Radio Codes are a system of signals that work by incorporating the use of single numbers and/or characters or a combination of numbers and/or characters to represent assigned words, phrases and meanings. Law enforcement and fire agencies everywhere use codes and jargon to simplify communications, avoid miscommunication, and limit the use of valuable airtime. State provisional codes such as penal, vehicle, and heath & safety codes are often used as radio codes. Radio code definitions vary from state-to-state and agency-to-agency.  Also see: Phonetic Alphabet.