This is likely the case. The radios they use are usually open-frequency radios that anyone can listen in on, and everyone, especially media outlets, know that. They'll listen in, but the vast majority of people trained to handle these situations will not openly discuss sensitive information that might get leaked to the media, such as the number of deaths. That sort of information is tightly controlled so that nobody hears about their loved one dying on the news or hears early, unverified numbers about casualties before they are confirmed.
Hence, why police use police codes, which tend to be different from the codes other precincts. You don't want to make it easy for any rando listening on a radio to tell that you're dealing with a rape victim.
Absolutely. I worked in a hospital a long time ago. There was an elderly/infirm floor and Code Meadow meant a patient had crapped the bed or in the hallway and housekeeping would rush up to deal with it.
I also worked at a hospital - in college days around '94-'95 as a housekeeper... the dread I would feel when hearing "housekeeping to <some hall, room, etc.>, there is a BM" was real. The "BM" which everyone knows is "bowel movement" wasn't code at all and people would chuckle at me as I would wheel the special cart with the bio cleanup purposed little green clean machine on it to do the dirty work. aaaah... memories
This is likely the case. The radios they use are usually open-frequency radios that anyone can listen in on, and everyone, especially media outlets, know that. They'll listen in, but the vast majority of people trained to handle these situations will not openly discuss sensitive information that might get leaked to the media, such as the number of deaths. That sort of information is tightly controlled so that nobody hears about their loved one dying on the news or hears early, unverified numbers about casualties before they are confirmed.
Hence, why police use police codes, which tend to be different from the codes other precincts. You don't want to make it easy for any rando listening on a radio to tell that you're dealing with a rape victim.
Absolutely. I worked in a hospital a long time ago. There was an elderly/infirm floor and Code Meadow meant a patient had crapped the bed or in the hallway and housekeeping would rush up to deal with it.
Hospitals now call that a Code Biden (when a patient craps themselves).
If you hear a page for Doctor Strong they need muscle help somewhere
"Paging Mr Greenthumb" was our code that a bomb threat had been called in at the arena I used to work at. Never got to hear them say it.
I also worked at a hospital - in college days around '94-'95 as a housekeeper... the dread I would feel when hearing "housekeeping to <some hall, room, etc.>, there is a BM" was real. The "BM" which everyone knows is "bowel movement" wasn't code at all and people would chuckle at me as I would wheel the special cart with the bio cleanup purposed little green clean machine on it to do the dirty work. aaaah... memories