Phonetically Speaking
By Skinny Farmer
Have you ever been on the phone trying to give someone your name or the name of a street and finding that you need to spell it for the other party?
A as in....apple
P as in....pterodactyl
Not a huge deal, really, unless it is an emergency.
Something a little different today. We here at Skinny Farmer are always looking for ways to improve health and lifestyle and that includes safety. Emergency preparedness, more specifically.
If bad things happen, I want to be ready to do everything I can to keep my loved ones and me safe, and I want to be able to help others as well.
So one might find oneself in the situation where a call to 911 is needed. Quick action and clear communication might mean the difference between life and death. You odds of success are improved with planning and practice.
You can't always count on emergency services being able to locate you based upon triangulation of your phone's position. You might have to communicate an actual address including street name. That might require you to spell it. And some letters sound the same over the phone (c, p, and t for example). This is worse if you are in a stressful situation.
You can try just making up words as examples of the letters, but sometimes. But if the letters sound alike, sometimes the words sound alike too (cat, and pat). Plus, it is hard to actually think in an emergency.
What I plan to do is use the phonetic alphabet the military and pilots use. It has already been tested to be clear and concise over the radio (or over the phone). It takes a little memorization, but it's worth the effort. Here it is:
A - Alfa*
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliett*
K - Kilo
L - Lima
M - Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-Ray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zulu
*Yes, that is the official NATO spelling. Don't blame me!
The goal is to know these by heart so in an emergency, you won't even have to think about it. Plus, the added benefit is first responders are likely already used to these, so communication will be seamless.
One way to learn them is to make flash cards for yourself. Put the letter on one side and the word on the other. Practice them out of order so you don't simply get used to say, Uniform following Tango.
Another good way to practice is to observed license plates and practice reading the letters and numbers using the phonetic alphabet. That should give you plenty of variety so you can get more comfortable with it. You will sound like a professional in no time at all.
Then you won't get stuck saying, P as in Pneumonia.
Until next time.
S.F.
Have you ever been on the phone trying to give someone your name or the name of a street and finding that you need to spell it for the other party?
A as in....apple
P as in....pterodactyl
Not a huge deal, really, unless it is an emergency.
Something a little different today. We here at Skinny Farmer are always looking for ways to improve health and lifestyle and that includes safety. Emergency preparedness, more specifically.
If bad things happen, I want to be ready to do everything I can to keep my loved ones and me safe, and I want to be able to help others as well.
So one might find oneself in the situation where a call to 911 is needed. Quick action and clear communication might mean the difference between life and death. You odds of success are improved with planning and practice.
You can't always count on emergency services being able to locate you based upon triangulation of your phone's position. You might have to communicate an actual address including street name. That might require you to spell it. And some letters sound the same over the phone (c, p, and t for example). This is worse if you are in a stressful situation.
You can try just making up words as examples of the letters, but sometimes. But if the letters sound alike, sometimes the words sound alike too (cat, and pat). Plus, it is hard to actually think in an emergency.
What I plan to do is use the phonetic alphabet the military and pilots use. It has already been tested to be clear and concise over the radio (or over the phone). It takes a little memorization, but it's worth the effort. Here it is:
A - Alfa*
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliett*
K - Kilo
L - Lima
M - Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - X-Ray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zulu
*Yes, that is the official NATO spelling. Don't blame me!
The goal is to know these by heart so in an emergency, you won't even have to think about it. Plus, the added benefit is first responders are likely already used to these, so communication will be seamless.
One way to learn them is to make flash cards for yourself. Put the letter on one side and the word on the other. Practice them out of order so you don't simply get used to say, Uniform following Tango.
Another good way to practice is to observed license plates and practice reading the letters and numbers using the phonetic alphabet. That should give you plenty of variety so you can get more comfortable with it. You will sound like a professional in no time at all.
Then you won't get stuck saying, P as in Pneumonia.
Until next time.
S.F.
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