Feds Work to End Use of 10-Codes

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Feds Work to End Use of 10-Codes

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

BY JOHN SCHEIBE

Ventura County Star (California)

If federal Homeland Security officials have their way, the next time a police officer arrives on scene, he'll simply radio back "I'm here" rather than saying "10-97."

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/Feds-Work-to-End-Use-of-10-Codes/1$49499

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Check out the comments on that one. Some really pissed off guys on that topic.

I see both benefits and drawbacks to police radio codes. For certain things like warrant checks, burglary complaints, things like that, they can be useful in keeping conversations relatively covert (albeit the advent of the internet has hampered things significantly) but things like "Officer Down/Needs Assistance" it somewhat complicates matters when other departments are on the line. And for things like "wrecker needed" isn't it sort of a waste of syllables?

Agencies are going to do what they want, the feds need to understand that, but it is good that emergency services are at least having these discussions.

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This is old news, isn't it?

Also, the last time I checked, the plain-text requirement only applies to situations involving mutual aid or where a unified command is established.

[helicopper 1,050]

This is old news, isn't it?

Also, the last time I checked, the plain-text requirement only applies to situations involving mutual aid or where a unified command is established.

Not exactly old news but it has been discussed before. The following is text from the NIMS alert (attached below) on the subject (emphasis added):

While the NIMS Integration Center does not require plain language for internal operations, it strongly encourages it, as it is important to practice every day terminology and procedures that will need to be used in emergency incidents and disasters. It is required that plain language be used for multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction and multi-discipline events, such as major disasters and exercises. Beginning in FY 2006, federal preparedness grant funding was contingent on the use of plain language in incidents requiring assistance from responders from other agencies, jurisdictions, and functional disciplines. Accordingly, the use of 10-codes in daily operations did not result in the loss of federal preparedness funds. The importance of using plain language was further documented in the National Emergency Communications Plan (http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/natlemergencycommplan/) and noted as an FY2008 Compliance Objective of the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

This is the link to the referenced guide to plain language:

http://www.safecomprogram.gov/SAFECOM/library/interoperabilitybasics/1371_plainlanguage.htm

NIMS_ALERT_06-09.pdf