Alabama: Be Aware If You Hear These Codes While Shopping

We all have our favorite retail store, whether it be Target, Kohls or Walmart. While we are shopping it's not unusual to hear the employees make announcements over the intercom system.

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There are certain codes Walmart employees use to communicate about a situation without alarming the public. We'll talk about what those codes are telling other Walmart employees below, according to Commoncentsmom.com

There are four types of codes that are used in Walmart. The first one is a general code which is used for spills, sales and other general business. The second code is an emergency code which is meant to alert other employees of the situation.

Customer service codes are also used to communicate customer needs. The codes we are going to focus on are the ones that communicate an emergency - if you hear these codes you may need to take action.

The Color Codes

• Code White means an accident, injury or another type of incident has happened within the store.
• Code Red means there is a fire somewhere in the store and usually numbers will follow the color which gives the location of the fire.
• Code Orange means there is a chemical spill somewhere in the store, Numbers follow the color to give the location of the spill and if it's inside or outside of the store.
• Code Black means there is severe weather in the area.
• Code Brown means there is an active shooter in or around the store. If possible, exit the store. If you can’t exit make sure to follow the employees' instructions and call 911 if possible.
• Code Green means there is an active hostage situation in the store it's very important to remain calm.
• Code Blue means a bomb threat has been made against the store.

There are other codes that are used to communicate with other employees such as code "Spark" which means a register is overwhelmed and more help is needed at the front of the store, CommonCebtsMom says. Code "Adam" means a child has been reported missing, and a brief description can be given of the child over the intercom.

The codes may be annoying to hear while you are shopping, but now you know what they mean and how to respond to the situation. It could save a life in certain situations.