10-4 Over and Out

Hallelujah!!! 10-4, Good Buddy! How long has it been--18 years I think--that Wolfskin VFD has been crusading to use Plain Text....and still, my latest push for Plain Text got cut off at the knees just a couple months back. Got to say, there is one 10-signal l will miss: 10-22. Phyllis

WVFD Asst Chief Jim Kitchens forwarded the article below. Read on and Rejoice!


That's a 10-4 on Plain Language for Cops
From Associated Press, Sept. 25, 2005

The days of hearing "10-4" and other law enforcement jargon on the police radio are coming to an end.
Emergency responders around the country must switch to using plain language by October 2006, as part of the National Incident Management System, which was developed to help different agencies work together in response to emergency situations.
"It makes so much sense," said Daviess County Sheriff Keith Cain, whose department is planning on using plain language starting next month. "Common language is common language."
Signal and "10 codes" were originally implemented by law enforcement agencies and emergency responders primarily to keep talk on the radio brief. Although many of the codes are the same for different departments, there are no standardized definitions, which could lead to confusion when different departments work together.
In September 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security notified governors of the development of the National Incident Management System, and that complying with that system would be required to secure federal emergency preparedness funding.
In August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is overseeing compliance, issued a directive requiring the use of plain language, or at least a good-faith effort to implement plain language, by October 2006 to be eligible for homeland security grant money.
Owensboro Police Chief John Kazlauskas said his department has been taking the necessary steps to meet the requirements, which include having each member of the department complete a test on the system.
"It seems very simple, but getting everyone to use the same specific word for an incident can be complicated," Kazlauskas said. "It's going to be a learning process for people who have been using 10 codes for their whole careers."