New signals and codes have been implemented between the Atlanta Police Department and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, according to Atlanta's City Newsbytes newsletter. Police and fire will now have one set of 911 signals and codes to communicate with one another.

The codes and signals will be in "plain talk", which is recommended by The National Incident Management System Standard for effective communications between levels of government and private entities. Plain talk is communicating without the signals and the use of words that make it easy to understand the emergency.

Currently, there are 95 signals and 34 codes used by police and fire. Prior to the consolidation there were 95 fire signals, 91 police signals, three fire codes and 31 police codes.

The new codes and signals are helping to enhance the efficiency of dispatchers who send calls to fire and police personnel. They also create a more accurate compilation of statistical data.

Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington noted that the departments decided to make the change when they reviewed their current process of handling emergency calls and determined that the consolidation of fire and police codes would allow them to better serve the public when they are needed most.
KW