The International Association of Police Chiefs opposed the idea of banning 10-codes altogether. Hear Gene Voegtlin, spokesman for the organization, explain.

Sorry, I don't speak 10-code. You know, as in 10-4, meaning Roger. Accepted. Understood.

The Department of Homeland Security doesn't want anyone speaking the language either.

Too confusing, it says.

The codes mean something different depending on who is using them and where, and some departments are using 11 and 12 code systems. Many fire departments don't even use codes.

It's a recipe for chaos.

"What has happened with 9-11 and the Katrina disaster is that emergency responders can't communicate with each other in a disaster," says Steve Morton, an attorney who heads the homeland security division for a Texas law firm. "When you are in a crisis, you don't want people not understanding you."

To solve the "We're not understanding each other" problem, this summer, the Department of Homeland Security demanded police, fire and other emergency crews speak words, not numbers. But that idea, as simple as it sounds, created a backlash from members of law enforcement.

Why the resistance?

Morton says local agencies are attached to their 10-4s, 10-23s (Stand By), 10-75s (You Are Causing Interference) and 10-91s (Talk Closer to Mike).

After all, they understand them. And who wants the public understanding everything being communicated on a police scanner?

Furthermore, short numbers, such as 10-42 (Traffic Accident) are easier to understand than words.

"They've been in place for more than 50 years," says Morton, referring to codes. "It probably started in the military. A lot of times it's hard to understand what someone is saying on the radio. The person could have a foreign accent. Short numbers are a lot faster and lot clearer."

The Department of Homeland Security apparently got the message.

In September, Secretary Michael Chertoff told law enforcement they could keep their 10-codes when talking to each other, but should speak plain English when responding to a large scale emergency when several different departments are involved.

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Megan Scott is an asap reporter in New York.

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