Most of our radio transmissions are and should be made in “Plain English.” However, in some cases there are authorized abbreviations or radio codes used and you need to understand their meaning and be clear when using them. There are two sets of radio codes that are used, and this can cause confusion. The first one is used by EPSO and other law enforcement agencies:
- Code 1: Emergency or radio silence (this is not consistent across law enforcement agencies)
- Code 2: Urgent – no lights or siren – refers to response mode (NO SPEEDING!)
- Code 3: Use lights and siren – refers to response mode
- Code 4: No further assistance needed – used when a subject has been found OK
The most common set of SAR codes was established by the MRA:
- MRA Code 1 Subject found, okay
- MRA Code 2 Subject found, assistance needed (not generally used)
- MRA Code 3 Unforeseen emergency, usually involving a field team member. (not generally used)
- MRA Code 4 Subject found dead.
- MRA Code 5 Clear the area of unauthorized personnel so private message may be transmitted. (Remember that with all the scanning monitors in use, no radio message is truly private.) (not generally used)
In the execution of EPCSAR missions, it is uncommon to hear anything except for the following codes:
- Code 2: Urgent response, but no lights or siren (NO SPEEDING!)
- Code 3: Emergency response, use lights and siren
- Code 4 (or sometimes C4, especially in a page): Subjects located OK
- MRA Code 4: Subject found dead
Obviously, it is imperative to be clear when using “Code 4”. It will generally be assumed that you mean the subject is OK unless you specify “MRA Code 4”. However, this may NOT be true when working with other teams.
