Now it is quite simple to figure out what is going on in case of emergency by knowing a series of little codes. I remembered this while I was at one of my contracts as a “Code Blue”, warning was issued over the public address system. A code blue is a BOMB threat. I lost about two and half, if not three, hours of my day where I could have been doing something useful. Unfortunately, I had to wait anyway; I couldn’t leave without my equipment. 

To my surprise, the bomb was really just a hoax and did not go off and reduce my equipment and the building to mere rubble. Instead, the Chattanooga Bomb Squad destroyed the “object.”

I am glad I remembered the meaning since the a majority of the staff did not, though the codes are mentioned in the required the Universal Precautions Safety Course for school staff. Going back through the materials of the course myself, I feel the need to mention some of the other codes: White = Accident, Red = Fire, Black = Inclement Weather, Green = Hostage, Orange = Chemical Spill, ADAM = Missing Child, Brown = Shooting.

Looking at these codes I can’t help but think that for the most part these codes where put together to keep the general public from going into a panic. I can’t help but to think that a few of these are a little redundant. Couldn’t a shooting, fire, chemical spill also be an accident? I realize that the other modifier might weigh a little more, but wouldn’t it also be nice to know that Bob the hunter shot the clerk because the clerk was too stupid to realize a shell was in the shotgun Bob was “testing out,” or the building was about to burn down because little Johnny Pyro lit the trash on fire emptying the ashtray in the smokers lounge?

Hmm, fire, that brings up another good point: what do you call over the public address if there is a multiple chemical spill which combusts? Better yet what code do you call if someone doesn’t pay attention and throws empty chemical containers in a trash compactor and the containers combust? What then, why even bother with the codes since the meaning should be common knowledge. Why hide the truth? After all, with a little research you can find just about anything.