Police Calling in

Try this. Though real-life LEOs here will be able to fill in the blanks.

They used to use codes a lot, but I heard a news story on NPR about how they're getting away from codes now, because different departments used different codes and they weren't communicating well. I'd love to hear what any current cops do now, if they really are abandoning codes.

I worked 911 dispatch (very briefly) in my county in 2006. We used a code, 'Signal 48.' It was generic for either DOA or unattended death in a home, etc so they could call the coroner to verify.

Can I step on some toes in this thread with another, somewhat-related question?

If police find a body--let's say it's probably murder, but they don't know for sure--when/how do they contact family? If they have the person's ID, will a detective go to the address listed? Do they break the news first? What questions might they ask of the person at the address?

To the first question: Though as one poster correctly said, agencies are going away from 10 codes for interoperability reasons. (ie: different departments use different codes and it can be confusing) However, for some things they will still use them. Also older officers still use them out of habit. Where I work, you probably wouldn't say "There is a dead body at XXX Street. We would still use a code for that.

To the second poster, death notifications vary by department too. In some places a detective or other officer will make the death notification. There are some places where, believe it or not, someone from the Medical Examiners Office does. Typically though it is the police department.

If you are not sure if it is a muder or not, it still gets treated like one. Generally you would try to verify the address (not everyone remembers to update their license!) You try to make the notification in person, but if it is too far away, you can contact the local agency and give them the information and let them handle it.

Death notifications suck. You have to break the news to them and then try to get whatever information you can. (ie: place of work, occupation, friends, enemies, habits, etc, etc) Next of kin can be a useful source of information, but keep in mind you've just given them devestating news and now you are questioning them.

Did I mention death notifications suck?

BLH

Hopefully this can help.




10-7A Out of service at home.
10-7B Out of service - personal.
10-7od Out of service - off duty
10-8 In service/available for assignment.
10-9 Repeat last transmission.
10-10 Off duty.
10-10A Off duty at home.
10-11 Identify this frequency.
10-12 Visitors are present (be discrete).
10-13 Advise weather and road conditions.
10-14 Citizen holding suspect.
10-15 Prisoner in custody.
10-16 Pick up prisoner.
10-17 Request for gasoline.
10-18 Equipment exchange.
10-19 Return/returning to the station.
10-20 Location?
10-21 Telephone:______
10-21a Advise home that I will return at ______.
10-21b Phone your home
10-21r Phone radio dispatch
10-22 Disregard the last assignment.
10-22c Leave area if all secure.
10-23 Standby.
10-24 Request car-to-car transmission.
10-25 Do you have contact with _______?
10-26 Clear.
10-27 Driver's license check.
10-28 Vehicle registration request.
10-29 Check wants/warrants.[vehicle] (PIN,SVS)
10-29a Check wants/warrants [subject] (PIN)
10-29c Check complete [subject]
10-29f The subject is wanted for a felony.
10-29h Caution - severe hazard potential.
10-29r Check wants/record [subject PIN,CJIC)
10-29m The subject is wanted for a misdemeanor.
10-29v The vehicle wanted in connection W/crime.
10-30 Does not conform to regulations.
10-32 Drowning.
10-33 Alarm sounding.
10-34 Assist at office.
10-35 Time check.
10-36 Confidential information.
10-37 Identify the operator.
10-39 Can ______ come to the radio?
10-40 Is ______ available for a telephone call?
10-42 Check on the welfare of/at ______.
10-43 Call a doctor.
10-45 What is the condition of the patient?
10-45A Condition of patient is good.
10-45B Condition of patient is serious.
10-45C Condition of patient is critical.
10-45D Patient is deceased.
10-46 Sick person [ambulance enroute]
10-48 Ambulance transfer call
10-49 Proceed to/Enroute to ______.
10-50 under influence of narcotics/Take a report.
10-51 Subject is drunk.
10-52 Resuscitator is needed.
10-53 Person down.
10-54 Possible dead body.
10-55 Coroner's case.
10-56 Suicide.
10-56A Suicide attempt.
10-57 Firearm discharged.
10-58 Garbage complaint
10-59 Security check./Malicious mischief
10-60 Lock out.
10-61 Miscellaneous public service.
10-62 Meet a citizen.
10-62A Take a report from a citizen.
10-62B Civil standby.
10-63 Prepare to copy.
10-64 Found property.
10-65 Missing person
10-66 Suspicious person.
10-67 Person calling for help.
10-68 Call for police made via telephone.
10-70 Prowler.
10-71 Shooting.
10-72 Knifing.
10-73 How do you receive?
10-79 Bomb threat.
10-80 Explosion.
10-86 Any traffic?
10-87 Meet the officer at ______.
10-88 Fill with the officer/Assume your post.
10-91 Animal.
10-91a Stray.
10-91b Noisy animal.
10-91c Injured animal.
10-91d Dead animal.
10-91e Animal bite.
10-91g Animal pickup.
10-91h Stray horse
10-91j Pickup/collect ______.
10-91L Leash law violation.
10-91V Vicious animal.
10-95 pedestrian/ Requesting an I.D./Techunit.
10-96 Out of vehicle-ped. send backup
10-97 Arrived at the scene.
10-98 Available for assignment.
10-99 Open police garage door.
10-100 Civil disturbance - Mutual aid standby.
10-101 Civil disturbance - Mutual aid request.

