Workplace/Public Safety: Secret Emergency Codes YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Workplace safety and preparedness are not often at the forefront of our minds. Most of us assume that if the worst happens, it’ll happen while we’re at home where we are adequately prepared. But what if it doesn’t?

On average, we spend over 50 hours a week away from our homes. Chances are, if a sudden disaster occurs, it could be when we are away from our home base and preps, and in that case, these are the emergency codes you will need to know if you’re in public when an emergency situation arises.

Save A Life.com states that emergency codes are color-coded indicators used in health care facilities to alert all staff members of potential issues arising in a facility. These codes include unique prescribing criteria for how staff members should respond to a particular situation, ranging from an active shooter incident to cardiac arrest. But knowing these codes could help YOU know what’s going on if an emergency occurs at your workplace.

Code words used by the military, healthcare professionals, aviation staff members, and the police are usually kept hidden so that they can control emergency situations easily.

PILOT CODES

If you hear your pilot say “7500,” it means that your plane has been hijacked or is threatened with a possible hijacking. It is a way to silently alert the ATC about the hijacking without informing unauthorized persons, including the hijackers.

“7500” – other emergency

“7700” – general emergency signal

“7600” – radio failure

“Blue Juice” – toilet water is on the floor

“Code Bravo” – In-flight emergency

“All-call” – a request to all the flight attendants to report from his/her station via intercom

“Operation Rising Star” – used to inform the officials that a passenger has passed away

“Operation Bright Star” – a medical emergency

SUBWAY

“Sick Passenger” – a passenger has vomited or fainted, has had a heart attack, is unconscious, or died.

“Police Investigation” – someone has committed suicide on the tracks

HEALTHCARE COLOR CODES

Silver – active shooter

Orange -assistance Needed or Hazardous Spill

Red – fire

Brown – severe weather

Pink/Purple – missing child

Black – bomb threat

White – Hospital Evacuation

Green – emergency operations plan activation

Blue – cardiac arrest or medical emergency

POLICE

“10-10” – a fight is in progress

“10-15” – a civil disturbance.

“10-31” – a crime is in progress

“10-32” – alerts fellow policemen about a person with a gun.

“10-34” – riot in progress emergency

“10-35” – major  crime alert

“10-37” – suspicious activity in YOUR vehicle

“10-45” – dead animal announcement

“10-50”  – traffic incident alert

“10-55” – used when the police find an intoxicated driver

“10-56” – intoxicated pedestrians

“10-70” – a fire alarm and the code

“10-89” – bomb threat

“10-98” – an alert about a prisoner escape

STORE CODE

If you’re in a store and you hear “Time Check,” announced, it means that you should vacate the place instantly as there’s a bomb threat.

Knowing these codes could give you some insight into what is happening and be able to respond for your own safety and the safety of others. Some of these are not meant to be known by the general public, however, understanding them will help you know what actions to take.  No one wants to stay in a store if there’s a bomb threat, and yet it’s understandable that store’s don’t announce that there is a bomb threat either. Causing a panic situation and being trampled to death would be less than ideal!

We can also prepare for these emergencies BEFORE they are announced.

The Secret to Survival is Prior Planning

Undoubtedly you have laid up a supply for yourselves and your families in your home and have some packed in your “go” bags, writes Ready Nutrition‘s, Jerimiah Johnson.  We’ll now touch on a few other areas: in your workplace and on your person. Some preparedness and emergency items for the entire office are:

• Have a supply of shelf-stable foods or MREs (Learn how to make your own MREs)
• Portable water filtration system or purification tablets
• Extra water
• Flashlight
• Whistle
• Small medical kit
• Local map
• Face mask
• Emergency contact numbers
• Extra cell phone chargers
• Multipurpose tool
• Small radio
• Copy of workplace emergency exits

A failure to prepare is preparing to fail. This is all up to you! If your workplace shrugs off your attempts to get them prepped for an emergency, that shouldn’t stop you from getting some extra food and provisions for yourself in your workplace (and also carry a little on you at all times). Keep in mind, this is about giving yourself an “edge” and perhaps buying you some time in a sticky situation.

Consider working with your coworkers to together devise plans and bounce ideas off each other on how to prepare for an emergency. Start with the most obvious emergency. For example, if you work at a healthcare clinic, it may be a bloodborne pathogen or infectious disease that you’ll be the most concerned about. Those who stock shelves at a grocery store likely wouldn’t list this as their main concern. They, perhaps, might be worried about crime or armed robberies since a lot of the stocking happens at night, for example.

Infographic: How Prepared is Your Workplace?

The point remains: getting everyone on board and understanding the reasons to be prepared in the workplace will help everyone!

You could also snag a few tips from the Prepper’s Blueprint. An excellent resource authored by Tess Pennington, that offers simple and easy to follow advice for even the most novice prepper.

“Those who are prepared have a better chance at survival than those who are not. A crisis rarely stops with a triggering event. The aftermath can spiral, having the capacity to cripple our normal ways of life. Because of this, it’s important to have a well-rounded approach to our preparedness efforts. Due to the overwhelming nature of preparedness, we have created the Prepper’s Blueprint to help get you and your family ready for life’s unexpected emergencies.”

–The Prepper’s Blueprint book description