"10" Codes staying put...........For Now!

[FFighter81]

As taken from FireHouse.com


Firehouse.Com News

The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has announced today that it is no longer necessary for first responders to discontinue using the 10-Code system of verbal communication in order to come into compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

Speaking at the Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in Miami Beach, Chertoff said there was a strong response from the law enforcement community against this proposal. "We had a discussion about it. As a result, I have decided that NIMS compliance will not include the requirement of the abolition of 10-Codes in everyday law enforcement communications"

That announcement was followed by a warm round of applause from the full house of police chiefs at the Jackie Gleason Theater.

Chertoff went on to warn that when there are multi-jurisdictional and multi-emergency events that there must exist a common language that addresses the variations that exist in 10-Code communication. "Everybody needs to be up to the challenge."

Chertoff also announced an initiative to enhance information sharing capabilities. A pilot program will provide real time incident information, real time alerts that DHS officials receive from the Homeland Security Operations Center. In the pilot areas, Chertoff said these alerts will be made available to key state and local emergency managers who need them also, at the same time as DHS officials get them.

"It is another way of connecting to you and giving you visibility to what we are doing and what we are facing as common challenges," Chertoff said.

NIMS was developed by Homeland Security to provided a consistent nationwide template to enable federal, state, local, and tribal governments and private-sector and non-governmental organizations to work together effectively and efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic terrorism. Abolishing the 10-Code verbal communication was part of the consistency dictated.

Compliance comes in as a condition for federal preparedness assistance (through grants, contracts, and other activities) beginning in FY 2005. Therefore all departments and agencies must adopt the NIMS and use it in their individual domestic incident management and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation programs and activities.

 

[rick521]

Originally Posted by BoxAlarm187
Did you miss the article on www.officer.com that Chertoff has reversed his reversal, and now plain-text is expected to be in use by 2007? It was posted this week.

I don't want to highjack this thread, but I work closesly with two law enforcement agencies that both use clear text, and have no problem with it - either for officer safety, or messages taking longer to deliver.

People that talk on the radio too much are on both sides - dispatchers, firefighters, and LEO's.

From the officer.com article.

Amid the protests, the government backed off just a bit, allowing departments to communicate internally with 10-codes on a day-to-day basis. But by October 2007, they'll risk losing federal preparedness grants if they don't speak in plain English when working with other departments during emergencies.

For a while, at least, old habits may be hard to break. "In stressful situations, people react to how they've been trained," said James McLaughlin, executive director of the Texas Police Chiefs Association.

But the 10-code is dying among junior officers and complicates multijurisdictional responses. Already, the Texas Rangers and DPS don't use code, spokeswoman Tela Mange said.

 

[rick521]

But the 10-code is dying among junior officers and complicates multijurisdictional responses. Already, the Texas Rangers and DPS don't use code, spokeswoman Tela Mange said.

Salina PD and Saline SO are already in the process of dropping 10 codes, in every day use. I suspect it will not be to many years and they will be gone.

 

[KAA951]

I have zero objections to using plain text when working with other agencies during emergency incidents and knew that was still part of the FEMA plan. However, day to day use of codes in law enforcement will be unchanged and I know that my agency has no plans to move away from using them.

Law enforcement codes have three primary purposes- brevity, clear understanding and security. Brevity- codes keep transmissions short if they are used properly. Understanding- How many ways are there to say I don't need any more help (cops won't say the "H" word unless they are missing a limb or two)- or just say "I'm 10-36". Security- yep, I can listen to a scanner and learn all the codes- they are even listed on this site. But- most bad guys don't have a clue. When I am on a stop and the dispatcher tells me "Signal 9" I know the mope is a wanted felon- instead of my dispatcher telling me in plain language where the mope can hear that there is a felony warrant the the guy is probably going to go to prison if he doesn't hurt or kill me to escape. When I ask for a Signal 55 in Shawnee County the suspect has no clue but other officers know something has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and I need a backup.

