Phonetics You Need for DCS: APCO, International…and More · 2/6/2016 · APCO Phonetics Came from LAPD Los Angeles Police Department began using initial “APCO” phonetics in

© 2016 Los Angeles County Disaster Communications Service

Phonetics You Need for DCS:

APCO, International…and More

February 6, 2016

Diana Feinberg, AI6DF

Staff 60




1. Why know more than APCO phonetics?

2. History of radio communication phonetics

3. Phonetics used by Southern California agencies

4. Recent developments in radio phonetics

5. Learning the phonetics










Increased LASD multi-agency interoperability and HF use

mean DCS members now need more than APCO phonetics

The country of Belgium provides an analogy to DCS’s radio language

Mostly Dutch speaking

Mostly Frenchspeaking

Mostly German speaking

Brussels (capital)


Increased LASD emphasis on multi-agency interoperability

and HF now give DCS members a Belgian Connection

Expression said in Belgium

Mostly Dutch speaking

Mostly Frenchspeaking

Mostly German speaking

Brussels (capital)

To have a well-paid Brussels job:

1. You need to speak French to

get your job

2. You need to speak Dutch to

keep your job

3. You need to speak English to

do your job


The Belgian Connection with DCS

To have a well-paid Brussels job:

1. You need to speak French to

get your job

2. You need to speak Dutch to

keep your job


do your job

To be in L.A. County DCS:


get into DCS

2. You need to speak APCO to stay

in DCS

3. You now need to speak

International phonetics to

completely do your job

Increased LASD emphasis on multi-agency interoperability

and HF now give DCS members a Belgian Connection










Phonetics for radio communication

have undergone only a few iterations

since radio’s earliest days

The Evolution of Radio Phonetics - 1

1914-1918: British army and

navy had separate phonetics

1924: British Royal Air Force

adopted similar phonetics,

partial precursor to today’s

APCO

Focus then was for military use

British RAF phonetics1924-42

Ace Robert

Beer Sugar

Charlie Toc

Don Uncle

Edward Vic

Freddie William

George X-ray

Harry Yorker

Ink Zebra

Johnnie

King

London

Monkey

Nuts

Orange

Pip

Queen

Circled phonetics are used in APCO today






1927: First “International”

phonetic language for civilian

use aimed at aviation

Recognized by International

Telecommunications Union

Adopted by International Air

navigation commission,

1932

1st International Phonetics, 1927, modified 1932

Amsterdam Roma

Baltimore Santiago

Casablanca Tripoli

Denmark Uppsala

Edison Valencia

Florida Washington

Gallipoli Xanthippe

Havana Yokohoma

Italia Zurich

Jerusalem

Kilogram

Liverpool

Madagascar

New York

Oslo

Paris

Quebec






World War II resulted in U.S. and

British merging similar

phonetics, 1941-1956

More of APCO phonetics began

to emerge

RAF and U.S. phonetics, 1941-1956

Able Roger

Baker Sugar

Charlie Tare

Dog Uncle

Easy Victor

Fox William

George X-ray

How Yoke

Item Zebra

Jig

King

Love

Mike

Nan

Oboe

Peter

Queen





More Evolution of Radio Phonetics - 4

In 1956 the International/NATO

phonetics were created for

military use

Civilian aviation, ham radio

followed too

Note: “Juliett” spelled with two

t’s for French users

International/NATO phonetics, 1956-present

Alfa (Alpha) Romeo

Bravo Sierra

Charlie Tango

Delta Uniform

Echo Victor

Foxtrot Whiskey

Golf X-ray

Hotel Yankee

India Zulu

Juliett

Kilo

Lima

Mike

November

Oscar

Papa

Quebec





APCO Phonetics Came from LAPD

Los Angeles Police Department

began using initial “APCO”

phonetics in 1940’s

Later adopted by Association of

Public Safety Communication

Officials, but not all law

enforcement agencies use

APCO phonetics

Among many agencies using

APCO:

New York City PD

Indianapolis PD

State of Maine PDs

APCO Phonetics,-present

Adam Robert

Boy Sam

Charles Tom

David Union

Edward Victor

Frank William

George X-ray

Henry Young

Ida Zebra

John

King

Lincoln

Mary

Nora

Ocean

Paul

Queen










DCS members are to use APCO phonetics to support LASD,

but many other nearby agencies do not use APCO

Uses APCO PhoneticsUses International/

NATO PhoneticsUses Plain English

Los Angeles County SD Orange County SD L.A. County Fire Dept.

L.A. County DCS Orange County RACES Most city Fire Depts.

Los Angeles PD (originator) San Diego County SD Many city depts.

Nearly all law enforcement in Los Angeles County

California Office of Emergency Services

School districts & other special districts

Riverside County SD Army & Air Force MARS

Ventura County SD ARRL ARES groups

Bottom line: APCO still for LASD use, but you will need to understand the

International/NATO phonetics in dealing with other radio groups










https://www.apcointl.org/doc/911-resources/apco-standards/601-11161-2015-status-codes/file.html

APCO Phonetics aren’t

really changing….

…but with growing use

of mobile broadband

APCO issued in 2015 a

list of common code

words for data

exchanges

Common code words

facilitate “point & click”

Code words likely used

with voice traffic too



Interesting wording



Common code

words for data

exchanges will

also facilitate data

searches &

situation analyses










There are traditional ways to develop familiarity with

International/NATO phonetics…

No-cost methods for learning

International/NATO phonetics

Print out a phonetics list and

memorize

Monitor aviation radio band

(108-135 MHz, AM)

Get involved with ham radio

HF DXing (note: some DXers

self-modify phonetics)


Another way to quickly learn International/NATO phonetics…

…associate letters with images

Created by: Michael Maher, NJ2X



…associate letters during your morning coffee

Found on ebay.com



…there are smartphone/tablet Apps for that


In summary, other agencies and groups use International/

NATO phonetics…we have been asked to know these too

DCS members will need to use APCO phonetics,

International/NATO phonetics, and plain English

During CFMB drills on HF frequencies please use

International/NATO phonetics—not APCO

DCS message handling in the future may involve more

APCO common data exchange words

Thanks for learning this information

Documents

Phonetics You Need for DCS: APCO, International…and More · 2/6/2016 · APCO Phonetics Came from LAPD Los Angeles Police Department began using initial “APCO” phonetics in