Question about the Ten-Code

Question

I'm about to start a police academy and I've decided to get a jump start on some things.

I want to learn the ten-codes.

So I've been referring to Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-code#10-0s

10-7 for example lists

Out of Service

Ending tour of Duty

Deceased

Not functional (as a vehicle)

(Ambulance) On Scene

Request Break

Proceeding to ___

does 10-7 always mean all of these things?

...is it just up to the situational as to which one would fit?

or is it different from place to place?

Answer 1

And you might find they're not used there. 10-codes date from the early days of mobile radio when the mode was AM on a lower frequency than later. AM is subject to static (unlike FM and digital), and transmissions on those lower frequencies propagate differently than higher frequencies and often "bounce" over long distances, causing interference from distant transmitters in other locations. 10-codes provided a short way to convey messages that might have been difficult on a bad day and were easier to remember than the spoken version of the radio-telegraph Q codes. FM and digital (digital being what everyone is moving to) don't have that problem. More agencies are just speaking English, often on encrypted systems. Unless an agency has a firm rule, though, some sort of short codes will survive for quickly conveying things like immediate danger.  

Answer 2

10 codes are different in every jurisdiction but...10-7 would actually mean "off duty/out of service" but officers and dispatchers expand the meaning of 10 codes to fit the situation. So, 10-7 would actually mean all the things that you have listed just depending on the situation. 10-8 can mean "in service/on duty" but an officer might say "He's about to get 10-8" when referring to a suspect getting ready to run. Don't get into a big rush to learn the 10 codes and signals. If you learn them wrong, it'll confuse you. You'll pick up on them faster than you think.