Security Radio Codes: The Vocabulary Every Guard Should Know

On your first day at a site, the radio can sound like another language: “Bravo Four, roger”, “code white in emergency”, “stand by”. This guide explains the security radio codes every guard should master: good habits for talking on the air, the radio alphabet, procedure words, 24-hour time, colour codes such as code white, and confidentiality. The basic rules come from circular RIC-22 (CIR-22 in French) from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), which describes general radiotelephone operating procedures.

How do you speak properly on the radio?

A portable radio lets only one person speak at a time. If two guards press at the same moment, nobody hears anything. The habits to adopt:

1. Listen before you press. RIC-22 asks the operator to listen to the channel long enough before transmitting, so as not to interfere with a communication in progress.
2. Press, wait one second, then speak. The first word is often cut off if you speak at the same moment you press the button.
3. Identify yourself. The set form is: the call sign of the person you are calling, then “this is” (“ici” in French), then your own. For example: “Central, this is Patrol 2”.
4. Be brief. Prepare your message before you press: who, what, where. The details will go in your incident report.
5. Confirm receipt. A simple “roger” saves the other person from repeating the message.
6. Speak calmly, at a normal pace, with your mouth a few centimetres from the microphone.

What is the radio alphabet?

The radio alphabet (often called the “NATO alphabet”) is used to spell a licence plate, a name or a room number without error. In Canada, ISED's RIC-22 calls it the phonetic alphabet of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Note the official spelling: Alfa and Juliett.

Not to be confused: for the Office québécois de la langue française, the “alphabet phonétique international” (International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA) is the system of symbols used to transcribe the sounds of languages, not the Alfa, Bravo, Charlie list.

Example: the plate “K4P” is said “Kilo, four, Papa”.

Which procedure words do you need to know?

RIC-22 defines precise procedure words. The table gives each one with the word from the French version in parentheses. Your employer may use variants. Learn the ones used at your site.

In the English version of RIC-22, you ask for a repetition with say again rather than repeat. Many Quebec teams simply say “répétez”. Follow the usage at your post.

Why use 24-hour time?

To avoid any confusion between morning and evening, especially during a night shift. RIC-22 expresses time in four digits: the first two for the hour since midnight, the last two for the minutes. So “0045” means 12:45 a.m. and “1345” means 13:45 (1:45 p.m.). Write your times this way in the logbook and in reports as well.

What do code white, code red and code blue mean?

Quebec health care institutions use colour codes to launch their emergency measures without alarming patients and visitors. The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale and the CISSS des Laurentides each publish their own list of about a dozen codes. Here are the main codes of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal:

The lists look alike from one institution to another, but not always word for word: the CISSS des Laurentides, for example, describes code pink as a “pediatric emergency”, and its list includes code silver (armed person). Learn the list posted in your institution and the procedure to follow for each code. To learn more about this setting, read our article on working as a hospital security guard.

Are “10 codes” mandatory?

No. Codes like “10-4” do not appear in RIC-22, which favours plain-language words (“roger”, “affirmative”). They are not standardized: some agencies have a house list, others forbid them. Use them only if your employer gives you a written list, and ask for it as soon as you arrive, for example on an event contract where several teams share the airwaves.

What can you say on the air?

Assume that everyone can hear you: co-workers, clients standing near a radio, sometimes people listening to the frequency. RIC-22 points out that it is forbidden to divulge the content of intercepted radio communications, except where the law provides otherwise. In practice:

• no full name, date of birth or address on the air. Describe the person (clothing, location)
• no health information
• for a sensitive matter, ask for a phone call or a meeting in person
• no personal conversations or jokes on the work channel.

Frequently asked questions

What does “code white” mean?

In the Quebec health care institutions we consulted, code white signals a request for immediate help because a person is behaving aggressively in a way that poses a risk to that person or to others.

Should you say “Alpha” or “Alfa”?

The pronunciation is the same. The official spelling in the ITU alphabet, used by ISED, is “Alfa” and “Juliett”.

Are “roger” and “out” the same thing?

No. “Roger” (“reçu”) confirms that you received the message. “Out” (“terminé”) closes the conversation: no response is expected.

Sources

• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, CIR-22 — Procédures générales d'exploitation en radiotéléphonie (English version: RIC-22)
• Office québécois de la langue française, Vitrine linguistique, entry “alphabet phonétique international”
• CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Introduction aux mesures d'urgence (journée d'accueil)
• CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, Codes de mesures d'urgence
• CISSS des Laurentides, Mesures d'urgence