10 codes

I have to ask because I am mad! I work for a F/T EMS service and I am a retired FF/Medic who has a question. How many Fire/EMS services still use 10 codes. I hate hearing 10-5 when you clear at a call. I think and thought that things were suppose to change follwing 9/11. Am I wrong? I guess what concerns me the most is that I was a carear FF/Medic in S.C and then moved back up north and started to run F/T EMS and the codes are diffrent. Is anyone also running into this problem?

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Permalink Reply by kenny on June 21, 2008 at 8:14pm

We are still using the 10-codes here to in south ga.

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Permalink Reply by EMS_GIRL08 on February 14, 2009 at 10:59pm

yes I am. In my small hometown we still using 10 codes

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Permalink Reply by FF Nick on February 15, 2009 at 1:55am

All plain english here, just as NIMS teaches. The only 10 code that we use still is 10-4. Most have started using "copy". If someone talks to us with 10 codes or signals we'll ask "Whats a 10-25 or a sig 72?" Alot of us know but we just do it to help get and keep the habit broken

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Permalink Reply by Lt. Hanks on February 15, 2009 at 5:23am

I agree, I hate 10 codes. As a F/T dispatcher on a border county where the codes are totally different in that state, I hate them. They were supposed to go away with NIMS compliance, but guess what, they havent. Even some dispatchers have a hard time letting them go. As a vol FD LT I all to often hear us get dispatched for a 10-52 (ambulance) assist, or a 10-70 (fire) car. I personaly think that old habits die hard, some just a hell of a lot harder than others.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on February 15, 2009 at 7:09am

I made the mistake ONCE and used 10 code in my transmission...believe me it won't happen again.....The way I got chewed out I thought I had just deflowered the Chief's daughter or something......Paul

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Permalink Reply by Trainer on February 15, 2009 at 7:33am

About 10 years ago our county sheriff sent us a new code catalog, and I mean this thing was a catalog, about 1 1/2in thick. We all got a good laugh and threw it in the file cabinet; the only reason for this was scanner land. He never fully implemented it but does us some for the biggies, DOA, suicide, stuff like that. We are doing our best to not use codes, and for the most part we do, some like 10-4 will hold out for a long time, now if you’ll excuse me for a 10-100….:)

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Permalink Reply by Jayson Spencer on February 15, 2009 at 1:25pm

Imwith you i hate the 10 codes .I m on a Vol.F.D. 2 years now and they preach to us use plain english and most of the Vol.F.D.s do but we cant get central dispatch and the city F.D. to do the same so we have started to do this when we get a call we use plain english every time and they will use the codes we simply say could u repeat your last traffic we dont know the 10 codes. or they will ask are you 97 and we say no we are on scene it really makes them mad but what are they gonna do nothing because that is the way it is suppost to be plain english they will get over it and still occasionally they will try the codes with us and we use plain english back to themits really alot of fun. they all need to take the ICS/nims and maybe they will understand . just keep using plain english back and it will eventually catch on trusy it did here.

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Permalink Reply by Jared Rahr on February 15, 2009 at 2:56pm

We have been told many times that we arent to use the 10 code. Our department has tried to get away from them, but there is always some of the senior members of the department who think they still need to use them. This is true county wide. Our very rural county has many older ff's who use the code and many younger ff's have no idea what any of it means. Its so easy to say, "we are clear of the scene and going back to the station." instead of " we're 10-24, 10-8, 10-76, 10-19 to the garage." thats what those all mean and its ridiculous.

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Permalink Reply by Daren on February 15, 2009 at 3:15pm

After teh world trade center attacks in south carolina we were suppose to stop using ten codes but it hasnt happened yet. Most of the time we use plain talk but we still catch ourselves using ten codes. Usually is dispatch that uses them.

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on February 15, 2009 at 6:20pm

For your example Jared, we have an even simpler phrase to use "abcde Pumper returning". Mind you, we have a lot of people who seem to think that they have to say "abcde Pumper has been released and is returning to station", but the State heirarchy is starting to stamp on that unnecessary talk. Changing habitsd is hard, but often much needed.

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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on February 15, 2009 at 6:30pm

10 codes are a thing of the past. LOL there is a chief in my county that still uses them and stumps dispatch from time to time. Its not hard for most but he can't get past the damn 10 codes.

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Permalink Reply by Frank Svitak on February 15, 2009 at 7:01pm

Here is an even simpler idea and it stops alot of unneeded radio traffic. In our department, we do not clear the individual units. The IC will clear everyone at the same time. As IC I will call dispatch and say "Be advised all units are clear of the scene, returning to quarters available". We found that this helps because most of the time dispatch couldn't care less about clearing individual units let alone taking the time to answer them( we are dispatched by the police dispatchers). They just want to know when we are all clear. Now we are a rural company, so this won't work say in a bigger city, but for a rural dept. where a few companies from different areas use the same dispatch center(we don't have a central dispatch in our county yet) it can help. Besides not being confusing with all the codes, it just sounds a little more professional.