Plain Language Guide
Making the Transition
fromTen Codes to
Plain Language
This brochure outlines an approach for emergency response agencies, localities, and
states to replace coded language radio transmissions with plain language. This
brochure includes:
purpose
Reasons to adopt plain language
Processes to make plain language a reality
Resources for transitioning to plain language
For emergency response agencies to become fully interoperable, it is important to
understand the level of effort, resources, and key actions required to transition to plain
language while continuing to meet individual agency needs.
Although at times the information in this brochure may seem broad, this approach is
intentional – a successful transition can only occur after partnerships are formed among
various emergency response agencies and levels of government. Plain language for
radio communications is a key component of interoperability – agencies can only begin
to work together if they are all speaking the same language.
“Plain language is the future of law
enforcement communication. Transitioning
from 10-codes to plain language is not
difficult, but it requires cultural change
within the organization. Leadership from
commanders and supervisors, along with
buy-in from officers, is the key to success.
As with all change, the use of plain
language improves with time.”
– Major David Staton, Louisiana State Police
BEST PRACTICE
Excerpt from the December 2006 National Incident Management System (NIMS) ALERT: “While
the NIMS Integration Center does not require plain language for internal operations, it strongly
encourages it, as it is important to practice everyday terminology and procedures that will need
to be used in emergency incidents and disasters. NIMS implementation is a long-term effort and
it is probably not possible to persuade everyone to change ingrained habits overnight. But we do
hope that over time, everyone will understand the importance of using common terminology, that
is, plain language, every day.”
1
Background The advent of one-way police radio broadcasts to patrol cars in the mid to late
1920s and the introduction of two-way police mobile communications in the early
1930s revolutionized the way law enforcement officers communicated. By the
1940s, the deployment of two-way radio systems began to overload early single
channel radio systems. At the same time, there was a desire to protect the content
of transmissions because the channels could be monitored.
In an attempt to reduce the volume of radio traffic and add a layer of privacy
when communicating, law enforcement officers began using a coded language
over the radio called “10-codes.” Law enforcement agencies began to develop
their own proprietary 10-code system; as a result, 10-88 may mean “present
phone number” in one agency and “officer needs help” in another. Because
coded language is not standardized across jurisdictions, using 10-codes can result
in miscommunication and confusion when multiple agencies and disciplines
respond to an incident. This interoperability challenge has resulted in a push for
implementing plain language across agencies for mutual aid events so that various disciplines
can effectively share information. Plain language, according to NIMS, is the use of common
terms and definitions that can be understood by individuals from all responder disciplines.
Established by the Secretary of Homeland Security, NIMS only requires plain language for
mutual aid scenarios, though it strongly encourages the use of plain language during day-to-
day operations as well.
In recent years, controversy has surrounded the migration to plain language radio
communications. While many fire departments and emergency medical services (EMS)
already use plain language, law enforcement agencies typically use 10-codes for internal radio
transmissions. In every agency there are common arguments for and against using 10-codes
and plain language.
Without the layer of privacy that 10-codes provide, emergency responders often worry about
issues of officer safety, the protection of sensitive information, and the public perception of a
lack of professionalism when using plain language. Additional concerns include the potential
compromise of airspace, forced changes to computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, and the
amount of funding needed to shift to plain language. If transitioned correctly, many of these
concerns can be overcome.
2
Following a series of interviews with emergency responders at agencies nationwide, the following
comments were compiled. These comments represent the most common opinions about using coded
language versus plain language.
Issue: Officer Safety
In Their Own Words
10-Code Position 10-codes protect the officer.
There are no “safe” codes and we need to get over this false
sense of security.
Plain Language Position
People, both good and bad, who regularly monitor public safety
communications with scanners will eventually determine the
meaning of the codes being used.
Technology has advanced to a point where information can easily fall into the wrong hands.
With the prevalence of scanners and the frequent leaking of information on the Internet, it is
increasingly easy to access a department’s coded language or listen to emergency responder
exchanges. However, technology can be used in favor of emergency responders. With encryption
capabilities, an added layer of security is possible and coded workarounds can be created for
certain scenarios that pose considerable risk to responders.
