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The dispatch center should have, at minimum, the contact location (preferably both contact
location and reason for the contact) before a person is cleared through the Colorado Crime
Information Center (CCIC). Rangers will notify dispatch before making a potentially difficult
contact (e.g., campers, transients, intoxicated parties) and are encouraged to request backup by
other rangers or outside agencies whenever appropriate. Rangers must notify dispatch that they are
“Code 4” and “clear” once contacts are completed.

FCC Regulations

• All transmissions are restricted to the minimum practicable transmission time and must
use an efficient operating procedure;
• The only types of transmissions permitted are:
➢ Communications related to the imminent safety of life and property;
➢ Communications directly related to and necessary for those activities that make the
department eligible for the station license; and
➢ Communications for testing purposes required for proper station and system
maintenance.
• All department communications including radio, teletype, and computer (MDC) are
reserved for official business and not for personal use; and
• Use of profane, obscene, derogatory, or indecent language is prohibited.

General Responsibilities
Practicing proper procedures daily makes radio procedures automatic in critical situations and
reduces confusion. Except where a code is designated, radio system users should speak clearly and

adhere to the following:
• Except in emergencies, the user listens to ensure no one is on the air prior to transmitting.
➢ If the user knows that a transmission from someone else is anticipated (e.g., field
unit acknowledging a call, a required message from communications), he or she will
wait until that has occurred unless his or her radio traffic is more urgent; and
➢ In an emergency, a field unit can transmit while the dispatcher is broadcasting.
The dispatcher will hear the field unit and can stop transmitting to allow the
field unit to transmit its message.
• Field units must not override each other; when multiple field units transmit
simultaneously none of them is understood.
➢ The operator attempts to speak as calmly and clearly as possible regardless of the
situation. To avoid being misunderstood, particularly in critical situations, every
effort should be made to keep emotional inflections out of radio transmissions; and
➢ The operator uses assigned radio designators on the air, not addressing any person
by his or her name except when rangers are held in a hostage situation. If a ranger
is held hostage, the ranger responds to radio traffic giving his or her name. Upon
hearing a ranger’s name, the dispatcher invokes the necessary protocol.

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