Family Code Words?

[thesolidus]

Do you train with friends and family with code words?
At work we use them to notify each other of threats etc, coordinate response and can secretly activate all available officers with code phrases.

Does anyone have?
Like a Grab the Kids and drive to your Mothers Code? (Don't use this one on poker night fella's!)
Or an "Honey get your gun and lock down in the safe room" code?
Or even a "Honey the dinner guest is stealing your jewels and leering at out teenage daughter and I need you to call the cops without letting him know while i try to get him away from the steak knives..." Code?

As a kid my family had a 'password' if someone else picked you up from school. We used it too. Have it to this day to verify a 3rd party message is real.
Do you have other ways of tactical communication?

Just wondering how many people have these anymore.

In disaster planning I always joke about my "Code Z" box. (Short for Zombie....) http://www.thehighroad.org/images/icons/icon12.gif

 

[freakshow10mm]

Nope. Code words are silly.

 

[thesolidus]

silly?

I use them at work on occasion. Nice when the person sitting at your desk is manic, drugged, and talking about killing people starting with me...
Security comes in all quiet, gets into position, then padded room!
Beats wrestling a blade out of a 21 year old on Meth single handed...
But that's work I guess.

Had a warning call once years ago, could have been sooner had we had a code. Jealous dude gunnin for someone picked me. (and it really Wasn't me!)
He came in the door while she was on the phone, literally "gunning" for me. Talked him out the door then locked it and ducked... He was all talk...

Always had a "safe word" as a kid and for the kids.

Just wondered if similar codes that EMS, police, mil, security etc use can be or have been adapted by families?

 

[freakshow10mm]

Have been in sticky situations. Plain ol' English worked just fine. Ever listen to the police scanners where they constantly get the 10-codes wrong? And they use them every day.

 

[ilbob]

Life is complicated enough without making it more so.

 

[sm]

Yes.

I was raised to use codewords and passwords in the home, homes of mentors, those I associated with and in workplaces.

Codewords are not silly.

i.e hospitals use codes over the public announcement systems all the time, and this informs hospital employees as to what is going on, without causing panic, to patients, and patient families.

You especially want these codes in a Pediatrician's Hospital, such as St.Jude,or one of the facilities in the network of Children's Hosptials.

Codes vary, from hospital to hospital, and many of these codes have been adopted as part of other business/office/campus settings.

i.e Code Amber - Infant/Child Abduction

In a kids hospital one might hear "Dr. Amber, you have a page on the yellow phone".

Maybe a kid is in the hospital, and the concern of dad, whom does not have custody (nasty divorce) might try to come take that kid out of the hospital.
Security is not the only key persons, as staff are trained to take prudent steps with a kid or often times "John/Jane Doe", and are trained to observe and report.

Doctor Red, is often used for Fire.
Code Brown / Doctor Brown for external disaster ( tornado)
Code Green/Doctor Green for internal disaster (electrical outage, pipe busted, etc).


In a retail setting one does not want to cause a panic with customers either.
All eyes up front, never bunch up, and do not cause a situation to go panic.

If everyone needs to pay attention for any reason, here are some ideas used.

-Mr. Highroad founded the company and he has been dead for 30 years.
"Hey folks, Mr. Highroad called, and say to thank everyone for assisting him with his recent purchase, his daughter really likes it"

It may be the bookkeeper's husband has been dead for some time, and
"Hey Sally, your husband called while you were on the other line, and asked you call him back".

Either method does not cause alarm with the customers.

This may be used as a practiced plan when the back door is being opened for deliveries, or when someone is going out the back door to take out trash...etc.


In a serious situation , one would be wise to use codewords, and passwords.

Say the wife works call as a Nurse and was called in, and upon her return home , she can enter the house and say something to let husband/family know everything is all right. Meaning some bad guy was not waiting for her to come home and she has a gun at her head, and was forced to unlock door and turn off zone alarm.

If one has glass breaking, or the doors are being messed with, and are in fear, and retreat to a bedroom and calls 911, it is not a bad idea to give a codeword.

It is not uncommon for law enforcement to arrive, that are not in "uniform".
In rural or semi rural areas, some law enforcement may be called in while at home and they snag blue jeans, shirt, gun and badge and respond.
Sheriff on duty is on the other side of the jurisdiction, so the on call officer, whom is closer to emergency call, is called, and of course surrounding town, or State will respond to call.

Even in Urban areas, Undercover /Plainclothes cops may be summoned, or they are the closest.

If you are huddled in a bedroom , in fear of life, you want to hear that codeword, because only the responding officers know that word and this means you are safe.

Cops want to hear the codeword, as they might not know you, and for their safety they want to know the person they are confronting is the caller, and not some Bad Guy .

Communication is the key, to so much in life.

