[K3PZN-List] Virginia State Police are dropping 10 codes in

[n3mcb at bellsouth.net]

MPD went to "plain talk" about 9-10 months ago... We kept a few very basic codes: 10-4, 10-24 (officer down/help), 10-15 (arrest), 29P (wanted person), 10-94 (backup) officially but I've found that I often revert to the codes/signals when I'm under stress and my mind is on the threat not my radio. I know a lot of officers have found that its hard sometimes to convey precisely what a given code has evolved to mean in a conceice manner and it gets time consuming, under the old system I could ask "27, 29, 28 FR457D" but now its "drivers license check, and a wanted persons check for the registered owner of FR457D"  I probably do thatthe old way at least 50% of the time. I have never asked for "emergency radio traffic" I just call 10-33 (usualy yelling with the PTT down not even in the direction of the mic). 

On the good side of this one of our old codes for a "open door" clashed with another agency's code for "bomb threat" ... that was always interesting to clear up. MPD used a different code for backup than the rest of the entire county, we had a 10-80 and 10-81 that meant nothing to anybody else, and we had a Signal-69 (call type) that made just about everyone laugh when we explained what crime that was.

WO3L Andy
> 
> From: "Neeriemer, Bill (NIH/NLM/LHC) [C]" <bneeriemer at mail.nih.gov>
> Date: 2006/11/13 Mon PM 12:17:09 EST
> To: "Carroll County Amateur Radio Club" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: [K3PZN-List] Virginia State Police are dropping 10 codes in
> 	day-to-day operations.
> 
> I saw an article in today's Washington Post.  This is the 'Official'
> press release.
> 
> GOVERNOR KAINE ANNOUNCES VIRGINIA'S FIRST RESPONDERS TO MOVE TO COMMON
> LANGUAGE
> 
> RICHMOND - Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced progress in an
> effort to get Virginia's first responders and public safety personnel to
> shift to common language instead of 10-codes in day-to-day operations
> and mutual aid events. The common language protocol will be formally
> announced at the 2006 Virginia Interoperable Communications Conference,
> to be held October 3-4 in Portsmouth.
> 
> The State Interoperability Executive Committee (SIEC) and Commonwealth
> Interoperability Coordinator's Office (CICO) determined a common
> language protocol that allows the use of plain English for most
> transmissions. The initiative has been endorsed by the Virginia
> Association of Chiefs of Police, Virginia Sheriffs Association, Virginia
> Fire Chiefs Association, Virginia Association and the Virginia State
> Police.
> 
> "The use of coded language often can result in confusion and
> miscommunication because local, regional and state public safety
> agencies use different codes. This is a problem especially during mutual
> aid incidents where multiple jurisdictions and disciplines must work
> together," Governor Kaine said. "Virginia is leading the way in reaching
> an understanding across our public safety community to take this
> significant step towards improved interoperability."
> 
> While the National Incident Management System (NIMS) requires common
> language for mutual aid situations, Virginia recognizes responders will
> default to their training in high-stress situations. Virginia took NIMS
> requirements one step further by encouraging common language usage on a
> day-to-day basis for all responders.
> 
> "If responders do not use common language on a daily basis they will
> revert back to the codes they have always used in a crisis situation,"
> said Charlottesville Fire Chief and SIEC Chairman Charles Werner.
> 
> "There will still be certain situations in which public safety
> professionals need coded language to do the job safely," said Colonel W.
> Steven Flaherty, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. "But for
> the majority of incidents, the use of common language will be of great
> benefit for those responding to and managing a scene."
> 
> Following the Oct. 3-4 conference, the SIEC and the CICO will continue
> to obtain endorsements from Virginia's public safety community and work
> with training academies across the state to begin training on the
> protocol.
> 
> 73 Bill W3STG
> ----------------------------------------------------- BREAK -----------------------------------------------
> Next CCARC Meeting Monday November 13, 7:30 PM at the FTC.
> 
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