In APCO, Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials 10-codes, 10-39 means "Urgent / Emergency Traffic" or "Speed Restrictions". It is used to indicate that a unit is responding to an emergency and may require priority on roads, or to notify officers and dispatch of situations requiring urgent attention while maintaining safety protocols.
Here’s how it might be used in a real-world scenario:
- Officer: "Dispatch, 10-39, responding to 10-31 call at 5th and Main. Lights and siren engaged."
- Dispatch: "10-4, all units be advised, 10-39 in progress, clear the route if safe."
In this exchange, the officer communicates that they are responding urgently to a situation, and dispatch notifies other units of the emergency traffic. Using 10-39 ensures priority response while keeping other units aware and maintaining roadway safety.
Operational Purpose
10-39 is critical for prioritizing responses to emergencies, including crimes in progress, medical emergencies, or other high-priority incidents. It allows units to alert nearby officers and the public (through coordination and protocols) that urgent travel is underway and ensures that response time is minimized.
This code also supports safe driving practices during emergency response, helping reduce risk to both officers and civilians while ensuring timely arrival at the scene.
Officer Safety And Coordination
Declaring a 10-39 ensures that all units are aware of vehicles in emergency response mode. Officers may temporarily report 10-6 (busy) while en route, confirm acknowledgment with 10-4, and provide location updates using 10-20. Coordination with traffic management, dispatch, and other units helps reduce risk during urgent responses.
Variations And Agency Practices
Some agencies apply 10-39 specifically to lights-and-siren emergency responses, while others also use it for urgent administrative traffic, such as moving officers quickly to critical locations. Local procedures may dictate which vehicles may engage in emergency traffic, reporting requirements, and safe driving practices.
Plain-Language Alternatives
Agencies emphasizing plain-language communication may replace 10-39 with phrases such as:
- "Emergency response in progress."
- "Priority traffic, lights and siren engaged."
- "Urgent travel to incident."
Related 10-Codes
Codes commonly associated with 10-39 include 10-4 (acknowledgment), 10-20 (location), 10-31 (crime in progress/reported), 10-33 (emergency/all units respond), and 10-38 (stolen vehicle). Together, these codes facilitate coordinated, safe, and effective emergency responses.