Ten - Code - wikipedia Ten - Code Ten - codes, officially known as ten signals, are brevity codes used to represent common phrases in voice communication, particularly by law enforcement and in Citizens Band ( CB ) radio transmissions. The codes, developed in 1937 and expanded in 1974 by the Association of Public - Safety Communications Officials - International ( APCO ), allow brevity and standardization of message traffic. They have historically been widely used by law enforcement officers in North America, but, due to the lack of standardization, in 2006 the U.S. federal government recommended they be discontinued in favor of everyday language. Contents 1 History 1.1 In popular culture 2 Replacement with plain language 3 Examples of ten - codes 4 Lists of APCO Ten Signals 5 Clear Speech Procedure Words and Codes 6 Related codes 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History APCO first proposed Morse code brevity codes in the June 1935 issue of The APCO Bulletin, which were adapted from the procedure symbols of the U.S. Navy. The development of the APCO Ten Signals began in 1937 to reduce use of speech on the radio at a time when police radio channels were limited. Credit for inventing the codes goes to Charles `` Charlie '' Hopper, communications director for the Illinois State Police, District 10 in Pesotum, Illinois. Hopper had been involved in radio for years and realized there was a need to abbreviate transmissions on State Police bands. Experienced radio operators knew the first syllable of a transmission was frequently not understood because of quirks in early electronics technology. Radios in the 1930s were based on vacuum tubes powered by a small motor - generator called a dynamotor. The dynamotor took from 1 / 10 to 1 / 4 of a second to `` spin up '' to full power. Police officers were trained to push the microphone button, then pause briefly before speaking ; however, sometimes they would forget to wait. Preceding each code with `` ten - '' gave the radio transmitter time to reach full power. An APCO Bulletin of January 1940 lists codes assigned as part of standardization ; The Ten Signals were included in APCO Project Two ( 1967 ), `` Public Safety Standard Operating Procedures Manual '', published as study cards in APCO Project 4 ( 1973 ), `` Ten Signal Cards '', and then revised in APCO Project 14 ( 1974 ). In popular culture Ten - codes, especially `` 10 - 4 '' ( meaning `` understood '' ) first reached public recognition in the mid - to late - 1950s through the popular television series Highway Patrol, with Broderick Crawford. Crawford would reach into his patrol car to use the microphone to answer a call and precede his response with `` 10 - 4 ''. Ten - codes were adapted for use by CB radio enthusiasts. C.W. McCall 's hit song `` Convoy '' ( 1975 ), depicting conversation among CB - communicating truckers, put phrases like 10 - 4 and what 's your twenty ? ( 10 - 20 for `` where are you ? '' ) into common use in American English. The movie Convoy ( 1978 ), loosely based on McCall 's song, further entrenched ten - codes in casual conversation. Replacement with plain language While ten - codes were intended to be a terse, concise, and standardized system, the proliferation of different meanings can render them useless in situations when officers from different agencies and jurisdictions need to communicate. In the fall of 2005, responding to inter-organizational communication problems during the rescue operations after Hurricane Katrina, the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) discouraged the use of ten - codes and other codes due to their wide variation in meaning. The Department of Homeland Security 's SAFECOM program, established in response to communication problems experienced during the September 11 attacks also advises local agencies on how and why to transition to plain language, and their use is expressly forbidden in the nationally standardized Incident Command System, as is the use of other codes. APCO International 's current position states that plain speech communications over public safety radio systems is preferred over the traditional 10 - Codes and dispatch signals, As of 2011, ten - codes remain in common use in many areas, but are increasingly being phased out in favor of plain language, with nineteen states planning to change to plain English as of the end of 2009. Examples of ten - codes Some examples of the codes are : 10 - 1 Bad reception 10 - 4 I acknowledge / Affirmative / Copy 10 - 9 Say again 10 - 20 Advise to location 10 - 21 Call 10 - 33 Emergency : all units stand by 10 - 36 Correct time Many additional codes have been added by individual local or regional first - response agencies ; these are not standard across