Page 3 SPRING 2010 

Radio Discipline on the Fireline 

BASICS 

1. Do not use radios for communicating when face-to-face dialogue is a better and available choice. 

2. Avoid excessive calling and unofficial transmissions. 

3. Listen. 

♦ Too often we are not listening but making mental notes of what we would like to say in response. 

FORMULATING THE MESSAGE PRIOR TO TRANSMISSION 

1. Think first, then speak. 

2. Use location identifiers or functional titles. 

♦ Location examples - Division B, Drop Point 2, Staging Area, Helibase 

♦ Functional titles - Taskforce Leader, Medic, Operations 

3. Keep your messages short and simple. 

♦ Try not to pack 5 seconds worth of information into 30 seconds. 

♦ Do not use big words when a short one will do. 

♦ Leave out unnecessary words. 

∼ Bad: “Ah, Taskforce Smith, this is FOBS Jones. Ah...yeah...ah, 

roger that...ah...ah...geographical location that we’re...ah...supposed 

to be moving towards...to ah...rendezvous...ah, that is...ah...met up 

with the...ah...other crew. Over.” 

∼ Good: “Taskforce Smith this is FOBS Jones. Copy. Out.” 

4. Use the phonetic alphabet. 

♦ Enunciation tends to be lost on the radio and individual letters can be 

miss-communicated over the radio. 

5. Use plain English aka “Clear Text.” 

♦ Avoid using codes. 

6. Use standard expressions (procedure words or pro-words) to reduce the 

amount of time transmitting on frequencies and to reduce confusion. 

Expression Meaning 

Go ahead Pass your message. 

Copy Message received and understood. 

Say again Retransmit message. 

Standby Message acknowledged but I am unable to 

reply or deal with it at this time. 

Affirmative Yes. 

Negative No. 

Over Information passed waiting for reply. 

Out Transmission finished. 

Do you copy Do you understand, please acknowledge. 

En route Resources heading to incident. 

Unreadable Used when signal received is unclear or not 

understood. 

Disregard Don’t pay attention to the last radio traffic 

Break Message is too long for one transmission. 

More to follow. 

PHONETIC ALPHABET 

Character Word Pronunciation 

0 Zero ZE-RO 

1 One WUN 

2 Two TOO 

3 Three TREE 

4 Four FOW-ER 

5 Five FIFE 

6 Six SIX 

7 Seven SEV-EN 

8 Eight AIT 

9 Nine NIN-ER 

A Alpha ALFAH 

B Bravo BRAHVOH 

C Charlie CHARLEE 

D Delta DELLTAH 

E Echo ECKOH 

F Foxtrot FOKSTROT 

G Golf GOLF 

H Hotel HOHTELL 

I India INDEE AH 

J Juliet JEWLEE ETT 

K Kilo KEYLOH 

L Lima LEEMAH 

M Mike MIKE 

N November NOVEMBER 

O Oscar OSSCAH 

P Papa PAHPAH 

Q Quebec KEHBECK 

R Romeo ROWME OH 

S Sierra SEEAIRAH 

T Tango TANGGO 

U Uniform YOUNEE FORM 

V Victor VIKTAH 

W Whiskey WISSKEY 

X X-ray ECKSRAY 

Y Yankee YANGKEY 

Z Zulu ZOOLOO 
LET’S TALK TRAINING	 Page 4 

Radio Discipline on the Fireline 

TRANSMITTING YOUR MESSAGE 

1. Answer all calls without delay. 

2. Listen before you transmit to make sure no one else is transmitting. 

3. When ready to transmit, push the transmission key and wait a couple seconds before speaking. When 

finishing transmitting, wait before releasing the key. 

4. Keep a distance of about 5 cm between the microphone and your lips, and shield your microphone from 

background noises. 

5. Use good speech technique. Think R.S.V.P. 

♦ Rhythm - Speak in short sentences with a natural rhythm. 

♦ Speed - Speak slightly slower than normal conversation. 

∼ Speak at a rate of 150 words/minute. 

∼ Speak even slower when someone needs to write down information. 

♦ Volume - Use normal speaking volume. 

∼ Shouting causes distortion and makes you hard to understand. 

♦ Pitch - Speak in a pitch slightly higher than normal conversation. 

∼ Remain calm. People respond to the intensity of your voice. 

∼ People don't always remember what you said, but they always remember HOW you said it. 

6. Divide long messages into sensible phrases, pausing every now and then. 

♦ Ensure that the person on the other end is copying your transmission. 

♦ Allow others to break in with more important information. 

7. Do not read everything back. 

♦ Use “Say again” for the transmission you did not copy. 

♦ Use “Copy, over” and stand by for the next transmission if you understand the transmission. 

BUILDING OUR FUTURE THROUGH INNOVATION 

As budgets get tighter, the BLM Fire Training Unit is looking at ways to more efficiently and 

effectively train its workforce. Part of this effort includes the collection of innovative training 

ideas and practices from the field that can be used across the nation. 

This newsletter focused on radio discipline. Are you doing something on your unit to develop efficient and 

effective radio operators? 

• Do you record radio conversations and analyze them with a technical proficiency checklist that you’ve 

developed? 

• Have you developed standard operating radio phraseology that you use during wildland fire operations? 

• How do you train your crew members about radio discipline? 

• Do you have an idea for a BLM radio communication training tool that could be developed and would like 

to be a part of bringing the concept to fruition? 

We’d like to hear from you and see your products regarding radio communication as well as other areas of 

BLM fire training. For more information about Building Our Future Through Innovation or to submit your ideas 

and sample products, contact Pam McDonald at Pam_McDonald@nifc.blm.gov or 208-387-5318.