Issue: Transmitting Sensitive Information
Some information is considered “sensitive” to the victim or
10-Code Position the officer and should not be broadcast over the radio. Plain
language discloses that information.
When communicating sensitive patient information, we know
that people who listen to our channels using scanners know
Plain Language Position every code in the book. Coded language offers no additional
privacy.
Most hospital staff rarely keep track of or use codes. We
exercise caution when we use plain language.
Imagine that an officer conducts a routine traffic stop and then learns there is a warrant out for
the individual’s arrest. If the officer prepares to take that person into custody, common radio
language could alert the perpetrator of the officer’s intent, thereby endangering the officer’s safety.
To address this issue, some states have developed a plain language protocol augmented with a
few coded terms. These terms are only used in situations where plain language could threaten the
lives and safety of emergency responders.
3
Making It Happen
The transition process from 10-codes to plain
language can be broken down into four phases:
Assess
Determine who should participate in the transition and what will be affected by
the change
Plan
Assemble a working group of relevant stakeholders to determine the plain
language policy
Equip
Prepare your stakeholders for plain language by developing any necessary
training, standardizing terminology, and making the required adjustments to
existing operating procedures and systems
Train & Use
Put the new plain language policy into effect and train emergency responders and
dispatchers
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4
ASSess
The first step for a successful plain language transition is to assess the environment
your agency, jurisdiction, or state is working in, and identify potential obstacles
and allies. This process will require interviewing or surveying key stakeholders to
determine their opinions on plain language. Identified stakeholders may also be able to
recommend additional participants during the assessment process. From this pool of
people, create a working group to define plain language for your agency, jurisdiction,
state, or multiple states. An ideal working group includes individuals from EMS,
fire response, and law enforcement agencies in addition to stakeholders from the
transportation, game and wildlife, corrections, and utilities communities.
As you begin this work you should:
Select individuals with decision-making authority or who represent decision
makers and have the authority to establish policy within their organization.
Target senior leaders in the emergency response community who can help make
the argument to transition to plain language.
Engage the largest or most influential agency to support your effort,
if possible.
Coordinate with organizations that represent emergency response officials (such
as the International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Association of Emergency
Medical Technicians, etc.).
Create a group large enough to represent the diverse needs and concerns of
the entire affected emergency response community, but small enough for team
members to conduct manageable and productive discussions.
Best Practice
The Commonwealth of Virginia used two statewide questionnaires to collect input on plain language
from the emergency response community. The Commonwealth’s Initiative Action Team sent the
questionnaires to police chiefs, fire chiefs, sheriff’s offices, EMS supervisors, 911 center supervisors,
agencies participating in the Statewide Agencies Radio System, and the police departments of local
universities. The first questionnaire identified which organizations were using plain language and
which were using 10-codes. The second survey solicited input on specific plain language strategies,
such as reprogramming CAD systems. The action team used these surveys to identify which
implementation strategies could be reasonably applied on a statewide level.
5
PLAN
Using a practitioner-driven process involving all stakeholders will increase the likelihood of a successful
transition to plain language. The length of time needed to develop plain language policies will vary and will
most likely be determined by the level of involvement and cooperation among stakeholders.
During this phase, group members should:
Review the best practices of other agencies, Best Practice
jurisdictions, and states and utilize the Resources If possible, a neutral, third-party
section of this brochure on page 10. facilitator should assist the working
Create a list of plain language phrases to replace groups during meetings. The facilitator’s
10-codes (Note: A list of phrases was not included role is to drive the meetings to the
in this document due to national variations in desired outcomes and ensure the group
plain language). achieves the tasks it has identified
for itself.
Determine if any 10-codes should remain. NIMS
does not acknowledge any coded language for
mutual aid. However, some agencies, jurisdictions, and states have elected to maintain a few codes for
internal use only.
When designing your group meetings, keep these working group components in mind:
Champion: Include at least one project champion on your working group who has clout as well as
respect and credibility in the emergency response community. Although the champion does not have to
be from a large agency, at least one champion from each emergency response discipline is key – if these
individuals support the switch to plain language, the effort will likely begin to move forward.
