Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
Amid warnings that Chicago Fire Department paramedics are literally taking a beating at the hands of their patients, the Committee on Public Safety unanimously approved an ordinance at the behest of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2.
It would create a special category of crime for assaulting CFD paramedics, private ambulance workers, American Red Cross, or any other emergency medical services and disaster response personnel in Chicago. If convicted, an offender would face up to 180 days in jail and fines as high as $1,000.
A 10-1 for a police incident goes out on the radio band heard by every police officer in Chicago – but a 10-1 involving a paramedic or firefighter is handled very differently. A single police car responds.
With 1,700 police vacancies in the Chicago Police Department, paramedics increasingly find themselves on the scene without any backup during overnight hours.
#1 by Chuck on February 4, 2023 - 10:45 PM
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The problem with the new Police Department being so “data driven” is they can fudge the numbers any way they please. Wasn’t there a report about some two star Chief in Communications just making dozens if not hundreds of complaints on a daily basis rollover into thin air because they weren’t dispatched 2 hours after the call was taken, if ever?
#2 by Mike Mc on February 3, 2023 - 8:37 AM
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Thanks for explaining Jeremy B.
#3 by Jeremy B. on February 3, 2023 - 12:38 AM
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Mike Mc, that’s the purpose of this, it gets around the State’s Attorney as it’s a Chicago Municipal Ordinance, which the City Corporation Counsel prosecutes. That’s why the potential jail time is 6 months, the maximum that can be imposed for a municipal ordinance violation under state law.
#4 by Jim Mitidiero on February 2, 2023 - 7:22 PM
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Bill, I’m thinking the cars can put their response into the computer or the dispatcher. I know often on a 10-1 they tell the cars just go, don’t tie up the radio. By the time computers became ever present I was in Mass Transit and we didn’t have them.
#5 by Bill Post on February 2, 2023 - 1:05 AM
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Thanks for the information on the Missile Codes Jim. I didn’t know that was their name. I just knew them as disposition codes.
Jim Mitidierio I was wondering that that since they went to the relatively new “higher tech”911 system do the Police Dispatchers still have to manually “black out” the cars that go on the “assists” for the “Crimes in Progress” or do the cars out in the field do it themselves electronically when they are out in the field? I know that 911 dispatcher traditionally assigns the initial car as the “paper car” but the cars that back up the paper car are they still blacked out when they go on the assist? When there is a crime in progress depending on their availability you can have quite a few cars that go on the assist if they are around. I remember that before the 911 Center opened the dispatcher used to put a hand written ticket in the “Paper cars” slot which would shut off their light however I am not sure how they now do it with the Electronic 911 system.
#6 by Localguy on February 1, 2023 - 11:29 AM
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Um….. everytime I see the mayor do a press conference on the news she says there isn’t a gun problem in Chicago. Or a violent crime issue. She threatens to kick the reporters out that ask those questions and bring up that untrue nonsense. Why would the CFD need this if there isn’t an issue???
#7 by Jim Mitidiero on February 1, 2023 - 10:51 AM
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Bill, the codes you are talking about for job dispositions are called Misc Incident Exception codes. Any job not requiring a case report gets coded with a “missile x” asthey were called.
#8 by Bob on February 1, 2023 - 10:32 AM
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The whole “one car responds” is not true. I’ve been to many EMS 10-1’s and never once has only one car responded. It’s also broadcasted on the CPD citywide band.
#9 by crabbymilton on February 1, 2023 - 9:40 AM
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Thanks for that clarification. Years ago depending on conditions, I would be able to hear CFD and CPD perfectly clear along with CTA and some of the transmissions would get into the repeaters here in Milwaukee. This was obviously well before digital but I do remember how CFD did use plain English while still being clear and not bumbly and stumbly. Up here a 10-99 means a death. Many FD’s and PD’s up here don’t even use 10-4 that much now it’s Message Received.
#10 by Bill Post on February 1, 2023 - 9:08 AM
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Crabby the 10/1 Code has been a Chicago Police Code for many years. Most calls are dispatched in plain English unlike many other Police departments do. Chicago does have disposition 10 Codes which report on the results and how the call was resolved but in Chicago the few 10 codes that are used are 10/1 meaning Police or Fireman needs Emergency Help and 10/99 which means that the Police car is a One man unit.
#11 by Jim Mitidiero on February 1, 2023 - 7:35 AM
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The Chicago Police Dept use only 3 ten codes: 10-1 Officer needs help. More urgent than send another car or a request for an assist.
10-4. Two person car acknowledging assignments.
10-99. One person car acknowledging assignments.
#12 by crabbymilton on February 1, 2023 - 6:21 AM
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I must have missed some change in the “10” codes. I always thought 10-1 meant a bad signal and 10-2 meant loud and clear. I know every agency can vary the codes but then again some dispatchers seem to throw some formalities out the window. Some public safety radio systems sound a lot different in terms of protocol than they were 43 years ago when I started my scanner hobby.
Alas, very sad and troubling situation when these people are trying to help and are getting beat up and shot at.
#13 by Bill Post on January 31, 2023 - 6:16 PM
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I don’t know if they may have new “directives” that may have been issued in recent years,but like Mike Mc and Chuck said, if a 10/1 goes out on the air the cars in the district drop what they are doing and respond, often times you can have most of the district on the scene in 5 to 10 minutes. Now they may have changed things but on a 10/1 “everybody goes” was the unwritten rule for a long time. If it sounds like it could be a dangerous situation then they normally tell the Ambulance to stage until the police arrive.
It is apparent that the police are severely shorthanded and perhaps they haven’t been taking a Fire 10/1 as seriously as they do a Police 10/1 as of late.
#14 by Chuck on January 31, 2023 - 5:34 PM
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10-1’S in the old days would bring multiple police cars AND multiple ambulances to the scene.
#15 by Mike Mc on January 31, 2023 - 4:07 PM
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Sounds good but it is useless if the current State’s Attorney will not enforce it. Meaningless lip service. Not sure if I buy the statement that only one police car responds to a paramedic 10-1. CFD 10-1’s are broadcast on city wide just like all other major events.