Local emergency teams resist plain-language radio rules

[The Straight Story]

Local emergency teams resist plain-language radio rules

By Joe Fiorill, Global Security Newswire
A month before the United States begins tying antiterrorism grants to recipients' observance of a new national emergency system, U.S. officials are cautioning state and local agencies against "continued resistance" to the system.

As of Oct. 1, prospective recipients of federal terrorism grants must show "good-faith efforts" to implement the National Incident Management System, Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Don Jacks said Thursday. Full compliance with the system is required after a year.

With the "good-faith" deadline approaching, the federal NIMS Integration Center has issued two cautionary bulletins in the past 10 days to response agencies around the country.

"The point is that all responders at all levels use the same organizational structures, terminology, procedures and systems all the time," the center said Aug. 17 in the first of the two bulletins. "The idea is to achieve interoperability among jurisdictions and disciplines."

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32106&dcn=todaysnews

[annabanana]

1. they don't want to give up

the old "10-4" language.

[LiberalArkie]

2. 10-4

The problem is every jurisdiction has a different 10 code some meaning something entirely different. They are trying to move everyone to PROWORDS. A work means only one thing. It is what the military, MARS and FEMA have been using since WW2.

[Javaman]

3. Hmmm, why don't they just have a standard...

The concept of the numerical system is to save time when calling in an emergency and when filling out the paperwork afterwards.

There should be one standard, then everyone is on the same page.
Personally, being an ex-firefighter, there is a logic to the numerical system. The plain language will cause huge problems. There is only one 10-4 but there several ways to say yes, positive, confirm, roger that, etc. and any one of those expressions can be confused with something else.