End of Watch Call

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The Last Radio Call is a funeral tradition used by some US Police and Fire Department forces in the United States.

Video End of Watch Call

History

The End Of Watch Call tradition began in the mid-2000s on the East Coast of the United States. As time went by, tradition spread, and in 2010 it has spread to the western and public beaches throughout the country. This practice initially started with the police, but spread to Fire Fighters and Forest Rangers/Wardens. This exercise is done in the United States and Canada.

Maps End of Watch Call

Practice

This tradition generally honors a police officer who has fallen on duty, although it may honor an officer who has died of illness, or some other unrelated complications of work. Originally used by Police Officers and Fire Fighters in the Eastern United States, honor practices have spread to the American Police generally, across the country.

In some cases the call was made twice, initially when the officer had died, and then more formally closer to the cemetery, later on, or actually at the funeral

An example of a Short End Watch Call;

"Radio Lakewood 101... No answer Lakewood 101... Lakewood 101 out of service Go but not forgotten."

When an officer died, police officers from his unit/department gathered around the police radio. The police radio operator called the officer who died, as if to contact them. So this is the last call to the clerk. After two calls, the radio operator admits that the officer is not responding. The radio operator then announced that the officer had fallen on duty. The operator can then make some additional mention of respecting officers, some practice of seeing calls with multiple words added in memory, while others are shorter.

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Media depictions

This practice has been described in the Elementary Police procedural, which illustrates how this practice was practiced by the NYPD. In the episode "End Of Watch" a police officer in charge dies and the Police unit, including Holmes and Watson, gather around the radio in honor of the fallen officer.

This practice has been described in the Police Southland procedure, which illustrates how the exercise was carried out by the LAPD. In the episode "Chaos" a police officer in the line of duty died. In the middle of the following episode, "Reckoning", the end of the watch broadcast was made for the clerk.

Also portrayed in one of the last episodes of Debra Messing/Josh Lucas dramedy "The Mysteries of Laura"

In the soap opera "General Hospital, Jordan Ashford's character uses radio for Last Call to Nathan West, his officer was killed in duty by his father, Cesar Faison

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References

src: media.news10.com

External links

• Sample call of End Of Watch to SPD Officer Thomas LaValley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKc6HPBoYqc
• The term used is used in Police Cemetery - https://www.funeralwise.com/customs/police/definitions/

Source of the article : Wikipedia