Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have a colour coding for communicating emergencies/incidents happening in the moment to other staff/volunteers? 

We use walkie talkies/two way radios to communicate across the shelter and looking for a preferably colour coded way to call out incidents like animal emergency - vet needed urgently,  person emergency - dog bite - behaviour & ops manager needed urgently, person emergency - fall or non animal related injury - ops  manager needed urgently, Fire - leave site urgently etc.

Something similar to an example hospital one below?

Thanks!

Gail

Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

#FieldServicesandPublicSafety*
#OrganizationalManagement

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Gail Weston Steffensen
Transformation Manager
DSPCA
Rathfarnham
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Hey Gail!

We use radios as well and have three separate buildings so our codes are super important to not confuse our citizens as they pass through. Here's what our Leadership team created (we also made stickers and put them on the back of the radios for our new team):

• Code 100 -Loose Animal
• Code 300 -Animal Fight
• Code 500 -Evacuate Area/Fire
• Code 700 -Threatening Patron
• Code  Adam -Missing Child
• Code White -Injured Patron/Team Member

We also have the rule that the code should then be followed by the location. For example, "Code White Dog Adoptions"

Hope that helps!

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Sarah Sukhram
Vol. & Foster Coordinator
Pasco County Animal Services
Land O' Lakes, FL
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/408/Animal-Services
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That's really helpful, thanks Sarah. Yes, the consideration on what we can say over radio which our civilian visitors can hear is important to us too.  Also being clear on who then responds [to avoid 10 people from different functions all running at once!].

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Gail Weston Steffensen
Transformation Manager
DSPCA
Rathfarnham
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-16-2024 08:52 AM
From: Sarah Sukhram
Subject: Emergency coding for communicating emergency incidents happening in shelter to staff/volunteers

Hey Gail!

We use radios as well and have three separate buildings so our codes are super important to not confuse our citizens as they pass through. Here's what our Leadership team created (we also made stickers and put them on the back of the radios for our new team):

• Code 100 -Loose Animal
• Code 300 -Animal Fight
• Code 500 -Evacuate Area/Fire
• Code 700 -Threatening Patron
• Code  Adam -Missing Child
• Code White -Injured Patron/Team Member

We also have the rule that the code should then be followed by the location. For example, "Code White Dog Adoptions"

Hope that helps!

------------------------------
Sarah Sukhram
Vol. & Foster Coordinator
Pasco County Animal Services
Land O' Lakes, FL
https://www.pascocountyfl.net/408/Animal-Services
------------------------------

To keep things simple for emergency situations for our staff and volunteers, we use Code Red for any emergency being shared on the radio. Here is our protocol. 

Emergency communication must be easily identifiable and separate from standard transmission. The term"CODE RED", followed by emergency type and location, is the radio notification for ALL EMERGENCIES. All other radio traffic is considered standard transmission. It is either is or is not an emergency. Nothing more.

"Code Red" will be used for bonafide emergencies only. Everything else is standard transmission. For standard transmissions, simply describe the situation, i.e. "Need assistance at Admissions desk. Sally twisted her ankle."

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Stacey Zeitlin
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego CA
------------------------------

Thanks Stacey, also really helpful. I like the idea of keep the coding as simple as possible. Would civilians be likely to overhear the radio notifications on your site? If so, has there ever been any negative reaction to any emergencies being announced [thinking in the event of something awful like a dog biting someone]. I know you can't mitigate for every person's reaction, just mindful that we have a lot of children visitors to site so it's always good to understand other shelters' experiences.

------------------------------
Gail Weston Steffensen
Transformation Manager
DSPCA
Rathfarnham
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-16-2024 02:22 PM
From: Stacey Zeitlin
Subject: Emergency coding for communicating emergency incidents happening in shelter to staff/volunteers

To keep things simple for emergency situations for our staff and volunteers, we use Code Red for any emergency being shared on the radio. Here is our protocol. 

Emergency communication must be easily identifiable and separate from standard transmission. The term"CODE RED", followed by emergency type and location, is the radio notification for ALL EMERGENCIES. All other radio traffic is considered standard transmission. It is either is or is not an emergency. Nothing more.

"Code Red" will be used for bonafide emergencies only. Everything else is standard transmission. For standard transmissions, simply describe the situation, i.e. "Need assistance at Admissions desk. Sally twisted her ankle."

Transmit Code Red transmissions in the following format:

• Code Red
• Type of emergency
• Emergency location
• Repeat

------------------------------
Stacey Zeitlin
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego CA
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Thanks for checking, Gail. I asked our Campus Director at our largest shelter and while the public might hear staff and volunteers radioing for help, she has not heard of any concerns from the public hearing Code Red radio calls. 

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Stacey Zeitlin
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-19-2024 09:03 AM
From: Gail Weston Steffensen
Subject: Emergency coding for communicating emergency incidents happening in shelter to staff/volunteers

Thanks Stacey, also really helpful. I like the idea of keep the coding as simple as possible. Would civilians be likely to overhear the radio notifications on your site? If so, has there ever been any negative reaction to any emergencies being announced [thinking in the event of something awful like a dog biting someone]. I know you can't mitigate for every person's reaction, just mindful that we have a lot of children visitors to site so it's always good to understand other shelters' experiences.

------------------------------
Gail Weston Steffensen
Transformation Manager
DSPCA
Rathfarnham
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 04-16-2024 02:22 PM
From: Stacey Zeitlin
Subject: Emergency coding for communicating emergency incidents happening in shelter to staff/volunteers

To keep things simple for emergency situations for our staff and volunteers, we use Code Red for any emergency being shared on the radio. Here is our protocol. 

Emergency communication must be easily identifiable and separate from standard transmission. The term"CODE RED", followed by emergency type and location, is the radio notification for ALL EMERGENCIES. All other radio traffic is considered standard transmission. It is either is or is not an emergency. Nothing more.

"Code Red" will be used for bonafide emergencies only. Everything else is standard transmission. For standard transmissions, simply describe the situation, i.e. "Need assistance at Admissions desk. Sally twisted her ankle."

Transmit Code Red transmissions in the following format:

• Code Red
• Type of emergency
• Emergency location
• Repeat

------------------------------
Stacey Zeitlin
San Diego Humane Society
San Diego CA