Codes You Shouldn't Know

Secret codes you weren't meant to know

Name Codes:
- Code Oscar: man overboard (on a ship)
- Code Delta: biological hazard
- Code Alpha: medical emergency
- Code Adam: missing child,
in memory of 6 year old Adam Walsh, son of John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted
- Code Bravo: general security alert (airports)
also means fire (on a ship)
- Inspector Sands (or Mr. Sands): fire (UK)
referred to as Mr. Sands or Mr. Johnson in cases of a theater fire
- Mr. Gravel: bomb (UK)


Computer Support Codes:
- Code PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard & Chair
- Code PICNIC: Problem In Chair, Not In Computer
- ID 10 T Error: Idiot

Doctor Codes:
- Dr. Brown: threat to personnel
- Dr. Allcome: serious emergency
- Dr. Firestone: fire in the hospital
- Dr. Pyro: fire in the hospital, followed by location
- Dr. Strong: patient needs physical assistance or physical restraint

Color Codes:
- Black: a personal threat (Australia)
bomb threat (Ontario/Manitoba)
bomb threat/ suspicious package (military)
- Grey: combative person with no weapons (HASC)
severe weather (Cook Children's Medical Center, Ft. Worth, TX)
- Green: combative person using physical force (most U.S. hospitals)
evacuation situation (Ontario/ Winnipeg Hospitals
- Pink: biohazard contamination of patient or staff (Heartland Regional Medical Center)
patient under influence of illegal substances (UK First Aid organizations)
- Purple: bomb/substance alert (Australia)
hostage situation/ patient abduction (Ontario Hospital Association)
emergency department can no longer accept patients (Canada/ Wellstar Health Group)
- Silver: combative person with a lethal weapon (HASC)
violent situation/lockdown (Cook Children's Medical Center, Ft. Worth, TX)
- Yellow: missing patient (Ontario Hospital emergency codes)
- Orange: external disaster, mass casualties (Ontario Medical)
- Brown: missing adult (University of Toledo medical/ University of Cincinnati medical)

Police Codes (Ten Codes):
- 187: homicide
- 211: armed robbery
- 415: disturbance
- 417: man or woman with a gun
- 502: intoxicated driver
- 5150: mentally ill person
- 459: burglary
- 420: marijuana
- 10-31: crime in progress
- 10-27-1: homicide (10 is usually not said in 3 number sequence)
- 10-00 (10 double zero) officer down

Wal-Mart Codes:
- Code 10 or 20: dry spill/ wet spill
- Code 300: calls for security
- Code Orange: chemical spill
- Code Red: fire
- Code Blue: bomb
- Code Green: hostage situation
- Code White: accident
- Code C: call for customer service

Time check in stores (i.e. Time Check: the time is 12:00)
commonly refers to a bomb alert

Code 10: mass casualties/serious threat (hospitals)
also refers to a merchant becoming suspicious of a check/credit card and calling for authorization