DHS Secretary: Keep Your 10-Codes

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-agency 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.

Chertoff also talked of the actions and results DHS during and after the recent hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “By any measure the test was extraordinary.”

“Some things worked well but there were shortcomings we have to address,” Chertoff said. “We have to learn the lessons of what happened so we can continue to improve.”

In that effort, although no names were mentioned, a new DHS position will come into existence. A single Director of Preparedness will be named, “with full range of capabilities to ensure our that our preparedness efforts have a focused direction to integrate the department planning, training, exercising and funding.”

Although Chertoff did not say how this position would fit in with FEMA’s mission, he did say that FEMA must be strengthen and continue to work well with state and local authorities.

Chertoff also said clearly that because of the hurricanes, the dismal circumstances created by planning failures has caused the department to undertake a review of the emergency operations plans of every major area in the country. “Their plans must be clear detailed and up to date. This includes specifically a hard realistic look at evacuation plans ranging from earthquakes to subway bombings.


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10-4

10-69

Sucks, the 10 codes are outdated and worthless.

At least they have somebody in charge R. David Paulison that is a mover and shaker. Now if he does not knuckle under to political pressure.

http://www.fema.gov/about/bios/paulison.shtm

Worthless?

Try this one:

You're on a traffic stop with Joe Sh*tbag at 0200 in the middle of nowhere.  He is seated next to you in your patrol car as you run his license.   Dispatch comes back:  " Sh*tbag has a revoked class F license, he has an out of state felony warrant for assault, he is known to assault law enforcement officers and be armed, he also is a known gang member and shows two felony frug convictions, would you like back-up"?


Or, dispatch simply rattles off a few 10-codes and Joe Sh*tbag asks, "what's that mean'.  Then you say, "ah nothing, it is just common police code, hey how about them Chiefs?"  Meanwhile you request back-up using a 10-code and Sh*tbag does not realize it until there is a second unit pulling up behind you.

In the extremely rare instance when there is a natural disaster or whatever and we need to talk to agencies from all over the country, LE and emergency personnel will switch to plain speak.  It is just common sense.

Quoted: Worthless? Try this one: You're on a traffic stop with Joe Sh*tbag at 0200 in the middle of nowhere.  He is seated next to you in your patrol car as you run his license.   Dispatch comes back:  " Sh*tbag has a revoked class F license, he has an out of state felony warrant for assault, he is known to assault law enforcement officers and be armed, he also is a known gang member and shows two felony frug convictions, would you like back-up"? Or, dispatch simply rattles off a few 10-codes and Joe Sh*tbag asks, "what's that mean'.  Then you say, "ah nothing, it is just common police code, hey how about them Chiefs?"  Meanwhile you request back-up using a 10-code and Sh*tbag does not realize it until there is a second unit pulling up behind you. In the extremely rare instance when there is a natural disaster or whatever and we need to talk to agencies from all over the country, LE and emergency personnel will switch to plain speak.  It is just common sense.

Exactly. It becames an officer safety issue. That is the very reason we even have a ten code for "Step away from the person you just ran through FCIC"  We don't do this shit because it sounds cool.

When we are placed in a situation where inter-agency communication is necessary, it's easy to revert back to plaintalk, but the ten codes, I believe are a necessity.

...or are we just making it easier for the morons who can never remember them to have one less thing to bitch about?

Quoted: Worthless? Try this one: You're on a traffic stop with Joe Sh*tbag at 0200 in the middle of nowhere.  He is seated next to you in your patrol car as you run his license.   Dispatch comes back:  " Sh*tbag has a revoked class F license, he has an out of state felony warrant for assault, he is known to assault law enforcement officers and be armed, he also is a known gang member and shows two felony frug convictions, would you like back-up"? Or, dispatch simply rattles off a few 10-codes and Joe Sh*tbag asks, "what's that mean'.  Then you say, "ah nothing, it is just common police code, hey how about them Chiefs?"  Meanwhile you request back-up using a 10-code and Sh*tbag does not realize it until there is a second unit pulling up behind you. In the extremely rare instance when there is a natural disaster or whatever and we need to talk to agencies from all over the country, LE and emergency personnel will switch to plain speak.  It is just common sense.

That was a common sense post .

I might add that when you need the air you don't want to have to wait for a long winded person like me talking about how JoeBob's wife ran off with another man so that's why he's drinking and pissing on the neighbors front porch of the trailer premanufactured house.

What are 10 Codes??

We use 8 and 9 codes.

Not to mention we use codes for other codes too.  Its very confusing!

10-9 that last 10-14?

Quoted: What are 10 Codes?? We use 8 and 9 codes. Not to mention we use codes for other codes too.  Its very confusing!

Do not forget about 11 codes too.  I prefer mostly plain english, no reason to get out the manual to break the secret code.  Although we do use the most common ones.  The new officers that tell complete stories on the air using 10 and 11 codes crack me up, even if I have no idea what the hell they are talking about.        

Hell, I want to know why you would have someone sitting in the car beside you while you run their info

Quoted: Hell, I want to know why you would have someone sitting in the car beside you while you run their info

i was thinking the same thing.  Thats how shit happens.

Quoted: Hell, our central dispatch barely speaks English!

BTDT!!!!!

The county fire chiefs make such a stink about us getting rid of our codes due to the feds and going to plain language and now the retract it? Thanks again for screwing with us.

Quoted: The county fire chiefs make such a stink about us getting rid of our codes due to the feds and going to plain language and now the retract it? Thanks again for screwing with us.

Yeah, because the FD uses "plain english" as opposed to 3 layers of jargon..........................