Ten-code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:46, 27 November 2005

Revision as of 17:17, 10 December 2005

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'''Ten-codes''', properly known as '''ten signals''', are [[code word]]s used to represent common phrases in voice communication, particularly in radio transmissions. The codes, developed in [[1937]] and expanded in [[1974]] by the [[Association of Public Safety Communication Officials]] (APCO), allow for brevity and standardization of message traffic. They are widely used by [[law enforcement]] officers in [[North America]].

Some municipalities also use signal codes (e.g. "Code tenfour" or "Code blue"), which typically gives further information the nature of a crime or emergency. These vary drastically from agency to agency.

Ten-codes were also adapted for use by [[CB radio]] enthusiasts before its pop culture explosion in the late [[1970s]], thus many of the phrases, such as 10-4 and "what's your twenty" have entered everyday use in the English language. A popular fictional account of ten-codes in use among CB-communicating [[trucker]]s may be heard in the 1978 movie ''[[Convoy (film)|Convoy]]''.