No More Ten Code

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kd5pqv

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After years of using ten code Coleman County Texas is no longer using ten code and now just using plain language. This means every public service department with in Coleman County. Does this mean every department is on a time line to change are is this just our county.
 

Raven95150

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There has been a nationwide push for all emergency services to use plain language rather than 10-codes. This is because of the confusion they can create when different departments use different codes. EMS in my area recently stopped using 10-codes, but most of the city/county LE agencies around here have never really used codes as long as I have listened to them. The state patrol still uses them though.
 

ff-medic

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A story simial to one I have read in the past. The US Governmebt is wanting to abolish them.

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cach...+get+rid+of+10+codes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us


Aproxmately seven or eight years ago, One of our local dispatchers asked the deputy , who had just ran DMV / NCIC info, if he was in his cruiser. The Deputy stated " YES". Afterwards, In which the dispatcher gave current NCIC/warrant info on the individual pulled over. Had he been standing next to teh felon when the info came over the radio..it probably could have caused the officer danger / injury.

You are standing next to , or are near an individual wanted / false name is given....and they pop up in NCIC ; shortly afterwards the dispatcher tells the deputy/officer/trooper that they are wanted. All while the possibilty exist that they are standing next to them doing a field interview. "IF"...If that oficer has not patted them down, or searched them yet..It could be potentially dangerous for the officer.

Short brevity codes - few in number, that will not give out potential NCIC / wanted info, info related to confidential or security operations..while standing near an individual or individuals, is necessary. I want not want to be an officer near a crowd, or in a public area, restrauant eating, and get a call from dispatch for an event that could cause a rush to the scene, of civilians or media ; that could endanger them by just showing up.

Scenerio = An officer on a traffic stop , approaching a vehicle notices the butt end of an assult rifle under some fabric/clothes in the back seat, and a gang /prison tatoo on the driver. A simple code ( Code??? / 10-??? ) alerts the dispatcher to the possible violent situation and can send backup to the officer..possible again =- in code, and the responding officer can..IN Code, be told to switch to another freq, since the individual being pulled over can hear everything on the radio of the officer standing next to him.

Overseas....We had a challenge and password in code. If the dispatcher..or another individual thought/believed another individual was in danger, or the call was dangerous anyway..Challenge and password was given. The right response and and all was well. The bad response - - - - - And the place got flooded with backup on a seperate freq - -And that freq was only in the mobile vehicles. Codes are needed !!

Agencys should have "10" codes ; Or as I describe as "Brevity" codes - and for being brief , so a whole paragraph does not have to be said over a radio. But I do not believe that there needs to be a significant number of codes= ???? 30 or more ?????.

Fire and EMS units, same thing. Codes used for brevity and when speaking near unauthorized / civilian individuals. Explosion - Man with gun at hospital - bomb threat - airline emergency..ect..ect

Radio codes, I believe, have a useful purpose. But they have to be invented ; and used by that agency properly. Same with radio encryption - it has a useful purpose.


FF-Medic - - - - -
 

ibagli

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The fire departments around me have stopped using them for the most part (although the codes that were the most common still stick around). Police department code use seems to be limited to around 10-15.
 

JoeyC

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ShawnCowden said:
Y not just come out with one national 10-code list to follow ?

Better idea. Why not just use common sense when communicating over the radio? Since its no secret that cops are in the presence of the public most of the time while working the public will inevitably overhear whats coming over their radios. Simple radio policies and procedures and a little common sense before transmitting will ensure officer safety in the presence of wanted persons.

A wanted person hearing the result of their wants and warrent inquiry over the radio is going to react the same way whether you say 10-60, 10-80, positive W&W, code 99 or simply Your subject has warrants. If you think by using a secret code to tell the officer that a subject is wanted when the subject already is aware of his want status, you are dreaming.
 

ff-medic

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JoeyC said:
A wanted person hearing the result of their wants and warrent inquiry over the radio is going to react the same way whether you say 10-60, 10-80, positive W&W, code 99 or simply Your subject has warrants. If you think by using a secret code to tell the officer that a subject is wanted when the subject already is aware of his want status, you are dreaming.

Some folks give false names, some do not know that they have warrants..and ect..ect..ect.

FF-Medic - - - - - -
 

WA4MJF

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The mandate for clear language is ONLY for comms in incidents that have multi-agency response. Here in NC the 10 codes are alive and well for intra agency coms. My fire
pager is full of them. If you type everything in the clear, then it may take several transmissions to get a message on your alpha pager rather than using 10 Codes,
Med codes, etc. The NCSHP still uses them, etc, etc.
 

mjthomas59

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There has been talk for years about getting rid of 10-codes. They do have their uses within 1 agency but once you start getting state, local, county, federal etc all needing to communicate thats when you have to put them to rest. Now that the internet exists and websites just like this, the hardcore criminals know the ones to listen for. So as far as usefulness, the only use i see is that it is sometimes quicker to give a tencode than it is to say that you are going to lunch, or will be out at the station, or on a traffic stop or whatever the case is.

The usual response in law enforcement when you ask a question is "we've always done it that way" so my guess is that 10 codes will never completely go away. As far as not having a national list of 10 codes, who knows.... "they've always done it that way":D They all don't carry the same weapons, have the same use of force policies, use the same frequencies, or even carry the same radios... when everything else is different and designed for self-sufficiency 10 codes kind of slip through the cracks.

I'd settle for a way for officers of different departments to be able to communicate with eachother but in my area(and most others) that isn't any closer now than it was during 9/11
 

K4DHR

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When my county went to its digital system in 2006, all of the cities using it were required to standardize their 10 codes as the county now handles all of the dispatching duties for everyone.

However on a recent ride-along, I noticed that the officer I was riding with used 10 codes very sparingly, mainly in situations where it was habit (10-4, 10-8, etc). When he was running IDs and/or the dispatcher would announce a new call, all communications were done in plain language.
 
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