The fire service (and I have more than decade of service in both law enforcement and fire- not to mention my time as a dispatcher) doesn't have the same issues. Brevity- "Enroute", "On Scene", "In command", "Clear the Scene" "In Quarters". On 90+% of calls that is the only radio traffic a fire company will need. Look at Shawnee County where they do use fire 10-codes. The only ones they need are 10-4, 10-8, 10-23 and 10-9. Understanding- with only a few types of transmissions- how hard is it to figure out. Security- the fire doesn't care what you say...

Enough said.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

Enough said.

How come no one can answer why clear text works so well for our jurisdictions that use it?

Like you, I have experience in law enforcement, dispatching, and firefighting, and I am sorry, but I have no clue why it's such a big damn deal. If officer safety is a concern, let the department keep 3 or 4 signals or codes for the wanted person notification.

A majority of the clear-text opponents seem to be the officers that have never tried it.

 

[hjvan]

10 codes are overrated. It's just as easy to say "ok" instead of 10-4, or "repeat" instead of 10-9. Plus, with the increased emphasis on interoperability - 10 codes would be obselete in these instances anyway since different agencies use different codes.

 

[Kegan30317]

Atlanta PD recently tried to drop codes and signals (they don't use 10 codes) and switch to plain text. Right now it is sort of a hybrid. Dispatch tends to use plain text, many of the officers are using codes still - most likely force of habit.

 

[Buckskinner33]

Could be worst... We all could be using Q signals

 

[n0lqt]

Could be worst... We all could be using Q signals

I have to inject a "sort of funny" into all this at this point. Many many many years ago I got my Amatuer Radio License. I then turned 15 and discovered Ham Radio and 15 year girls were mutually exclusive pursuits. Being the harmonal teenager I was, Ham Radio went out the window...

Fast forward several years later and I am a Patrol Sergeant working the midnight shift in Newton. Turns out there was a few other late night denizens that also had been interested in Ham Radio. Several of us got our licenses in 1988 and would keep each other awake thru the night by chatting on the local 2-meter repeater. Not all were law enforcement.

I wanted to carry the radio with me in the patrol car and had to get permission from the Chief to install it. He was fine with it, but told me specifically that I needed to be sure to keep the two radio systems seperate (I believe he was thinking "10-4 good buddy, I'll catch you on the flip-flop" type language) I assured him that it would not be a problem. I might add that our department used 10-codes and "KHP Signals" at that time and Ham radio exclusively uses "Q-Signals" (QSO, QSL, QRZ, QRU, ect.)

Well one day, less than a month later, I am having to work a double shift from 11 pm until 3 pm. It is right at the noon hour and I was really starting to feel the previous 15 hours of work. I had been talking to another Ham for several minutes when the Chief comes on the PD radio and says that he is following a possible drunk driver and asks if there was a marked unit near him. I was only about 8 or 9 blocks behind him, so I responded. Traffic was kind of thick on K-15, so I was having to weave in and out of traffic to make it up to where he was. The guy I was talking to on the 2-meter radio, of course, picks that moment to start droning on and on about something. So I am trying to listen to what the Chief is saying and listen for the 2-meter to open up where I can sign off properly. (new license and I didn't want to tarnish it with all the "old hands" by not following proper radio procedures and rules)

Just as I spot the Chief's car, I finally get a break on the 2-meter and tell the other guy I've got a call and have to sign off, "...N0LQT, QRT." I drop that mic and grab the other mic. Now, the car we were looking for was a red "Honda." I think I see the car up ahead, but wanted to make sure I've got the right one, so I ask the Chief over the PD radio,

"That was a red Honda, QSL?"

The moment I said it, I realized what I had just done. I figured I would probably get chewed out for using Q-Signals at the least. Fortunately, the Chief was distracted as I was (he doesn't get much chance to chase DUI's anymore) and just responded hesitantly,

"No,,,,, I think it might be a Honda CRX, but I can't tell these little foreign cars apart anymore...."



Well, it was funny at the time at least..... Turns out the guy wasn't drunk. He was just trying to figure out how to use the brand new "Cellular Phone" he had installed in his car that week.

