Heard a unit calling a code blue today on Philly PD, I highly doubt its in relation to a "cold weather homeless emergency" on a 75 degree day haha, Do they also follow the EMS/Hospital Code Blue of it being a Cardiac Arrest? Or is this an internal code for something. Thanks all.
Philly PD "Code Blue"
- Thread starter KD2JFA
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Not sure about Philly but some PD use that instead of the more familiar and civilian scary B word .
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KB7MIB
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Doesn't Philly PD do scoop and runs of certain EMS patients, rather than wait for EMS to arrive on scene?
Maybe that's their code for doing it.
Philly Police Officers Are Saving Lives by Taking Shooting Victims to the Hospital Without Waiting for Paramedics
John
Peoria, AZ
Maybe that's their code for doing it.
Philly Police Officers Are Saving Lives by Taking Shooting Victims to the Hospital Without Waiting for Paramedics
John
Peoria, AZ
royldean
Member
I can't for the life of me figure out what the "scary B word" is. A hint, perhaps (for us clueless)?
Well I can think of one word ...Bomb
We have a winner! yes, bomb in other places in PA code blue is used for bomb .
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What do I win - oh what's in this small package.....boom.
royldean
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Of course. Thanks, all!
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As far as I know listening to Philly every day for a long long time code blue means one and only one thing in the city of Philadelphia police and fire.
I only monitor police so if it is used by medics that would be secondary to what local hospitals use also. That would make sense.
I can assure you it is not used by BDU's or Sam units that are dispatched on J band to "suspicious packages" or "bomb threats".
It's Not Unusual when Patrol is trying to find a disposition for a homeless person to ask if there is a Code Blue on, especially in the change of season. Code blue shelters are mandated to take anybody even if they are drunk or on drugs or otherwise banned from regular shelters. The term is shared by surrounding counties like Bucks County.
If it does have something to do with rushing "Hospital cases" by vehicle they haven't put out an official directive yet from the commissioner's office calling it a code blue that I've seen. I don't think they would use that term as that term is already assigned to mean one and only one thing in the Philly Police Department.
I only monitor police so if it is used by medics that would be secondary to what local hospitals use also. That would make sense.
I can assure you it is not used by BDU's or Sam units that are dispatched on J band to "suspicious packages" or "bomb threats".
It's Not Unusual when Patrol is trying to find a disposition for a homeless person to ask if there is a Code Blue on, especially in the change of season. Code blue shelters are mandated to take anybody even if they are drunk or on drugs or otherwise banned from regular shelters. The term is shared by surrounding counties like Bucks County.
If it does have something to do with rushing "Hospital cases" by vehicle they haven't put out an official directive yet from the commissioner's office calling it a code blue that I've seen. I don't think they would use that term as that term is already assigned to mean one and only one thing in the Philly Police Department.
captaincab
Member
Depending on the context it mostly referred to a police officer off duty. Example a district rpc stops a car and for disposition to radio they say clear code blue or off duty calls in a suspicious condition and radio advises caller is a code blue. I highly doubt philly pd is doing a scoop and run on a code blue case unless they are a shooting victim because pfd dispatches a engine or ladder to code blue calls when the medic unit is delayed.
captaincab
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Ppd does have a established radio code for off duty ppd as well as off duty pfd. Also as noted the procedure for dispatching units to a suspicious device call on j band does not involve the b word lol
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You learn something new everyday. I've been listening to Philly for over 50 years and I've never heard an off-duty referred to as a code blue. They're called a 369. It makes sense though.
Bomb disposal units are dispatched on J Band to "suspicious packages" and "bomb threats" they are official terms in the directives, but most likely the bomb threat calls in schools and businesses are done on the phone. Also if an actual device is discovered by radio cars that call would most likely come over the phone also. Of course when they're assigned to "a suspicious package" the district dispatcher always directs cars not to transmit in the area of the suspicious package.
They actually are scooping up shooting victims so the news says. Code blue is a term used in local hospitals and I'm sure the Medics use it also as they are trained in the local hospitals. There is no official directive or anything in writing that calls an incident dealing with an off-duty... code blue, but it makes sense. Never heard it on the radio.
