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Clear Text or Radio Codes? Are you NIMS Compliant?
There has been a big push the last 10-years to do away with any code usage. This was primarily done because of mutual aid responses. It's too difficult for everyone to know all the various numerical codes that agencies were using. Not much is really standardized unless you are talking on a CB. A couple of years ago, this discussion occurred regarding the use of 10-Codes.
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With words, everyone knows what is going on. Short, concise phrases or words are used to minimize radio traffic and in some cases, voice communications are minimized with the use of buttons on a computer console that indicates responding, on scene, available, etc.
One of the best descriptions of an emergency communications system was provided by who works in Fort Washington, Maryland.
"Our county uses computer dispatching along with numeric paging and station tone outs. We use standard vocal transmissions on 10 UHF channels one of them the main dispatch channel and the rest response and fireground channels. EMS radio channels are controled through state medical operations for medical transmissions to hospitals but we can transmit info on a response channel to our communications center so they can call the hospital by phone and tell them what a ambulance is bringing to them.
The med channels have tone guards so that units can use the same channel without messing with the other units in another county or state. As far as I know this is a nation wide radio system because we can transmit to hospitals in other states under direction of the state EMS operations.
The county is working on replacing the present radio system with a 700 to 800 mHz system. All the surrounding counties, cities and states have replaced theirs and our county was the holdout while the others are talking to each other and we are still using VHF mutual aid radios or putting their radios in our units to talk to them."
How are things done in Australia and New Zealand?
Aaron Whitford posted in a discussion that in New Zealand, they use a LMR (land mobile radio) network. This allows a "toned" message to be sent to the fire communications center to minimize voice communication. The LMR is posted above.
from Melbourne, Australia reported that they are dispatched by alpha/numeric pagers. Communication from then on is by VHF radio using repeaters. All communication is by plain English, with no use of codes. replied to this and provided and shared that the New Zealand Fire Service are again upgrading the LMR (land mobile radio) to touch screen computerized units.
So where do you stand now in 2010? Are you NIMS compliant? Has your agency been able to obtain and use the newer computerized systems or are they still using older radio systems. Of course there's always the option of using Blackberry's and iPhones down the road. Maybe this is the answer?
TCSS,
CBz
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Greenman on
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Our dispatch center dispatches the County Sheriff, City Police, County EMS and both the County and City Fire Departments. As long as they dispatch the Police units I don't think the Dispatch center will ever switch away form 10-codes.
On the Fire and EMS side we do not use 10-codes at all. when we do a radio check, we'll say something like, "Engine 9 to Central, radio check please," and the dispatcher will almost always respond with, "10-2."
It's fairly frustrating.
The other thing that I find frustrating, coming from a military background, is we say the calling unit first, and the recipient second (i.e. "Engine 9 to Central.") whereas in the military we say the recipient first so they have time to mentally note they are being called in time to hear who is calling them. (i.e. "Central this is Engine 9.")
It's probably more important when calling between units, "Engine 9 this is Tower 1" instead of "Tower 1 to Engine 9" which is often responded to with, "calling unit this is Engine 9."
Greenman
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Unfortunately George, Isn't it true that there is no one version of the '10 codes'? That different services, different places use different versions?
When it comes to local dialect, I can see your problem! Luckily we don't have that issue here, very little difference from one end of the country to the other. Of course we do have migrants wanting to join us, and then we get some awkward accents...
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One of my pet hates Greenman. We have two fire services in my state. Mine, the larger one, uses the military convension of "recipient/sender", the other is apparently supposed to but often fall into the "sender/recipient" mode which often results in "appliance calling, please give your callsign".
One of my sons was in signals in the Army, he told me of their mnemonic for remembering the correct method of calling - "hey you this is me".
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Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
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We were informed in 2009 that it is in our contract that we shall use clear text, call recipient and identify sender in all our communications. So we do that. Now we are even using our names when we talk to each other on our portables (like the willand fire guys do). Example: "Smith, this is Thompson." I like it much better. The military and the federal wildland fire guys have been doing it that way all along. I've noticed a big reduction in the number of times dispatch says, "Unit calling reidentify and go ahead..."
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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
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That's an exceptional pneumonic to remember, thanks, it's going to be fully exploited! CBz
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Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
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an well it should be..................................................
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Permalink Reply by John Maynard on
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Our county is phasing out the ten codes.The fire and ems is mostly done away with them with the exception of the old timers still using the 10 codes.However the law enforcement side,which I dispatch for,we still use 10 and signal codes.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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We also do this, with the exception of "command" and who ever has that will announce "chief xyz has command" upon arrival. I have found it a bit difficult to do this, don't know why, just seems funny to say your name, but I'm getting better, might be that old dog theory.
I don't think the cops will ever change, just ask um, they don't like it at all. Fed's will probably have to tie the change to funding, or donuts....
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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on
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we only use 2 codes...
Code 13: apparatus out of service due to a mechanical problem.
Code 100: bomb scare... for these, we stand by a minimum block away from the location the PD does the search.
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Permalink Reply by Luke Summers on
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I dont know if anyone has answered this yet but that is the episode where Gage was bitten by a rattle snake.
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Where i work as a dispatcher for sheriff and fire we are supposed to use clear speech, when i first started about 4 years ago we still used alot of 10 codes, which quickly changed to clear speech, although we do have alot of hold outs from both the deputies and fire department alike. I personally like clear speech much better, its easier to train new dispatchers, deputies and firefighters. We do still have some we use just so scanner land does not know whats really going on but they are codes for coroner calls, high risk threats etc, in any case if we really want to stop scanner land we just switch over to either digital of digital/encrypted which all agencies around are area has access to.
I am also a firefighter and remember 7 years ago when i came on that the 10 codes were the only communication used it seemed like, i still find myself using them from time to time, old habits die hard i guess.
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