What to say on the radio?

[Flying Pig]

  Here, the code for deceased person is 11-44.  NOW whatchagonnado?  Stop the madness I say.  Just say what you need to say. 

We had a SAR where the mother overheard a SAR member talking about her daughters body being located.  Bad decision #1 was talking in front of the mother.  SAR guy didnt realize she was there.
The mother wanted a homicide investigation claiming her daughter must not have been alone when she fell and that someone must have pushed her. Nobody could figure it out.  Thought it was just being driven by grief and denial.
Her demanding the homicide investigation went on for days until she mentioned she knew foul play was involved because someone must have pushed her daughter off of the "bench".  When one of the SAR detectives told her there were no benches, and that she had fallen off of a cliff, probably during the night. The mother started yelling that there was a conspiracy to cover the truth.  Problem is, in SAR, particular cliff formations are referred to as "benches".  The SAR member was talking in code or "shop talk" and it was overheard by someone who drew their own conclusions.  The mother and father accepted the explanation after the confusion had been overcome.

Just talk.  But be responsible with what you are saying.  If you use a 10 code, someone is going to whip out their IPhone and google 10-55.  Depending on what hit you pull up, you either located a DUI or you found a dead body.  If not, they are going to just ask.  And then what are you going to do?  Make up another 10-Code to answer them?  Codes are outdated and only bring confusion. With technology, nothing said in the open on an non encrypted freq is secure, even super secret CAP codes.

[SarDragon]

Hey, Rob, how about a 5150? 

[Flying Pig]

As long as your in CA!

[BillB]

Every police agency has their own version of 10 signals. ocally the Highway Patrol, Sheriffs Office and several local police departments have different codes. This causes problems for combined communications centers. In general in a combined operation, 10 signals are not used and transmissions are in plain english. So There is no way that CAP could go to codes since every Wing will come up with their own because of local conditions. That is one reason ICS prohibits codes.

[RiverAux]

Every police agency has their own version of 10 signals. ocally the Highway Patrol, Sheriffs Office and several local police departments have different codes. This causes problems for combined communications centers. In general in a combined operation, 10 signals are not used and transmissions are in plain english. So There is no way that CAP could go to codes since every Wing will come up with their own because of local conditions. That is one reason ICS prohibits codes.

Again, totally irrelevant and not what anyone was proposing.

[Flying Pig]

Its exactly the same thing.  Just talk in plain english.  Thats what everyone is saying.

[JayT]

Again, totally irrelevant and not what anyone was proposing.

Again, what is the difference?

[RiverAux]

You do not need established codes for this.  Codes can be briefed before every sortie and can change from mission to mission.  And since they would just be used between CAP members, it does not matter one bit that no one else understands them -- actually that is what you would want.  And it doesn't matter that the codes would be different across CAP since they would be mission specific.  So, it is irrelevant to FL Wing what AL wing is using on a different mission so long as everyone on the same mission is on the same page. 

[arajca]

...so long as everyone on the same mission is on the same page.

Therein lies the problem. I've been on exercises where the codes changed daily, and when the IC changed mid-day (due to family issues) while teams were in the field and aircraft were out. The new IC changed them because he didn't like the other guy's codes. Not to mention the aircrews who forget the new codes and fall back on the codes that they used 20 exercises ago. And of course, the resultant confusion is blamed exclusively on the communications folks.

[a2capt]

How about speaking with discretion, but with the idea that the person at the other end of the com-line has not a clue what you are talking about and needs just enough information to understand what they need to do with it.

[Rescue826]

2 words... PLAIN ENGLISH!!!!!

[Thunder]

Its hard enough to get people to use proper pro-words in transmissions. Its clearly prohibited to use codes. Lets not forget what we are trying to do with emergency services. We need to get a job done and thats to save a life. The dying person is not gonna care that you came up with clever schemes to hide what you are doing.

If everyone does their job, this is not an issue. These codes literally are making up for sloppy performance elsewhere. IC needs to establish a proper mission base. Chaplain needs to be with the family. Radio operators need to be trained on professionalism. PAO needs to handle media inquiries. Ground teams and Air crews need to be 100% focused on search.

Again, its already prohibited practice. Say what you want about ICS, but if CAP wants to be considered professional we need to fully adopt it and train to it.

[Major Lord]

I still think we should use pig latin; The media will never figure it out. " Aircraftkay ocatedlay: Onay urvivorsays- ispcry  itteredcray....."

Major Lord

[Rescue826]

I still think we should use pig latin; The media will never figure it out. " Aircraftkay ocatedlay: Onay urvivorsays- ispcry  itteredcray....."

Major Lord

You are my HERO!!!!