 

[freakshow10mm]

I do not see any benefit to using code words in my way of life with my family. If you want to do so with your family, have at it. My life is complicated enough trying to remember my phone number.

 

[ilbob]

I do not see any benefit to using code words in my way of life with my family.

Especially if there are kids involved. no matter what you might think, half the kids in town will know the code words because your kid will tell them.

They make sense in some cases outside the home where you want to broadcast information over the PA without actually telling the public what is going on, but in the home it is not worth the effort IMO.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Funny anecdote from hospital:

My mother is on the crash team for a heart surgery team in WI. They had a patient in the ER with shortness of breath and ended up needing emergency heart surgery. Normally a nurse from the crash team goes but my mom volunteered to go. She gets to the ER and says "I'm here to pick up the SOB in room 215". The patient's wife got all pissy and went to the admin after the surgery. My mom got called in and had to explain to the woman that she was using SOB code for Shortness Of Breath, the condition that her husband needed surgery for.

Codes might seem like a good thing, sometimes....

 

[sm]

I beg to differ...

Kids are not dumb, and their feelings are valid. They are shorter than adults, so they see things from their height adult do not.

If a kid feels creepy, I want them to express this to me, and I do pay attention as to why they feel creepy.

No secret, I hate cats.

'Uncle 'teve, is your cat going to be okay?"
"When am I going to see your new cat".
"Would your cat like this for a toy?"

I will scan, bend down to that kids level and let them tell me what is making them feel creepy.

With adults, and again they may see or hear something I don't and again ladies have senses guys don't.
If a lady says they feel creepy, I again pay attention.

"Hey, the Vet called and your cat is going to be fine"
"So is your daughter excited about her new kitten?

I do not have any kids, so if a lady mentions "daughter" that means a heads up, and coupled with "kitten/cat" that means I really need to scan and pay attention, or something is seriously making them creepy ...

If seated at a table, instead of pointing, or cutting eyes to someone or where something is going on...
A kid, or mom, anyone, can use their plate of food like a clock, and "point out" where behind me someone /something is.
Maybe take my right hand, to indicate right, or left to indicate left.

If walking, and I know their house "what do thing about that picture going over the wall behind the couch?

Or "hey, don't forget we are going to check my passenger head light, to make sure the bright light works...

"Dang, I have left rear brake light out, don't let me forget to fix that".

Nobody picks up on the fact we are aware of them (bad guys, or just creepy folks), our words, and behavior blend in to settings.

It is normal for a guy and gal to reach over a table and hold hands, or take a napkin and dab something , such as I do have a mustache, and "hey babe, let me get this for you".

Right, left, and the dab tells me what direction a threat, or concern is behind me.


I have met some THR members, some know me better that others, and we do use codewords, and passwords.

I am allergic to aspirin.
So if meet you, and I ask for a aspirin you know something is of a concern.
If you "hey dude, I have some aspirin for your sinus headache" then I know you have a concern.

We will have to agree to disagree on all this, as I was raised doing all this, and is ingrained within me.

 

[4t5]

I told my wife that if she ever hears me say something like "Oh, no, please don't hurt me!", to duck because the shooting is about to start.

 

[catspa]

Hey, dude. I have some aspirin for your headache, we can rub it on your left headlight, and then your cat will be fine.

I was with my dad in the hospital last week, and on the bottom of his wall chart was the notation "HOH". Took me a while to figure out it meant hard of hearing. Then I went over and wrote below it, "DCWAD" (doesn't co-operate worth a damn). Nurse Susan said it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.

Parker

 

[sarge83]

A couple of words. If I call her by my ex-girlfriends name or she calls me her ex-boyfriends name we know the other is in trouble. We have been married 17yrs. so we don't slip up. Sort of something we worked out a couple years after marriage.

The other is if one of us senses a possible dangerous situation they will say the word THUNDER, usually followed by the location of the threat, left-right-forward etc... The other takes action accordingly, cover, distance moving kids if present to safer positions. If the threat is imminent and action is about to be taken by one of us the word turns to LIGHTENING.

 

[KBintheSLC]

My family and I speak a foreign language that very few folks in the US can understand... that is our code. If English is your only language... or Spanish, or any other highly common language, then having some codes might be a good idea.

 

[sm]

"DCWAD" (doesn't co-operate worth a damn). Nurse Susan said it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.

Good one.

Having spent time with medical settings, classes, rotations and charting, I can appreciate that one.

ASA is aspirin.

One daughter said we spelled that wrong as her daddy can be a arse when he does not have his morning coffee.
Country boy was used to being up at 4am and having his coffee.

So the nurses station has coffee, and they made sure to bring this neat old country boy his coffee.
What a flirt, he just liked folks, especially the gals, and he kept them nurses in stitches with stories and jokes at 4 in the morning.