On paper in writing in an official directive there is only one official meaning for code blue in the Philadelphia Police Department that I can find but there is a lot of unofficial slang used on the street.
Interesting note, I've been monitoring since the sixties when I was 12 but I do remember being introduced to shortwave when I was around 10. I remember Philadelphia police cars were red Nash Ramblers with no overhead lights, they only had a little black 5 in 1/4 wave whip on the roof with the old Motorola rounded rubber base. Even though I had tunable radios to get VHF high and low it was not until later in the 60s I was able to hear Philadelphia's 453 megahertz repeater system as UHF was a new thing then on tunable police monitors. Eventually their cars became powder blue but they used that system probably for the next 25 years after that.
In my opinion it was a lot better than what they have now LOL.
Bomb disposal units are dispatched on J Band to "suspicious packages" and "bomb threats" they are official terms in the directives, but most likely the bomb threat calls in schools and businesses are done on the phone. Also if an actual device is discovered by radio cars that call would most likely come over the phone also. Of course when they're assigned to "a suspicious package" the district dispatcher always directs cars not to transmit in the area of the suspicious package.
They actually are scooping up shooting victims so the news says. Code blue is a term used in local hospitals and I'm sure the Medics use it also as they are trained in the local hospitals. There is no official directive or anything in writing that calls an incident dealing with an off-duty... code blue, but it makes sense. Never heard it on the radio.
On paper in writing in an official directive there is only one official meaning for code blue in the Philadelphia Police Department that I can find but there is a lot of unofficial slang used on the street.
Interesting note, I've been monitoring since the sixties when I was 12 but I do remember being introduced to shortwave when I was around 10. I remember Philadelphia police cars were red Nash Ramblers with no overhead lights, they only had a little black 5 in 1/4 wave whip on the roof with the old Motorola rounded rubber base. Even though I had tunable radios to get VHF high and low it was not until later in the 60s I was able to hear Philadelphia's 453 megahertz repeater system as UHF was a new thing then on tunable police monitors. Eventually their cars became powder blue but they used that system probably for the next 25 years after that.
In my opinion it was a lot better than what they have now LOL.
captaincab
Member
Yeah 369 refers to off duty Pd 368 is off duty fire/ems. Philly scoop and run policy is very much based on judgement of the officers. At one time in the 80s/90s early 90s ppd transported more hospital cases as ems was a bit less staffed not that they are fully staffed now lol. But as the older officers retired and call volume grew up and less officers on the street ppd only scoop and runs shooting and stabbings mainly. Sometimes pediatric medical calls depending on nature etc and by policy all 302's unless there is a defined need for ems to transport the 302. Fyi 302 means involuntary psychiatric hold for those who don't know.
royldean
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302 = "doctor takes away your rights for life with no due process"
DASFlies
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Philly lingo for suspicious packages = "no further radio or MDT transmissions..."
Don't be shocked but PA medical marijuana program does too the second you get a marijuan card your drivers license is jeopardized, and you can forget concealed carry permits you lose the ability to own or posses a firearm period.
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That is kind of funny as there was a scoop and go policy for Hospital cases in the 60s and 70s. They stopped doing it because of the legal ramifications when the gang Bangers families would sue when the doer died.
302 is a State Mental Health reference to a warrant that is sworn out by 2 Physicians saying that someone is a danger to themselves or others. If police have the original warrant they take that person into custody.
As we said before when there is a suspicious package or bomb concern no transmissions by radio, that's what they put out first so you know it's a bomb threat.
For the o p. It sounds like there are several meanings for a code blue other than the official documented regulated reason in the directives for that reference. Medics reference to someone not breathing in addition to shelters that are open for the homeless in cold weather seem to be the most logical, ask any cop.
That day you heard that on a 70 degree day could have had something to do with a call dealing with an off-duty cop. Who knows, lots of unofficial slang out there. We have gotten way OT and it's interesting how many opinions there are. I've been listening to Philadelphia over 50 years, I learn something new everyday.
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captaincab
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Yes the scoop and run policy goes way back i think it was only stopped briefly as doctors at local trauma centers fought to get it back as it saves lives without a doubt.
dmg1969
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If a code blue is "the b-word"...that is often followed by a code brown.
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