11-00 Codes
11-10 Take a report.
11-24 Abandoned automobile.
11-25 Traffic hazard.
11-26 Abandoned bicycle.
11-27 10-27 with the driver being held.
11-28 10-28 with the driver being held.
11-40 Advise if an ambulance is needed.
11-41 An ambulance is needed.
11-42 No ambulance is needed.
11-48 Furnish transportation.
11-51 Escort.
11-52 Funeral detail.
11-54 Suspicious vehicle.
11-55 Officer is being followed by automobile.
11-56 Officer is being followed by auto containing dangerous persons.
11-57 An unidentified auto appeared at the scene of the assignment.
11-58 Radio traffic is being monitored. Phone all non-routine messages.
11-59 Give intensive attention to high hazard/business areas.
11-60 Attack in a high hazard area.
11-65 Signal light is out.
11-66 Defective traffic light.
11-71 Fire.
11-78 Aircraft accident.
11-79 Accident - ambulance dispatched.
11-80 Accident - major injuries.
11-81 Accident - minor injuries.
11-82 Accident - no injuries.
11-83 Accident - no details.
11-84 Direct traffic.
11-85 Tow truck required.
11-94 Pedestrian stop.
11-95 Routine traffic stop.
11-96 Checking a suspicious vehicle.
11-97 Time/security check on patrol vehicles.
11-98 Meet: _______
11-99 Officer needs help.


900 Series Codes
904 Fire.
904A Automobile fire.
904B Building fire.
904G Grass fire.
909 Traffic problem; police needed.
910 Can handle this detail.
925 Suspicious vehicle.
932 Turn on _______ mobile relay at _______.
933 Turn off mobile relay.
949 Burning inspection at _______.
950 Control burn in progress/about to begin/ended.
951 Need fire investigator.
952 Report on conditions.
953 Investigate smoke.
953A Investigate gas.
954 Off the air at the scene of the fire.
955 Fire is under control.
956 Assignment not finished.
957 Delayed response of __ minutes.
980 Restrict calls to emergency only.
981 Resume normal traffic.
1000 Plane crash
3000 Road block

Other Codes
Code 1 Do so at your convenience.
Code 2 Urgent.
Code 3 Emergency/lights and siren.
Code 4 No further assistance is needed.
Code 5 Stakeout.
Code 6 Responding from a long distance.
Code 7 Mealtime.
Code 8 Request cover/backup.
Code 9 Set up a roadblock.
Code 10 Bomb threat
Code 12 Notify news media
Code 20 Officer needs assistance
Code 22 Restricted radio traffic
Code 30 Officer needs HELP - EMERGENCY!
Code 33 Mobile emergency - clear this radio channel.
Code 43 TAC forces committed.
AID Public Safety Assistance

Phonetic Alphabet

A Adam N Nora
B Boy O Ocean
C Charles P Paul
D David Q Queen
E Edward R Robert
F Frank S Sam
G George T Tom
H Henry U Union
I Ida V Victor
J John W William
K King X X-ray
L Lincoln Y Yellow
M Mary Z Zebra

Not what you asked, but if someone else ever wonders, I worked as a volunteer with the local sheriff's department and if we encountered a dead person we would not use a code over the radio because we didn't want others monitoring police frequency to use that information (whether they confused a code or not) so we always said, "This is *****, can I please get law enforcement at location *****". This was the way we would say it so family present or news monitoring a situation would not know a body was found. Law enforcement knew if we "needed" law enforcement it was due to a body or something likely as important.

When police happened upon or were called to the scene where an obviously deceased person was present. The would use codes to be sent, and request the coroner or Medical Examiner. The police are not normally allowed to declare a person dead, even though it is obvious. That is the coroner or ME's job. The coroner did the family notification in our city. If an officer came upon a DB he would most likely radio in and say he had a code XXX, and would need the coroner.
If there was ANY possibility that the person might be revived (if he's warm and pink we'd start CPR), an ambulance was called and the person was transported to the ER.

The Phonetic I was taught is:

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliet
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
X-Ray
Yankee
Zulu

I thought that was fairly worldwide standard. Though maybe just Canadian.

Here we don't use 10 code at all, and are fussy about what type of information we give over the radio. Too many scanners out there to risk giving any potentially confidential or sensitive info via radio. We do have our lingo though: 'Roger' (Yes), 'Say again' (repeat last transmission), 'You're broken up' (meaning your radio was crackling and unreadable). We do have some medical codes, most notably, 'Code 5' meaning obviously dead (either injured to the point we know there's no chance of saving them, or cold and stiff). EMS uses Codes 1-5 for different purposes. Fire just understands Code 5. So if we were called to a scene involving a dead body, we would get something to the effect of "Station xxx you have a medical assist call, xxx address, 43 year old female VSA (vital signs absent), ambulance enroute from xxx" The idea with fire being called to VSAs is that we carry a de-fib on out trucks and are trained in CPR so we can assist EMS in that type of situation.

Sometimes EMS arrives on scene before we do and radios us telling us that "The victim is Code 5, you can stand down". I would wonder that Police would know the medical codes around here. They usually get dispatched to the VSA calls we get, but not always.