Emergency service response codes

Alternative terminology

In some agencies, Code 3 is also called a Hot Response. Code 1 is also called a Cold Response.

Some slang may be used, such as "Running Hot", or "Running Cold".

Some departments may use the terms "upgrade" and "downgrade" as well. If a unit is responding to a call without lights or sirens (code 1), and the unit later needs to turn on lights and sirens (code 3), the term upgrade may be used. The term downgrade may be used in the opposite situation.

Some Paramedic/EMS agencies use Priority terms, which run in the opposite of code responses.

United Kingdom

The use of lights and sirens is up to the individual police officer driving to the call. The nature of the call is an aggravating factor when deciding when to use them. Calls are graded by either the control room direct (in the case of emergency calls) or by some sort of first contact centre (nonemergency calls). Grading is effected by such factors as the use or threat of violence at the incident being reported. Even though the grading is done by the control room, officers can request an incident be upgraded if they feel in their judgement they are needed immediately. They can also request to downgrade an incident if they feel they cannot justify using]

There is no nationally agreed call grading system with a number of different systems being used across the UK. Some of these are listed below.

Another variant in use within the UK.

A numerical grading system is used in some forces.

Ambulance responses in the UK are as follows. Some ambulance services allow driver discretion for 'Green' calls; this may be dependent on the type of call or how long it has been waiting for a response for.

The use of flashing lights and sirens is colloquially known as blues and twos which refers to the blue lights and the two-tone siren once commonplace (although most sirens now use a range of tones). In the UK, only blue lights are used to denote emergency vehicles (although other colours may also be used as sidelights, stop indicators, etc.). A call-out requiring the use of lights and sirens is often colloquially known as a blue light run.

Victoria

Ambulance Victoria The information provided to Ambulance Victoria at the time of the triple zero call generates a case type and ambulance response code depending on the severity of the emergency.

There are three types of ambulance response:

Code 1: A time critical case with a lights and sirens ambulance response. An example is a cardiac arrest or serious traffic accident.

Code 2: An acute but non-time critical response. The ambulance does not use lights and sirens to respond. An example of this response code is a broken leg.

Code 3: A non-urgent routine case. These include cases such as a person with ongoing back pain but no recent injury.

Source: http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/About-Us/How-we-work/In-a-Medical-Emergency/Response-Codes.html

Please note additional codes are used, but these are for internal purposes.

Country Fire Authority There are two types of response for the Country Fire Authority which cover the outer Melbourne Area. These are similar to those used by Ambulance Victoria, minus the use of Code 2.

Code 1: A time critical event with response requiring lights and siren. This usually is a known and going fire or a rescue incident.

Code 2: Unused within the Country Fire Authority

Code 3: Non-urgent event, such as a previously extinguished fire or community service cases (such as animal rescue or changing of smoke alarm batteries for the elderly).

New South Wales

Marine Rescue NSW

Code 1 Urgent Response - Use warning devices

Code 2 Semi Urgent Response - Use of Warning devices at skippers discretion

Code 3 Non Urgent Response - Warning Devices not needed

Code 4 Training - No Warning devices to be used unless specifically needed for training

'N.S.W. AMBULANCE CODES'

ZERO 1 Clear the air, Urgent Message.

CODE 1 Officer in trouble requires Police.

CODE 2 Cardiac arrest.

CODE 3 Advise Hosp. of patients condition.

CODE 4 Patient Deceased.

CODE 5 Arriving at Hospital, DOA for Cert.

CODE 6 Departing Hospital for Morgue.

CODE 7 Arriving at Morgue.

CODE 8 Patient with a Terminal condition.

CODE 9 Rescue required, Person trapped.

CODE 10 Fire Brigade required.

CODE 11 Live Wires Down contact Power Auth.

CODE 12 Poisonous Gas.

CODE 13 Danger of Explosion.

CODE 14 Ambulance involved in Collision.

CODE 15 Patients or Officer Injured.

CODE 16 Tow Truck required.

CODE 17 Overdose.

CODE 18 Airport Alert.

CODE 19 Disaster Alert.

CODE 20 Meal Break.

CODE 21 Paramedics required.

CODE 22 Morphine administered.

CODE 23 Infectious disease.

CODE 24 Approach with caution, await Police.

CODE 25 Suicide / Suspicious death call Police.

CODE 26 Sexual Assault

Fire and Rescue NSW use the following radio codes:

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service uses two levels of response, depending on what the call-out is and what has been directed of the crew attending the incident by orders of the duty officer:

The New South Wales Police Force uses two distinct classifications for responding to incidents. In order to respond 'code red' a driver must be suitably trained and have qualified in appropriate police driver training courses.

South Australia

SA Ambulance Service use a Priority system.

Note: Priorities 0 and 3 have been reserved for future use. Priority 9 is used for administration taskings.

The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, Country Fire Service and South Australian State Emergency Service use a Priority System which has been recently updated.

All calls are routed through the Metropolitan Fire Service (Call Sign "Adelaide Fire") including State Emergency Service 132 500 calls.

During significant weather events the State Communication Centre (SCC) unit of the SES take over call taking responsibly. This operations centre is manned by volunteers routing calls for assistance to the closest unit who will dispatch the events to individual teams.

Queensland

Queensland Police uses the priority system;
Code 1 - Immediate risk of death to a person. Proceed lights and sirens. Permission granted to disobey road rules.
Code 2 - Immediate risk of serious injury to a person or damage to property. Proceed lights and sirens. Permission granted to disobey road rules.
Code 3 - Routine job. Proceed without lights or siren. Road rules must be obeyed.
Code 4 - Negotiated response time. Proceed without lights or siren. Road rules must be obeyed.

For Queensland Police code 1 and code 2 are exactly the same response time. Rarely will a job be given a priority code 1, instead officers will be told to respond code 2.

Northern Territory

St John Ambulance Northern Territory uses terms to determine the response.

Emergency or Non-Emergency. Emergency can be broken down into Life-threatening or Non-life-threatening.
Emergency: Life-threatening - Respond lights and sirens
Emergency:Non-life-threatening - Respond without lights and sirens
Non Emergency: Respond without lights and sirens

Western Australia

St John Ambulance Western Australia uses the following codes to determine a response.

Priority 1 represents an Emergency call. (Response time target is to attend to 90% of emergency calls within 15 minutes)
Priority 2 represents an Urgent call. Use of lights authorised and siren allowed only when passing through heavy traffic and clearing intersections. (Response time target is to attend to 90% of urgent calls within 25 minutes)
Priority 3 represents a Non-urgent call. (response time target is to attend to 90% of non-urgent calls within 60 minutes) ..

The Western Australian Police uses the following codes from 1 to 7 to determine response actions.

Priority 1 is an emergency call. Lights and siren authorised. An example of a Priority 1 call would be an armed holdup call, or an officer down.
Priority 2 is a less urgent emergency call. Lights and siren authorised, but follow basic traffic rules. An example of a Priority 2 call is a serious shots fired or officer in trouble/officer requires urgent assistance
Priority 3 is an urgent call, lights and siren authorised, but follow basic traffic and road rules.
Priority 4 is a less urgent call. Lights and siren authorised but follow more advanced traffic rules and the speed limit.
Priority 5, 6, and 7 is a standard call. No lights or siren authorised and follow all traffic rules.

Possible shift to plain language

In the U.S. the National Incident Management System (NIMS) states "it is required that plain language be used for multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction and multi-discipline events, such as major disasters and exercises" and federal grants became contingent on this beginning fiscal year 2006. NIMS also strongly encourages the use of plain language for internal use within a single agency.