The following year, 1990, was the Hesston tornado and Ham Radio ended up being a major factor in that situation. Eventually, several officers in the county and city departments along with the Director of Emergency Preparedness and a Chief of Police in another town ended up getting their licenses. Even now, you hear an occiasonal "Q-Signal" slip out on the scanner....

 

[Buckskinner33]

Guilty, on that same problem.

 

[rick521]

That is a good story!!!

 

[gdps714]

"10" Codes

Just FYI we learned today that "10" codes in Johnson County are going away. As of today plain english is the new standard. We have been told that dispatch will still answer officers if they use "10" codes for now. I know I will a few slips where I use "10" codes. Just like anything else it takes some time to transition when your used to something else.

We are dispatched by Johnson County Sheriff's Office, so I don't know what is happening with the other cities in Johnson County that have thier own dispatchers.

Lee
Gardner Public Safety

 

[Thunderbolt]

Down in the Miami, Florida area, many of the UC units Q** for radio codes over their systems. I was really shocked to hear Ham Radio "Q" Signals being used for regular police communications. Likewise, when the TV show "COPS" has been with some of the departments down there, they actually use "Q" Signals while on routine patrol. I wonder how many of those officers and deputy sheriffs are licensed Amateur Radio Operators?

73's

Ron

 

[gdps714]

"10" Codes

Update, I showed up for work this morning and was told that we are not changing. We are now continuing to use "10" codes. So for now Johnson County, at least the agencies dispatched by the Sheriff's department, are staying with "10" Codes. I think we will be changing eventually but not right now.

Lee

 

[Buckskinner33]

History of "Q" Signals

Down in the Miami, Florida area, many of the UC units Q** for radio codes over their systems. I was really shocked to hear Ham Radio "Q" Signals being used for regular police communications. Likewise, when the TV show "COPS" has been with some of the departments down there, they actually use "Q" Signals while on routine patrol. I wonder how many of those officers and deputy sheriffs are licensed Amateur Radio Operators?

73's

Ron

Thats interesting. I dont think there HAMS per say. I do know that the Millitary uses them a lot or USE too. I thought that the the origin of the "Q" signals was derived from millitary and Civil defence use. I also recall how much easier it was to pound out "QSL" or "QRT" when working morse code. As to when it started becoming in use to mainsrteem tele-communication, I'm not sure. I think QST magazine had an article on the "Passing of Morse Code" a few years back, talking about the many things that morse code did, introduced, and accomplished since its introduction. I know that the "Q" signals was one of them, and I think that it went into some detail on how "Q" signals are being used and mis-used. It was a pretty interesting article. Ill try to find it and post it.

Here is what I found on the history of "Q" Signals...

The Q Code came into being internationally in 1912 to overcome the language problems involved in communications by radio among ships and shore stations of all countries. The original list of 50 adopted by international agreement in London contain many which are still familiar to military and amateur operators-QRN, QRM, QSO, the traffic operator's QRK, QSY and QRV -are now well past the half-century mark in continuous usage. QSL still has the official 1912 definition despite the changed informal usages it is subjected to in amateur practice. The QN signals for amateur net operation were introduced in the late 1930s by W1UE (now W4IA) to lighten the burdens of net control operators.

The telegraph call CQ was born on the English Telegraph nearly a century ago as a signal meaning "All stations. A notification to all postal telegraph offices to receive the message." Its meaning was close to the present meanings of QNC and QST. Like many other telegraph terms which originated on the landlines, CQ was brought over into radio and used as a general call to all ships by the Marconi Company. Other companies used KA until the London Convention of 1912, which adopted CQ as the international general call or "attention" signal. CQ still means, literally, "attention" but in amateur radio its meaning is perhaps more accurately described by Thomas Raddell who compared it to yelling "Hey, Mac!" down a drain pipe.

You guys know as well as I do that "radio" has some funny quirks to it. Especialy when it come to High Frequencies. I am greatfull, I have the knowledge to get my message across when it starts to act up. The introduction of "Q" keeps long sentences short, sweet and to the point.

If it wasnt for radios we all still be beating drums and blowing Obos to get our messages across.