuring might've been avoided. Oh well.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Plain English is good an d bad in my opinin but somethings will get lost in translation, no pun intended. They have to come out with a written script for each statement and a definition hen, where and howe to use it like for signals and codes.

[Jared1979 19]

I dont think that is a good idea for 60 control to go that route, my reason is this there is no need to use plain english on the radio if there is too much confusion with the codes then there is a need to train the disptachers on codes mean what again I still think this a bad idea besides the ten codes sound more professional than plain english.

[Guest EMSCOMM80]

I dont think that is a good idea for 60 control to go that route, my reason is this there is no need to use plain english on the radio if there is too much confusion with the codes then there is a need to train the disptachers on codes mean what again I still think this a bad idea besides the ten codes sound more professional than plain english.

←

I think it is a good idea for some people to get help with basic english.

Edited September 28, 2006 by EMSCOMM80

[JohnnyOV 2]

I think it is a good idea for some people to get help with basic english.

←

maybe we should stick with the 10-codes just for this reason

[Guest]

I found this on the Bearcat website:

WESTCHESTER COUNTY FIRE CODES:

10-1  Phone                           10-22  Structure Fire

10-2  Return to Quarters              10-23  Rubbish Fire

10-3  Tone Test                       10-24  Vehicle Fire

10-5  Repeat Message                  10-25  Brush Fire

10-7  Verify Location                 10-26  Public Assistance

10-9  Present Location?               10-27  Request Police

10-10 Emergency Traffic Only          10-28  Request Fire Investigator

10-11 Radio Test                      10-29  Progress Report

10-12 Ambulance Call                  10-30  Situation Under Control

10-13 Mutual Aid Call                 10-33  Request Additional Manpower

10-14 Drill or Meeting                10-35  Extrication Call

10-15 Report to Control               10-36  EMS Assistance

10-16 False Alarm                     10-39  In Service on Pager

10-17 Responding                      10-40  In Quarters

10-19 Arrived at Scene

10-20 Proceed at Reduced Speed

10-21 Working Fire

←

Lets Not Forget 10-75 Working Structure Fire, even though you listed 10-22.

I think that will be a hard one to keep away from since we are all pretty much used to using that that saying structure fire......

Edited September 28, 2006 by NRFDTL11Buff

[Guest]

Plain English: (Recommendations)

Old 10-Code: New “Plain Englishâ€

10-1 Landline “designate location/numberâ€

10-2 Returning to quarters

10-3 Pager/Station Alert Test

10-4 Message Received

10-5 Repeat Your Message

10-6 All Units Stand-By

10-7 Repeat the Address

10-8 In Service

10-9 Your Present Location

10-10 Requesting Radio Silence - Emergency Communications Only

10-11 Radio Test

10-12 EMS Call

10-13 Mutual Aid (Fire or EMS) Request

10-14 Out of Service

10-15 Blank

10-16 False Alarm

10-17 Responding

10-18 Blank

10-19 On Location (At scene)

10-20 Respond with Caution

10-21 Blank

10-22 Structure Fire

10-23 Rubbish Fire (Type)

10-24 Vehicle Fire (Type)

10-25 Brush Fire (Type)

10-26 Assistance Call

10-27 Request Police to scene

10-28 Request Fire Investigation and/or C&O Team

10-29 Progress Report

10-30 Situation Under Control

10-35 Extrication

10-36 EMS Call

10-39 In service by pager

10-40 Back in Headquarters

10-45 Fatal/Serous Injury/Minor Injury at Fire

10-68 Heat Complaint

10-75 Working Structure Fire (Request First, Second, Third Alarm, etc.)

10-85 En-route to Hospital (xxx)

10-86 Arrived at Hospital (xxx)

10-88 Bomb Threat

[Guest]

And don't say, "K" to Putnam 911. You will be responded to with "LMNOP". True story.

←

Love it!

And actually, Federal preparedness funds are contingent on the jurisdiction using plain English in incidents requiring assistance from responders from other agencies and jurisdictions. This requirement (which does go along with NIMS...) takes effect Oct. 1, 2006.

Next, someone will have to come up with an "official" definition of "plain Engllish"....