Chairs: Establish co-chairs for the group upon its creation. The co-chairs should represent different
disciplines, if possible. It is recommended that one of the co-chairs represent the law enforcement
community with the other representing one of the other stakeholder communities (such as EMS or fire
response).
Meeting Schedule: Create and publish a meeting schedule outlining when meetings will occur and
the purpose and outcomes of each meeting. As the meeting schedule may require changes over time,
posting it online where all members can readily access it will reduce confusion. The group should meet
face-to-face at least two or three times; the actual amount of time needed for the development of plain
language will vary based on the environment in which you are working. Conference calls and e-mail
updates in between face-to-face meetings will help keep the group engaged.
Charter: Create a charter that defines the roles and responsibilities of the group as well as the process by
which the group will make decisions (such as consensus, unanimous agreement, voting). The charter
should also list the members and the agencies represented in the group.
6
Equip
The next step is to equip your agency and agencies across your jurisdiction or state with the tools and
procedures discussed in your working group meetings. In this phase, the agencies involved in planning will
focus on obtaining buy-in from leadership and decision makers, preparing training programs, developing
standard operating procedures, and procuring new equipment, if necessary.
It is also important at this stage to make required adjustments to existing systems. For example, many CAD
systems are programmed to accept only 10-codes as incident markers; these systems will most likely have
to be reprogrammed. The reprogramming will include translating the existing 10-codes into plain language
shorthand. For example, after transitioning to plain language, the CAD system would accept “MVEi” instead
of “1050i” for a motor vehicle incident. In addition to reprogramming, keyboards in dispatch centers and
vehicles may have to be replaced with keyboards that incorporate the new function keys. To avoid problems,
dispatchers should be trained on how to address any CAD system changes resulting from the switch to plain
language before the official start date.
If the wait time is reasonable, changes to a CAD system to accommodate plain language may be delayed to
coincide with regular upgrade cycles to mitigate the cost of upgrades.
Best Practice
As your agency transitions to plain language, initially program the CAD system to accept both
10-codes and plain language shorthand until the dispatchers fully adjust. Additionally, ensure
that all the systems with which the CAD system interacts have been synchronized. To read the
Commonwealth of Virginia Case Study for lessons learned, please visit:
http://www.interoperability.virginia.gov/pdfs/LLIS_CommonLanguageProtocol.pdf
7
Following a series of interviews with emergency responders at agencies nationwide, the following
comments were compiled. These comments represent the most common opinions about using coded
language versus plain language.
Issue: Computer-Aided Dispatch System
In Their Own Words
Plain language will require changes to CAD systems and
10-Code Position
procedures.
CAD systems should meet department needs and expedite
delivery of service. The users should not serve the computer.
Plain Language Position
CAD systems are normally updated from time to time and the
change to plain language can be timed to coincide with other
changes. Although groups may come up with lists of phrases,
after implementation new ones are generally discovered. For
this reason, CAD changes are best made after the agency has
experience with the new way to communicate.
Transitioning from 10-codes to plain language will require changes in the training and technology.
Updating your agency’s CAD system is not an insurmountable task and can be approached
in several ways. In order to keep the system running smoothly during the transition, consider
developing a schedule detailing when updates will be made. This will help the project stay on
course and keep all participants informed of the upcoming changes. Another option is to allow
the CAD system to continue to accept 10-code calls for a specific time period following the
reprogramming. This approach was used in the state of Virginia and helped dispatchers gradually
adjust to the change.
Issue: Training and Funding
Transitioning to plain language will be expensive, and an agency
10-Code Position
will have to figure out how to pay for it.
Transitioning to plain language is not very costly. Ask someone
Plain Language Position to write the protocol internally during roll call and ensure that
training is implemented.
Issues related to funding and training go hand-in-hand and can be resolved through advanced
planning. Traditionally, the most costly portion of transitioning to plain language is the necessary
training for officers, officials, dispatchers, and CAD operators. An agency should look for
available training resources within its organization to save money. Depending on the flexibility
and availability of resources within your organization, a staff member can conduct training in-
house in a few hours. Ideally, refresher training would be held several times per year.
