Coded Announcement During Fire

Q: Could you give me the explanation or example of what the Life Safety Code means for Fire Drills that states "Coded Announcement"? Section 19.7.1.7 of the 2012 LSC says during the evening hours, a coded announcement may be used in lieu of activating the audible devices.

A: A coded announcement for fire may be “Code Red,” “Dr. Red,” or some such similar word(s). Some hospital clients of mine have gone to common-word announcements and eliminated special code words. So, for fire, some hospitals are announcing “Fire in unit…” Not that I recommend that, but they claim it eliminates any confusion amongst staff.