GlossaryDispatch and call records
Ten-code
A ten-code is a short radio code beginning with “10” that stands for a message under a particular communications codebook.
A ten-code is a short radio code beginning with “10” that stands for a message under a particular communications codebook. Public-safety agencies have used these codes for acknowledgments, unit status, and other messages. The same number can mean different things in different agencies, so interpretation requires the applicable code list.
Why the codebook matters
A transcript might preserve a code exactly as spoken without explaining it. The reliable reference is the issuing agency's communications policy or codebook for the relevant period. A general internet list can assign a familiar meaning that the local system does not use.
FEMA's incident-management training calls for plain language and clear text during incidents involving multiple organizations. That guidance addresses the risk that organizational codes or acronyms will be misunderstood across agency boundaries. It does not make every code in an older local record invalid.
Example
Hypothetical example: A resident receives a transcript containing “10-8.” The accompanying agency codebook defines that entry as “available for assignment.”
For that record, the phrase identifies an availability message. It does not establish that the unit had just completed a particular investigation or that a court case ended. If the resident compares another department's transcript, its own codebook is needed before assigning the same meaning.
Common confusion
A ten-code is a communications abbreviation. An incident-type code describes the kind of event recorded, while a disposition code describes how a call was handled or ended. Similar-looking numbers need not belong to the same coding system.
A code also does not add factual certainty to the underlying message. A coded report can still contain preliminary information.
Scope and historical records
FEMA's plain-language training specifically addresses incidents involving multiple organizations. When quoting a historic transcript, preserve the original code and give the locally supported translation, including the codebook's date if known.