jurisdictions and may be problematic if multiple organizations must respond to the same incident. Lists of APCO ten signals Signal APCO Meaning 1937 APCO 1939 First Published Set ( 17 signals ) 1940 ( APCO Standards Committee ) 1955 ( National Operating Procedure Committee ) APCO Project 2 ( 1967 ) APCO Project 4 ( 1973 ) APCO Project 14 ( 1974 ) Clear Speech ( c. 1971 ) ( plain language to replace Ten Codes ) Phrase Word Brevity Code ( c. 1979 ) Procedure and Officer Details Go Ahead Under Control In Pursuit Traffic Stop 10 - 0 -- -- -- -- Use caution 10 - 1 Receiving poorly. Receiving poorly Unable to copy - change location Signal Weak Unable to copy - change location Unreadable 10 - 2 Receiving well. Receiving well Signals good Signal Good -- 10 - 3 Stop transmitting. Disregard last information Stop transmitting Stop Transmitting Stop transmitting 10 - 4 Acknowledgement. Message received Acknowledgement Affirmative ( Ok ) Roger Roger / Affirmative 10 - 5 Relay. Relay Relay Relay ( To ) Relay 10 - 6 Busy. Busy, stand by Busy - Stand by unless urgent Busy Busy 10 - 7 Out of service. Out of service Out of service ( Give location and / or telephone number ) Out of Service Out at... Out of Service 10 - 7 A -- Not Available 10 - 7 B -- Off Radio 10 - 8 In service. In service In service In Service Clear In Service 10 - 9 Repeat, conditions bad. Repeat Repeat Say Again Say again Say Again 10 - 10 Out of service -- subject to call. On minor detail, subject to call Fight in progress Negative -- 10 - 11 Dispatching too rapidly. Stay in service Dog Case... On Duty -- On Radio 10 - 12 Officials or visitors present. Visitors or officials present Stand by ( stop ) Stand By ( Stop ) Stand by Stand By 10 - 13 Advise weather and road conditions. Weather and road conditions Weather and road report Existing Conditions Weather report / road report 10 - 14 Convoy or escort. Convoy or escort Report of prowler Message / Information -- Prepare to Copy 10 - 15 We have prisoner in custody. We have prisoner in custody Civil distrubance Message Delivered Disturbance 10 - 16 Pick up prisoner at... Pick up prisoner at Domestic trouble Reply to Message -- 10 - 17 Pick up papers at... Pick up papers at Meet complainant Enroute -- Responding 10 - 17 A -- -- -- -- Theft 10 - 17 B -- -- -- -- Vandalism 10 - 17 C -- -- -- -- Shoplifting 10 - 18 Complete present assignment as quickly as possible. Anything for us ? Complete assignment quickly Urgent Urgent Priority 10 - 19 Return to your station. Nothing for you Return to... ( In ) Contact Return to... 10 - 20 What is your location ? Location Location Location Location 10 - 21 Call this station by telephone. Call... by phone Call... by telephone Call (... ) by Phone Call... Telephone 10 - 22 Take no further action last information. Report in person to... Disregard Disregard Disregard Disregard 10 - 23 Stand by until no interference cause to Iowa ( Mo. ) etc. Arrived at scene Arrived at scene Arrived at Scene On scene 10 - 24 Trouble at station -- unwelcome visitors -- all units vicinity report at once. Finished with last assignment Assignment completed Assignment Completed -- Available 10 - 25 Do you have contact with... ? Operator or officer on duty ? Report in person to ( meet )... Report to ( Meet )... Meet... or contact... 10 - 26 Can you obtain automobile registration information ? Holding subject, rush reply Detaining subject, expedite Estimated Arrival Time Detaining subject, expedite 10 - 27 Any answer our number... ? Request driver 's license information Drivers license information License / Permit Information Drivers license information on... 10 - 28 Check full registration information. Request full registration information Vehicle registration information Ownership Information Registration information on... 10 - 29 Check for wanted. Check record for wanted Check records for wanted. Records Check Check for wanted on... Emergency or Unusual 10 - 30 Does not conform to rules and regulations. Does not conform to rules and regulations Illegal use of radio Danger / Caution -- Use Caution 10 - 31 Is lie detector available ? Emergency basis, all squads, 10 - 11 Crime in progress Pick Up -- 10 - 31 A -- -- -- -- Burglary 10 - 31 B -- -- -- -- Robery 10 - 31 C -- -- -- -- Homicide 10 - 31 D -- -- -- -- Kidnapping 10 - 31 E -- -- -- -- Shooting 10 - 32 Is drunkometer available ? Chase, all squads stand by Man with gun... Units Needed ( Specify ) -- 10 - 33 Emergency traffic at this station -- clear ? Emergency traffic this station EMERGENCY Help Me Quick -- Help Officer 10 - 34 Clear for local dispatch ? Trouble at station, assistance needed Riot Time -- 10 - 35 Confidential information. Major crime, blocade Major crime alert -- Reserved -- -- 10 - 36 Correct time ? -- Correct time -- Reserved -- -- 10 - 37 Operator on duty ? No rush Investigate suspicious vehicle -- Reserved -- -- 10 - 38 Station report -- satisfactory. Hurry, but do not use red light or siren Stopping suspicious vehicle ( Give station complete description before stopping ). -- Reserved -- Traffic stop on... 10 - 39 Your Nr... delivered to addressee. Use red light and siren Urgent - Use light and siren -- Reserved -- -- General Use Private Use 10 - 40 Advise if Officer... available for radio call. Notification Silent run - No light or siren -- 10 - 41 Tune to... kcs. for test with mobile unit or emergency service. Car change at... Beginning tour of duty -- 10 - 42 -- Crew change at... Ending tour of duty Off duty 10 - 43 -- Take school crossing Information -- 10 - 44 -- -- Request permission to leave patrol... for... Request for... 10 - 45 -- -- Animal carcass in... lane at... -- 10 - 46 -- -- Assist motorist Assist motorist 10 - 47 -- -- Emergency road repairs needed -- 10 - 48 -- -- Traffic standard needs repairs -- 10 - 49 -- Hourly report mark Traffic light out East bound green light out ( etc. ) Accident and Vehicle Handling 10 - 50 -- Auto accident, property damage only Accident -- F, PI, PD Traffic ( F, PD ) Trafic Hit and run Injury No injury reported Unknown Private property, location 10 - 51 -- Auto accident, wrecker sent Wrecker needed -- 10 - 52 -- Auto accident, personal injuries, ambulance sent Ambulance needed -- 10 - 53 -- Auto accident, fatal Road blocked -- 10 - 54 -- -- Livestock on highway -- 10 - 55 -- Drunken driver Intoxicated driver -- 10 - 56 -- -- Intoxicated pedestrian Drunk pedestrian 10 - 57 -- -- Hit and run -- F, PI, PD -- 10 - 58 -- Is wrecker on the way ? Direct traffic -- 10 - 59 -- Is ambulance on the way ? Convoy or escort -- Net Message Handling 10 - 60 What is next item ( message ) number ? What is your next message number ? Squad in vicinity -- 10 - 61 Stand by for CW traffic on... kcs. CW traffic Personnel in area. -- 10 - 62 Unable to copy phone -- use CW. Any answer our Nr... Reply to message -- 10 - 63 Net directed. Time Prepare to make written copy Prepare to copy 10 - 64 Net free. -- Message for local delivery -- 10 - 65 Clear for item ( message ) assignment ? Clear for message assignment Net message assignment -- 10 - 66 Clear for cancellation ? Clear for cancellation Message cancellation -- 10 - 67 Stations... carry this item ( message ). Clear for net message Clear to read net message -- 10 - 68 Repeat dispatch. -- Dispatch information -- 10 - 69 Have you dispatched... ? -- Message received -- Fire 10 - 70 Net message ( State net traffic ). Fire, phone alarm Fire alarm Fire 10 - 71 Proceed with traffic in sequence ( busy here ). Box alarm Advise nature of fire ( size, type, and contents of building ) -- 10 - 72 -- Second alarm Report progress on fire -- 10 - 73 -- Third alarm Smoke report -- 10 - 74 -- Fourth alarm Negative Negative 10 - 75 -- Fifth alarm In contact with -- 10 - 76 -- Fire equipment needed En Route En route... 10 - 77 -- Fire, grass ETA ( Estimated Time of Arrival ) ETA ( Estimated time of arrival ) 10 - 78 -- Set up command post Need assistance Request Assistance 10 - 79 -- Report progress on fire Notify coroner Notify coroner ( to be done by phone whenever possible ) The 80 series is reserved for assignment by nets for local use. Personal Favors -- 10 - 80... tower lights at this station burned out. -- -- Chase 10 - 81 Officer Nr... will be at your station... -- -- -- 10 - 82 Reserve room with bath at hotel for officer Nr... Reserve hotel room Reserve lodging -- 10 - 83 Have officer Nr... call this station by telephone. -- -- -- 10 - 84 Advise telephone Nr... your city that officer Nr... will not return this date. -- If meeting... advise ETA -- 10 - 85 Officer... left this station for... ( Jefferson City ) ( Des Moines ) at... -- Will be late -- 10 - 86 Officer... left this station for... at... -- -- -- 10 - 87 Officer Nr... will be in... if officer Nr... will be in. -- Pick up checks for distribution -- 10 - 88 What phone number shall we call to make station to station call to officer Nr... ? Advise phone number for station to station call Advise present telephone number of... -- 10 - 89 Request radio service man be sent to this station... Radio transmission -- Bomb threat Technical 10 - 90 Radio service man will be at your station... Transmit on alternate frequency Bank alarm Alarm ( type of alarm ) 10 - 91 Prepare for inspection ( date )... ( time )... -- Unnecessary use of radio Pick up prisoner 10 - 92 Your quality poor -- transmitter apparently out of adjustment. -- -- Parking complaint 10 - 93 Frequencies to be checked this date. Frequency check Blockade -- 10 - 94 Test -- no modulation -- for frequency check. Give me a test Drag racing -- 10 - 95 Test intermittently with normal modulation for... -- -- Prisoner in custody 10 - 96 Test continuously with tone modulation for... -- Mental subject -- 10 - 97 -- -- -- Check traffic signal 10 - 98 -- -- Prison or jail break Prison / jail break 10 - 99 -- -- Records indicate wanted or stolen Wanted / stolen Clear speech procedure words and codes Clear Speech ( c. 1971 ) ( plain language to replace Ten Codes ) Procedure Word / Code Meaning ROGER To be used as acknowledgement. AFFIRMATIVE To be used when `` yes '' is needed. HELP To be used when in danger and urgent assistance is needed. CODE ONE Informs all units to STANDBY - STOP TRANSMITTING. Do not transmit, except for emergency messages, while Code 1 is in effect. Dispatch shall announce, `` Clear Code 1, '' when the condition is secured. CODE TWO Indicates an `` urgent '' call short of an `` emergency '' situation. A Code 2 call has priority over all other police activities except `` emergencies ''. Proceed directly to Code 2 calls as quickly as is consistent with safety. Agents may, in exceptional cases, use their emergency equipment ( both visual and audible to comply with state law ) to transverse an otherwise clear intersection against a red traffic control device. Once clear of the intersection - turn off the emergency equipment. CODE THREE Indicates an EMERGENCY call. Red lights and siren are authorized. Proceed as quickly as possible with due regard for safety, and in compliance with the laws governing emergency vehicles. CODE FOUR Used to indicate that sufficient units have responded to a location, or that assistance is not needed, or is no longer needed. CODE FIVE Used when Wanted / Records checks are requested by an agent to alert the agent of a wanted felon, a person known to be dangerous or a person known to be mentally unstable. A backup unit shall be dispatched Code 2 on all Code 5 's. Personnel lwill NOT proceed with Code 5 details until the receiving unit requests same. The unit receiving a Code 5 will request the details when he is in a safe position to do so, which might not be until his backup arrives. CODE SIX When an agent is dispatched to a traffic accident, and the dispatcher states, `` Code 6, '' the agent will advise the drivers involved to proceed to the situation to file their reports. This will only be done if there are no injuries, no unusual circumstance and the vehicles are safely operable. Driver Exchange Forms will be completed at the scene to include the C.R. number. CODE SEVEN Indicates `` out of service - personal. '' CODE Eight Assist a fire department. Related codes The California Highway Patrol uses ten - codes, along with an additional set of eleven - and higher codes. California Penal Code sections were in use by the Los Angeles Police Department as early as the 1940s, and these Hundred Code numbers are still used today instead of the corresponding ten - code. Generally these are given as two sets of numbers -- `` One Eighty - Seven '' or `` Fifty - One Fifty '' -- with a few exceptions such as `` 459 '' -- Burglary, which is given as `` Four - Five - Nine ''. The American public was made aware of these California Penal Code references as a result of the TV series Adam - 12, which used them habitually in radio communications and in the main title of the show. The best - known include : `` 187 '' : Homicide Further information : 187 ( slang ) `` 211 '' : Robbery `` 415 '' : Disturbance `` 417 '' : Person with a weapon `` 502 '' : Intoxicated Driver `` 5150 '' : Mentally disturbed person ( actually a reference to the California Welfare and Institutions Code ) The New York Fire Department uses its own ten - code system. The New Zealand Fire Service uses a system of `` K - codes '' to pass fire appliance availability statuses as well as operational messages. For example, `` K1 '' means `` proceeding to incident '', while `` K99 '' means `` Structure fire, well involved ''. The New Zealand Police also use some K - codes, with completely unrelated meanings to those used by NZFS ; Police code `` K1 '' means `` no further police action required ''. Telegraph and teletype procedures Q code and prosigns for Morse code are used in amateur radio, aviation and marine radio. They provide specific abbreviations for concepts related to aviation, shipping, RTTY, radiotelegraph and amateur radio. In radiotelegraph operation, a Q code is often shorter ( as ten - codes require transmission of three prefix characters : 1, 0, hyphen ) and provides standardization of codes, essential in international and shortwave communications. Z codes are used by NATO countries in military radio communications. See also Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System Emergency service response codes Law enforcement jargon List of international common standards Spelling alphabet NATO phonetic alphabet Medical Priority Dispatch System Voice procedure Brevity code List of CB slang Procedure word References ^ Jump up to : Heard on Morning Edition ( 2009 - 10 - 13 ). `` Plain Talk Eases Police Radio Codes Off The Air ''. NPR. Archived from the original on 2009 - 10 - 17. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 23. Jump up ^ `` The APCO Bulletin ( June 1935 ) '' ( PDF ). Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016. Jump up ^ James Careless ( August 2006 ). `` The End of 10 - Codes ? ''. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016. Jump up ^ http://28011b0082f55a9e1ec0-aecfa82ae628504f4b1d229bd9030ae1.r13.cf1.rackcdn.com/1940-01-p008-200.pdf Archived 2017 - 08 - 10 at the Wayback Machine., p. 8 Jump up ^ `` The Origin of The Ten Code ''. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` APCO Projects ''. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015. Jump up ^ 9 - Code, 10 - Code. Archived 2015 - 03 - 20 at the Wayback Machine. Dispatch Magazine online. Jump up ^ `` Official Ten - Code List Association of Public Communications Officers ( APCO ) ''. Archived from the original on 2007 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ The End of the Ten - Code ? Archived 2009 - 07 - 22 at the Wayback Machine... Tim Dees, Officer.com, 9 November 2005 Jump up ^ 10 - 4 no more ?. Megan Scott, asap ( AP ), 23 November 2005 Jump up ^ `` Plain Language Guide '' ( PDF ). SAFECOM program. Department of Homeland Security. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 2010 - 05 - 27. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 23. Jump up ^ Federal Emergency Management Agency. NIMS Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved on 2014 - 12 - 01 from `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 12 - 23. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 02... Jump up ^ APCO position statement on Plain Speech in Public Safety Communications Archived 2012 - 05 - 09 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Mack, Sharon Kiley ( January 1, 2010 ). `` Maine police dropping 10 - code, switching to plain language ''. Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Association of Public Communications ( APCO ) 10 Codes ''. Archived from the original on 2013 - 10 - 04. Jump up ^ `` Happy Birthday '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Page Twelve The APCO Bulletin April 1940 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Standard `` Ten Signals '' '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` A NATIONAL TRAINING MANUAL AND PROCEDURAL GUIDE FOR POLICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL ''. Jump up ^ `` Public Safety Communication Aural Brevity Code '' ( PDF ). ^ Jump up to : `` Ten Code Versus Clear Speech Communication '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Phrase Word Brevity Code '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` CHP Glossary ''. California Highway Patrol. Archived from the original on 2015 - 11 - 26. Retrieved 2015 - 11 - 25. Jump up ^ F.D.N.Y. Radio Codes Archived 2010 - 09 - 15 at the Wayback Machine. The Unofficial Home Page of FDNY. Jump up ^ `` K - Codes '' Archived 2016 - 05 - 10 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Fire radio codes Archived 2016 - 04 - 19 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Police K code ''. Radio Wiki. 2012 - 06 - 07. Archived from the original on 2013 - 02 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Q Codes '' ( PDF ). CB Radio Source. Retrieved 2010 - 01 - 23. External links APCO Bulletin -- The APCO Bulletin, January 1940. The first official publication showing the 10 - codes ( see page 8 ). Association of Public Communications -- Official ten code list ( page http://www.911dispatch.com/info/tencode.html archived on web archive ) Official Ten - Code List Association of Public Communications Officers ( APCO ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ten-code&oldid=808482738 '' Categories : Brevity codes Emergency communication Encodings Law enforcement in the United States Telegraphy Telecommunications - related introductions in 1937 Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2011 All articles containing potentially dated statements Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2009 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2011 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Español فارسی Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 3 November 2017, at 03 : 36. 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Question: where does the saying ten four come from
Answer: the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International