[HCFRFF 0]

My Deparment went to plain english within the past 2 years and yes it was hard at first to stop using 10 codes but you will get use to it in time. The only 10 codes that we are allowed to use are 1. when a pt is dead which is 10-7 2. when the apparatus is OOS/broke down (i dont even know that code). 3. A bomb scare ten code we have to use and cannot use plain engilish. 4. when we are in danger we say Signal 10 and shut off the radio if involed in a domestic,fight ect. The only other one that i gaurentee you will continue to use is 10-4. Thats the hardest thing not to say on the radio. The department and ECC has learned to accept that and we still use it.

[EJS1810 7]

I dont think that is a good idea for 60 control to go that route, my reason is this there is no need to use plain english on the radio if there is too much confusion with the codes then there is a need to train the disptachers on codes mean what again I still think this a bad idea besides the ten codes sound more professional than plain english.

←

Why is it always the Dispatchers fault? We are the ones who know what the codes mean. See the post from HCFRFF who dosen't know what the code is for apparatus out of service. As for being more proffessional, see my earlier post regarding sounding buffy on the radio. Rattling off 10-8, 10-19, 10-?? does in now way sound proffessional. Giving clear concise (sp?) information sounds proffessional.

Edited September 28, 2006 by EJS1810

[Guest]

Guys -

Bottom line is that saying "car 2256 on arrival", "engine 247 clear of scene", and "utility 34 en-route" is a lot clearer than blurting out 10-codes. In my town in CT we use plain english and never have a problem understadning each other at all.

[res6cue 67]

As long as people dont need to hear thier own voice plain english works just fine.  It takes just as long to say Working Fire as it does to say 10-75 or is it 10-22?  It's just not as buffy.

Along those lines if you need an Ambulance, ask for an Ambulance.  If you need a bus, make sure you specify if it is a school bus, transit bus, over the road motor coach, or a handicapped bus.

Thats plain english, not NYC slang!

As for being more proffessional, see my earlier post regarding sounding buffy on the radio.  Rattling off 10-8, 10-19, 10-?? does in now way sound proffessional.  Giving clear concise (sp?) information sounds proffessional.

Oh c'mon now, you're really trying to make the point that the only reason 10 codes exist is so we can sound "buffy" on the radio?

10 codes were actually designed to AVOID confusion, not create it. As you yourself implied, you can refer to an ambulance by quite a few terms, including the potentially confusing "bus". However, if there were a 10 code for "send ambulance", there's really no confusing that, is there? Which sounds more professional: "Put a rush on da bus!" or "6-Command to 44-Control, I need a 105 here forthwith"?

As I said in my previous post, there's nothing wrong with the concept of using plain English. The trouble starts when people either can't comprehend what "use plain English" actually means, and they start with the slang...or when people just can't speak clearly or pronounce words properly.

If they had come up with a standard set of 10 codes back in the day that everyone had actually adopted, this most likely wouldn't even be an issue to begin with. Furthermore, if the Federal Government weren't so clearly inept at emergency management, there wouldn't be a need for them to use "lack of communication among local responders" as a scapegoat for their own ineptitude. But now we're all forced by Uncle Sam to change our ways...ways that have worked for decades just fine...and to take a bunch of BS NIMS classes...or we can kiss any grant money goodbye. I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous, really it is.

Edited September 28, 2006 by res6cue

[dadbo46 50]

I dont think that is a good idea for 60 control to go that route, my reason is this there is no need to use plain english on the radio if there is too much confusion with the codes then there is a need to train the disptachers on codes mean what again I still think this a bad idea besides the ten codes sound more professional than plain english.

←

WHAT ??? Would someone please convert this to plain English please ?

[helicopper 1,050]

I dont think that is a good idea for 60 control to go that route, my reason is this there is no need to use plain english on the radio if there is too much confusion with the codes then there is a need to train the disptachers on codes mean what again I still think this a bad idea besides the ten codes sound more professional than plain english.

←

Wow. Train the dispatchers? The dispatchers are the only ones who get extensive training in using radios! I don't care which discipline you pick, police, fire, ems, or other, there are LOTS of people who simply have no radio etiquette. Don't blame the dispatchers for a system failure!!!

If all the agencies that use 60-Control, or all agencies in Westchester County for that matter, use the same set of 10-codes this would probably not be that big a deal. Unfortunately, with several different sets of codes in use, it is almost impossible for anyone to keep track of who is saying what on which frequency.

I think the change makes sense and will make all our lives easier.

[RWC130 594]

10-4... K!

[EJS1810 7]

Recieved-LMNOP