Stereo Scanner Stream Graphic
Left Channel:  Law EnforcementRight Channel:  Rescue / Fire / EMS
Terms / Descriptions Phonetic Alphabet Thurston County Fire Departments and Law Enforcement Agencies 10 Codes

Terms heard over the air and their descriptions

A -

Aid # - Aid vehicle from the fire department. Provides BLS aid. ie: "Aid-91"

ALS - Advanced Life Support - Paramedics - Medic One units

Also - "I have additional information to transmit". Dispatch will respond when ready with "Go ahead your also".

A.O.B. - Alcohol On Breath

Arriving - Arriving on scene, arriving on location.

B -

BLS - Basic Life Support - EMTs - Emergency Medical Technicians

BLS Yellow - A 911 response but doesn't require lights & sirens (emergency but not urgent)

Business Check - Officer is out of car checking a local business.

C -

Call Receiver - The dispatcher that took the original 911 call or complaint.

Canceled - Need at the scene is no longer needed.

Capital - Thurston County Dept. of Communication - Used to ID the Dispatch Center (Fire side)

CAPCOM - Used to identify an emergency or returned warrant traffic.  Thurston County Dept. of Communication

Clear - Done at the scene or done at the current call location.

Code 2 - Responding with Emergency Lights

Code 3 - Responding with Emergency Lights and Sirens

Code 9 - County Coroner

Code 10 - Emergency Traffic Only.  Hold the channel for the current emergency.

Code 12 - Ambulance / Private Carrier

Copy - Understood.  The radio transmission was received and understood.

Corrective Lenses - Subject is supposed to wear glasses or contacts to drive

D -

Data - The Data dispatch desk at Thurston County Dept. of Communication

Disregard - Never mind.  Forget my radio transmission.

D.O.B - Date Of Birth

Domestic - Family / household disturbance

E -

EMT - Emergency Medical Technician

Engine # - Fire Engine from the fire department. ie: Engine O1

Enroute - On the way to the scene, enroute to the location

F -

Fully Involved - Structure is fully engulfed in fire

G -

G.O.A. - Gone On Arrival

Go Ahead - Begin your radio transmission.  Dispatch is ready to receive the radio transmission.

H -

HAZMAT - Hazardous Materials or Hazardous Material Team

H.B.D. - Has Been Drinking

I -

In Service Returning - Finished at the scene, returning to quarters and ready for the next call.

In Service - Finished with the call and ready for the next or starting their shift.

J -

K -

Keep The Peace - Maintain civility between two parties while they encounter each other.

L -

Landline - Telephone.  "Can you landline Data?" means to make a phone call to CAPCOM's Data desk/dispatcher.

L.O.C - Level Of Consciousness - a measurement of a person's arousability and responsiveness to stimuli from the environment.

LZ - Landing Zone.  Usually for a medical airlift helicopter.

M -

M.V.A. - Motor Vehicle Accident

N -

Next up - Request the next tow truck in the rotation to respond to the scene.

O -

On Scene - Arrived on the scene of the emergency, on location.

On Standby - Manned and ready to respond if needed. Usually On Standby at the station.

Open Line - Telephone receiver off the hook with a call initiated. Can hear background noises.

Open Mic - Someone's transmit button is stuck "ON" and transmitting.

Out of Service - Not available to respond to calls.  Going home for the night.

P -

P.O.V - Privately Owned Vehicle.

Priority Traffic - Emergency radio traffic.  Sort of a "take my call on the radio first" situation.

Private Carrier - Ambulance. Usually American Medical Response (AMR) or Olympic Ambulance.

Q -

R -

Radio - Thurston County Dept. of Communication - Used to ID the Dispatch Center (Law Enforcement Side)

Received - Your radio transmission was received and understood.

Repeat Traffic - Radio traffic wasn't understood, please repeat what was said.

Repeat Transmission - Radio transmission wasn't understood, please repeat what was said.

Rescue # - Rescue vehicle from the fire department, provides BLS aid. ie: "Rescue 81"

Returning - Returning to station.  Usually due to a cancellation.

R.O. - Registered Owner

Rollover - Vehicle rollover.

R.P. - Reporting Party

S -

Stand by - Please wait and hold your radio transmission.

Status or Status Check - Report your status to Radio.  Dispatch is checking the welfare of the officer.

Syncope - (syn-ka-pee) Fainting

Syncopal Episode - Fainting episode.  A transient loss of consciousness and postural tone.

T -

Tender # - Tender vehicle from the fire department, Tenders carry large amounts of water to the scene where a fire hydrant might not be available.

Traffic - Requesting a vehicle traffic check. The phonetic spelling of the license plate will follow shortly after.

Transporting - Transporting patient(s) to hospital.  Transporting suspect to station or jail.

U -

Unreadable - The radio transmission can not be understood.  Usually due to static, poor signal or background noise.

U.T.L. = Unable To Locate

V -

W -

Wants on # - Officer is asking dispatch to check for any outstanding warrants on # individual(s).

Welfare Check - Check the well-being of an occupant or subject

Wrecker - Toe Truck

X -

Y -

Z -

Radio Phonetic Alphabet used by Thurston County
A - Adam B - Boy C - Charles D - David
E - Edward F - Frank G - George H - Henry
I - Ida J - John K - King L - Lincoln
M - Mary N - Nora O - Ocean P - Paul
Q - Queen R - Robert S - Sam T - Tom
U - Union V - Victor W - William X - X-Ray
Y - Young Z - Zebra    
Thurston County Fire Departments
TCFD NO. 1, Rochester Fire Rescue
TCFD NO. 2, Yelm Fire Department
TCFD NO. 3, Lacey Fire Department
TCFD NO. 4, Rainier Fire Department
TCFD NO. 5, Black Lake Fire Department
TCFD NO. 6, East Olympia Fire Department
TCFD NO. 7, North Olympia Fire Department
TCFD NO. 8, South Bay Fire Department
TCFD NO. 9, McLane Fire Department
TCFD NO. 11, Littlerock Fire Rescue
TCFD NO. 12, Tenino Fire Department
TCFD NO. 13, Griffin Fire Department
TCFD NO. 15, Tumwater Fire Department
TCFD NO. 16, Gibson Valley Fire Department
TCFD NO. 17, Bald Hills Fire Department

Lacey Fire Department (TCFD#3)
Olympia Fire Department
Tumwater Fire Department

Thruston County Law Enforcement Agencies
Thurston County Sheriff Office
Lacey Police Department
Nisqually Tribal Police
Olympia Police Department
Tumwater Police Department
Yelm Police Department
Washington State Patrol

10 Codes Description
10-4 Acknowledgement - OK - Understood
10-7 Out of Service
10-8 Responding - Enroute - In-service
10-20 Location (usually heard on the law side "what's your twenty")
10-24 Assignment complete - Returning to Station
10-81 Back in Quarters - Back at the Station - "I'm out at 81"
Code 9 County Coroner
Code 10 Emergency Traffic Only (Only radio traffic for current call)
Code 12 Private Carrier - Ambulance