FEMA Phases Out Public Safety Code

Emergency response officials won’t be saying “10-4” anymore, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency has ordered police and other public safety departments across the country to get rid of the old codes in the interest of safety.

According to an article on the WAFF.com website, public safety departments could stand to lose millions of dollars in funding if they don’t comply with FEMA to stop using “10” codes in radio transmissions. Instead, the federal government says departments need to start using plain English.

The article says the commonly-used “10-4” and other radio codes “are a second language in public safety circles, but FEMA says there's no room for misunderstanding in a national emergency.” Departments are expected to phase out the codes by next September.

“We're saying that in order to continue federal funding from any of the departments and federal agencies, they need to meet those requirements by the end of fiscal year ‘06,” says FEMA representative Gil Jamieson.

However, the article says officials find “there’s been some resistance from police saying changing the language officers speak is easier said than done.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=3755676&nav=0hBBdeOS