What Do You Call It??

[rmoore]

While sitting as the first vehicle in line at a traffic light, two cars collided in the intersection. When I called it in to Dispatch, I said that there was a "crash" at Independence and Parker Road.

The next day, I passed one of our Chiefs in the hallway at the station and he said, "Hey, call it an 'accident'. A 'crash' is what happens to aircraft."

In your department, what do you call it? Do you respond to an MVA, an MVC, a Vehicle Accident, a RTA, or what?

Ron Moore<br />Forum Moderator

[eyecue]

I can relate to that when I was a dispatcher. I did the same thing. I got chewed by the police chief for it. Now they are called T.A. not to be confused with t&a <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

[F52Westside]

It's a "crash" in our dept., some others around us call them "accidents".

<br />definition of "crash" -- 2 a : a breaking to pieces by or as if by collision b : an instance of crashing

2 of the definitions of "accident" -- 2 a : an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance<br />c : an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought

[Ten8_Ten19]

Always a 10-55 for us. Some ten codes die hard.

[SilverCity4]

PD dispatches them as a Signal 82, but we just call them vehicle accidents.

[MetalMedic]

Speaking as a cop, I will tell you the current "Politically Correct" thinking on this. We here in Ohio who have taken the State Highway Patrol's Traffic Crash Investigations class have been schooled to call all vehicle collisions a "traffic crash." The reasoning behind this is that the Patrol is of the opinion that all traffic crashes can be prevented, and therefore they are not "accidents." When we investigate a crash, there is always some contributing factor that could have been prevented that would have prevented the crash.

So, if you refer to the collision as an "accident", you potentially give a defense attorney something to use against the victim should a civil case come out of the crash. For that reason, I would suggest that you seriously consider not using "accident" when makeing your reports out, just by the off chance that you get called into court and get asked to explain why you felt it was an accident when you really have no reason to make that determination in the first place. A "crash" is much more generic and could save you a day in court.

[BFD196]

Our accidents are always sent over as an MVA with injuries. If we come across one, then we`ll call it in as an MVA, and inform dispatch whether to send just the cops, or to drop the tones and get a medic.

[RSQLT43]

10-50 P.I. FOR INJURIES, AND 10-50 P.D. FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE

[K31Kfd]

We are dispatched out as a 10-44 for accidents without injuries or a 10-45 is an accident with injuries. Be safe. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[Knighthawk]

In the part of NJ that I run in, our county has just switched from the MVA to the MVC. There was a brief discussion held about this change in dispatch at our station after a call. The reason we were told was that an accident is considered an accident after it has been investigated. Until it is investigated it will be dispatched as a crash which makes sense. Atleast that's the way I understood the conversation.

[engine117]

Either "vehicle accident"---then description: with injuries, with entrapment, involving a motorcyle, etc.

Also called a 10-45 occasionally

[LYFDChief]

Good question. I never gave it much thought prior to this. Our County dispatches them as vehicle accidents. MetalMedic did have some good points in his reply, though.

Food for thought.

[N2DFire]

Well - even though we (supposedly) apply the CASE (Clear And Simple English) method to radio traffic - some of the old 10 Codes just refuse to die - and this is one of them.

All MVA's Car Crashes, what have you are Dispatched as 10-50's (or 10-50 PI).

On a side note - I never could get a straight answer as to whether PI was supposed to be Pin In or Person Injured.

If I had MY preference it would be:

10-50 for reported accident w/ no Info.<br />10-50 w/ Entrapment (or possible entrapment) based on info. given to dispatch.<br />10-50 w/ Injuries - also based on info given to dispatch.

Well - guess I have stretched that one about as far as I can <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Take Care - Stay Safe - God Bless<br />Stephen<br />FF/Paramedic

[Carl Avery]

Hey Ron, <br />Thanks for bringing this out. To me the term does not make as much difference as the fact that we all know what the other guy or gal is talking about. This applies to the ten codes and crash or accident. Also from traveling around the country you get to see that from region to region terms vary. The key is that where you work you and your co-workers all communicate. Frankly the whole legal thing scares me. I do see the points of not calling them accidents, but we all do. It is part of our vernacualar (Sp?) So I would say a good lawyer (be they Defense or Prosecution) should be able to counter the opposition attacking the term accident. OK enough of that Where I am from we call the an MVA, in an nearby county they are 10-80s a term that bled over from their Sheriff's Department.

[Lewiston2FF]

Around here our dispatch calls them MVAs, and depending on the information they are given will give specifics of the incident, i.e. rollover, w/ injuries, 1 vehicle vs telephone pole. <br /> I can see the point about the term accident vs crash. Crash states a fact, accident tends to imply that a judgement is being rendered. Although I dont think that we should really concern ourselves with the semantics of crash vs. accident.