IMPORTANCE OF CODE WORDS RADIO USAGE FOR SECURITY OFFICERS

May 25, 2018

IMPORTANCE OF CODE WORDS AND RADIO USAGE FOR SECURITY OFFICERS

 

Communication is key when working a shift as a security officer. It is one of the top skills to have as an officer. Radios serve a lot of purposes while working on a shift, such as being able to communicate faster in case of any arising danger or malicious activity. This also means information is able to be passed around swiftly without wasting energy running back and forth.

In this article we are going to go through some of the basics but mostly forgotten radio procedures that should be followed by officers, enabling quick, concise and accurate transmission of information through radios.

 

1.Basic radio procedures

It is always good to remember that strict radio procedures need to be followed at all times whether it’s a hand held, control room telephone or vehicle radio set up. Following these procedures are important for a lot of reasons, such as preserving the security of information that’s being passed from one officer to the other. It is also important to be aware of someone else listening to the information being passed over the radio, which is why it’s better to disguise the names and location of the operatives in codes or call sign to avoid leakage of information to the public.

2.Code words:

Call sign and code words serve the same purpose, which is to hide the true meaning of the message from outsiders. Sometimes the reason for this is to avoid creating panic or chaos for the venue guests. A good example of this would be a situation where there’s fire or a potential bomb in a particular area of the building. In this case it is important to operate without triggering fear and panic by calmly communicating to your colleague or any officers close to the location of the incident using coded words or phrases. For instance, rather than yelling the word “fire” on the radio, an alternative could be “code yellow” or “amber”.  And for more serious cases “code red” depending on the agreed code during briefing.

3.Paying attention to radio calls:

Here’s another thing a lot of new security officers/low-experienced officers don’t pay attention to when using the radio, which is inattentiveness. Sometimes they tend to forget what their call sign which can result in late replies or missing out on crucial information. The worst thing to do during your shift is to miss out on information that could prevent accidents or loss of lives/property. So therefore it is imperative to know your call sign, and also check the volume of your radio before being assigned to position.