His doctor, was a lady doctor. A partner of his old male doctor.
"Look, you go take the family on vacation , and let me have this sweet young thang for a doc, You getting old and showing it, unlike me.


He was in for some minor stuff for a few day, but he was a real hoot.
He came back to bring them gals some stuff out of his garden later on...

He asked the lady doc if he could have APAC.

He had learned APAP was Tylenol

APAC? the lady doc said, thinking, and looking at him.

"Yeah, Apple pie and coffee". he replied.
She said yes, heck it is healthier than a lot of foods folks eat...

 

[Bailey Boat]

I have carried a concealed weapon for almost 40 years with and without a permit. When I got married she knew I carried and the only code we established is if I say to her, "get away now" she knows to haul butt in an opposite direction than where I'm looking. We have only used it once but she reacted exactly as she should........

 

[McKnife]

Our family uses one codeword for EXTREME emergencies... the idea was developed by a distant family member and passed around due to a deadly home invasion that took place in our town long ago.

Our family had a very prominent member of law enforcement back in the day... Uncle Mac. So, we decided that anytime we use his name, we are DEAD SERIOUS and need help ASAP.

The home invasion that started it all was about some crooks that invaded a house and took the housewife hostage while kids/husband were away... and everytime one of them came home, the housewife would answer the door at gunpoint to lure in the family member and/or friend. They were all murdured.

Our plan would be that we would mention his name in a sentence and that would alert us that something is wrong and we should call for help.

It has only been used twice in my lifetime.

1) "Call 911. Now. Uncle Mac. Uncle Mac."
2) Go check on Grandma... I'm Uncle Mac serious.

I plan on using it forever.

 

[freakshow10mm]

Sm, I'm completely happy that you little code system works with you and yours. I really am.

When I'm in public for the most part I'm either alone or with my son (2yo) so codes won't work for crap. The rare times I'm in public with my wife a simple "get out of here" worked well.

 

[bigalexe]

As a kid my parents had a word they taught me and my siblings. It was for if say a stranger (maybe someone us kids didnt know but our parents did) got sent to pick us up or something they were supposed to know it. The whole idea was that say a stranger walks up to you being 8 years old and says "your mommy sent me to come find you" you were supposed to ask them what the secret word was.

Now that i think about it expanding the system to include other situations might not be a bad idea.

 

[sm]

Yeah well, this old has been been was born in the last great decade, into a hi-risk environment, and did for too long I guess...

Move along , no need to read my posts, and no need to share anything else old fashioned and antiquated...

 

[Quoheleth]

Don't have one - yet - for CCW situations. Guess I need to rethink that.

The kids have a security code word in case Joe Blow ever shows up at school/event with a "Dad sent me to pick you up" situation. They have a lead-in question that the person knows the answer to. If the answer is wrong, the kid is supposed to say something like, "Awww...I forgot my book/pencil/lunchkit - I'll be right back," and haul arse to get the AP or adult in charge.

Q

 

[chris in va]

I used to carry a Sig 220, and my friend would ask me if I had it on me when she'd get a little nervous.

So rather than directly ask me, I suggested she use the word 'cigarettes' instead. Works pretty well!

 

[Hardtarget]

We only have two code words. If wifey calls me by my first name the red...no , black flag goes up. If I mention going over to see her father, she knows to go into condition red...and get off my left side.

We have kept it very simple. Only have these two so we can keep them straight!

Mark

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Appropriate In Context

Wife and I have had nearly 25 years in which to figure out how to be obtuse and obscure when we want to make a point solely between the two of us, regardless of who else is present.

We have a few "cute" phrases. It doesn't take much of a twist to turn them into alerts. Sometimes it's nothing more than a deliberate misuse of grammar.

We don't own a dog, though sometimes it might seem to someone else like we do.

Sometimes it will be a simple reference to a project or task. Heck, sometimes the project/task is a real job for a real customer. Sometimes.

Originally, these little "code" phrases weren't meant for security and defense. They were ways to communicate in business environments and around children.

We don't have any emergency "trigger" phrases, though. Guess I can see to that.

 

[hankdatank1362]

I am not against the idea of code words. My son gets a little older, I'll be using them myself.

As of right now in my life, if something is that important to me, I will say it loudly, forcefully, and WITHOUT swearwords.

See, I kinda curse a lot (hey, I quit smoking, one bad habit at a time, okay?!?!).

The wife knows this, and chastises me regularly for it.

But if she hears me say something like "Get behind me NOW!", she knows it's seriously imparitive, because I didn't waste time with unneccessary swearing, like "Get the **** behind me, NOW!"

No swearing = Hank's in serious mode

Would still like some family codes though. Wife's kinda ditzy, God bless her. She did work as a ICU nurse, though. She knows hospital code. Maybe I could incorporate that.