8
Train & Use
Once the product of the working group is approved by leadership and adopted as policy, the transition
process to plain language can move to the next step: training. The announcement regarding the
implementation of plain language and the initial phase of training should include both management- and
operational-level personnel. Change is easier to accept when field personnel understand that their peers
participated in the process.
The actual training should include all ranks of emergency responders and staff personnel who are involved
in operations and communications aspects of the job. It is also important that the same training material
be used by all disciplines; establishing standard training will reduce misconceptions at the beginning of
implementation and avoid problems in the future.
Actual training should consider the following best practices and lessons learned:
Training aids should be a final product of the working group.
Team training should be conducted with representatives from both line and staff units.
Including representatives from various disciplines will help unite the various groups behind this
common issue.
Feedback received while training attendees should be documented, as training may uncover valid
issues.
The importance of using standard phrases should be emphasized to control the use of air time and
reduce confusion.
It is best if a working group member is present when his or her discipline (EMS, fire response, law
enforcement) is being trained. This individual can emphasize that the needs of each discipline were well
represented throughout the process.
Handouts that show the old codes or signals and the current, corresponding phrases should be available
at each session.
Agencies that use CAD, in-car computers, or both
Conclusion
should have an Information Technology representative
present at each session to explain when computer and
Plain language simplifies the
keyboard updates will be made.
communication process and reduces the
Additional support tools, such as visor cards listing chance of error during an emergency
the plain language phrases, should be available during situation. Agencies transitioning to plain
training. language will succeed by partnering with
a diverse group of stakeholders across
Dispatchers should be trained alongside field all disciplines, developing a practitioner-
personnel to ensure that both groups receive the same driven action plan, and properly training
instructions and the same answers to questions. field personnel and staff affected by the
change.
9
resources As you address the complexities of transitioning from 10-codes
to plain language, consult these resources for additional support,
guidance, and real-life examples of plain language at work:
Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site:
http://www.fema.gov
National Integration Center Incident Management Systems
Integration Division’s National Incident Management System
Web site. This site provides answers to frequently asked questions
and addresses compliance issues:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims
FY 2007 NIMS Compliance Metrics Guide for States and
Territories will assist states and territories in the measurement and
reporting of NIMS compliance. Reference pages 8, 10, 93, 94, and 100:
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/fy07_comp_guide_st.pdf
FY 2007 NIMS Compliance Metrics Guide for Tribal Nations and Local
Governments will assist tribal nations and local governments in the measurement and
reporting of NIMS compliance. Reference pages 9, 10, 78, and 85:
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/fy07_comp_guide_tl.pdf
SAFECOM is a communications program of the Department of Homeland Security.
SAFECOM provides research, development, testing and evaluation, guidance, tools,
and templates on interoperable communications issues to local, tribal, state, and Federal
emergency response agencies:
http://www.safecomprogram.gov
To download a PDF copy of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Common Language
Protocol case study, please visit:
http://www.interoperability.virginia.gov/pdfs/LLIS_CommonLanguageProtocol.pdf
Lessons Learned Information Sharing Web site. This site is the national network of
lessons learned and best practices for emergency responders and homeland security
officials. The site is secure and has restricted access, so a username and password must
first be requested:
http://www.LLIS.gov
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Web site. The mission of
COPS, a component of the Department of Justice, is to advance community policing in
jurisdictions of all sizes across the country:
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/
10
SAFECOM is a communications program of the Department
of Homeland Security. SAFECOM provides research,
development, testing and evaluation, guidance, tools, and
templates on interoperable communications-related issues
to local, tribal, state, and Federal emergency response
agencies. The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC)
supports SAFECOM’s development of grant guidance, policy,
tools, and templates, and provides direct assistance to
local, tribal, state, and Federal practitioners. The Office
for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) supports
SAFECOM’s research, development, testing and evaluation,
standards, and tools such as reports and guidelines. OEC
is an office within the Directorate for National Protection
and Programs. OIC is an office within the Science and
Technology Directorate.
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