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Emergency Messages
If you have an emergency message and need to interrupt a conversation taking place:
Listen for a pause in the conversation.
Press the PTT button, wait a couple seconds and say “
Break
” or “
Emergency traffic
” followed
by your call sign.
Wait to be acknowledged and then transmit your emergency message.
Radio Terminology
While it is advisable not to use abbreviations or codes (e.g. “10-4”) when using the radio, there are
some common radio terms that are generally used and understood, including:
Term
Meaning
Affirmative
Yes (avoid "Yup" or "Yeah" as they can be difficult to understand)
Negative
No (avoid “Nope” or “Nah” as they can be difficult to understand)
Come In
Please acknowledge that you hear me
Copy
I understand (avoid “Roger” or “10-4”)
Traffic/Message
Transmissions (communications) sent over the radio, i.e. “
I have traffic
”
Go Ahead/Come Now
I am ready to receive your message
Stand-by/Wait
Hold on, I acknowledge you but I am unable to respond immediately
Say Again/Come Again
Re-transmit (repeat) your message
Over
My transmission is finished, over to you
*
Monitoring/Listening
My conversation is finished but I will be monitoring the channel
Out/Clear
My conversation is finished and I am leaving the channel
**
Break/Emergency
I am interrupting communications or have an emergency message
Repeat
To repeat something, i.e. “
I require 3, repeat 3, people to help me
”
Radio Check
Can you hear me and what is my signal strength?
Loud and Clear/S1 – S9 Response to "Radio Check", S1 (weak/unclear) to S9 (strong/clear)
*
many radios and repeaters provide an audible click or beep tone when the PTT button is released after a
transmission, and therefore “Over” may not need to be said each time.
**
While “Over and Out” is sometimes said, it is a bit unclear. That phrase means “Over to you” for more
conversation, but at the same time “My conversation is finished and I am leaving.” It’s best to use “Over” (if
necessary) and then “Out” or “Clear” separately when leaving the channel or turning off the radio.
GENOAK:
www.genoak.org
OCP&R:
www.oaklandcpandr.org
| Oakland Firesafe Council:
www.oaklandfiresafecouncil.org/
Doug Mosher | WQOY819 | [email protected]
