History Main / CodeEmergency

[[folder:WebComics]]

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
* The characters in the Creator/RobertAHeinlein-esque ''Literature/TheSagaOfTuck'' use American Sign Language, rotating numeric call signs, and shortwave radios to maintain communications. It would probably be more light-hearted, seeing as they're all high school students, if someone hadn't nearly died.
* Parodied in ''WebAnimation/ClearSkies''. The title vessel has fifteen color codes; of these four are known: Code Red ("Imminent Ship Destruction"), Code Orange ("Imminent Judith Chalmers Encounter"), Code Yellow ("It's time to start running"), and Code Blue ("Armed incursion of the ship"). Charlie- who wrote these things- mentions a fifth code, Fuschia, though what it means is unknown.

** Code Blue/Code 99/CPR Team: cardiopulmonary emergency[[note]]usually a pending or ensuing cardiac arrest; in any case time is critical[[/note]] (code team responds; usually a team of nurses from ICU or Emergency, a house doctor, and an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist from the OR)

* In William Poundstone's Biggest Secrets, he mentions that hospitals use codes like "Dr. Red" and "Dr. Firestone" for fires, and "Dr. Strong" for patients who are putting up a fight. They do this because some patients may have heart attacks if they hear and comprehend the frightening news.

* Code words were given to tv and radio stations at one time as part of the emergency broadcast system. Getting the code words would signal stations to stop and wait for a presidential address. Unfortunately, the Cheyenne Mountain base that oversaw America’s defense once accidentally sent the activation codes out. The code was “Hatefulness”. It was actually a test and wasn’t supposed to be sent out. Making matters worse, some stations had lost their code pages and on top of that, it took 45 minutes to find and transmit the correct deactivation code. [[https://youtu.be/5EQ9Gh158iU listen here]]

*** Category 1, or Red calls: Immediate and serious threats to life; lights and siren are mandatory. (Ex: Building on fire with persons trapped, a person with a life-threatening injury or medical event, violent crime in progress.)
*** Category 2, Yellow/Amber: The situation is serious but not immediately life-threatening, lights and siren can be used at the driver's discretion. (Ex: Person trapped in a building by a jammed lock or some structural issue but not in immediate danger, a person needing transport to the emergency department but conscious and breathing, shoplifter being detained by security guards.)
*** Category 3, Green: Non-emergency call, no lights or siren. (Ex: Assistance needed to prevent a storm-damaged building from collapsing further, a patient requiring transfer between hospital sites, a burglary or similar crime that was discovered only after the perpetrators are long gone.)