TEA Traffic Enforcement Agent Communication and Radio Procedures 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the ten-code '10-8' indicate when used by a Traffic Enforcement Agent over the radio?
- Out of service
- Officer needs backup
- In service and available (Correct answer)
- Arrived on scene
Correct answer: In service and available
10-8 is the standard ten-code meaning 'in service' or available for calls, signaling the officer is ready to receive assignments.
Question 2: When calling in a license plate for a vehicle records check, which piece of information should be provided FIRST?
- Vehicle color
- State of registration
- Vehicle make and model
- License plate number (Correct answer)
Correct answer: License plate number
The license plate number is the primary unique identifier used to run a vehicle check through the DMV database.
Question 3: The standard method for spelling out a difficult or unclear word during a radio transmission is:
- Repeat the word three times rapidly
- Use the NATO phonetic alphabet (Correct answer)
- Speak louder and faster
- Ask dispatch to look it up in the database
Correct answer: Use the NATO phonetic alphabet
The NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc.) is the law enforcement standard for spelling words clearly over radio to avoid misunderstanding.
Question 4: What does '10-20' mean in standard radio ten-code communication?
- Officer is on a meal break
- Location of the officer or subject (Correct answer)
- Traffic accident with injuries
- Suspicious person reported
Correct answer: Location of the officer or subject
10-20 is the standard ten-code requesting or providing a location, commonly heard as 'What's your 10-20?'
Question 5: A Traffic Enforcement Agent encounters a situation requiring immediate police assistance. Which radio priority level should they use?
- Routine
- Informational
- Priority
- Emergency (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Emergency
Emergency priority is reserved for situations involving immediate threat to life or officer safety and triggers the fastest possible response.
Question 6: What is the proper way for a Traffic Enforcement Agent to end a radio transmission?
- Say 'Over and out'
- Say 'Roger' twice
- State their unit number or 'out' (Correct answer)
- Simply stop talking
Correct answer: State their unit number or 'out'
Ending with your unit number or 'out' is standard protocol that signals the transmission is complete and the channel is clear.
Question 7: Before transmitting on a shared radio channel, a Traffic Enforcement Agent should:
- Begin transmitting immediately to avoid delay
- Transmit on multiple channels at once
- Listen to ensure the channel is clear before keying the mic (Correct answer)
- Wait for dispatch to call them first
Correct answer: Listen to ensure the channel is clear before keying the mic
Listening before transmitting prevents two units from broadcasting simultaneously, which causes garbled messages and can block emergency traffic.
TEA Traffic Enforcement Agent Communication and Radio Procedures 1
What does the ten-code '10-8' indicate when used by a Traffic Enforcement Agent over the radio?