The Last Radio Call is a funerary tradition used by some U.S Police forces and Fire Fighters in the United States of America.
Video End of Watch Call
History
The tradition of the End Of Watch Call started in the mid 2000s in the East Coast of the United States. As time went by, the tradition spread, and by 2010 it had spread to the west coast and was common throughout the country. The practice was initially started with police, but spread to Fire Fighters and Forest Rangers/Wardens. The practice is done in the United States and Canada.
Maps End of Watch Call
Practice
The tradition generally honours a police officer who has fallen in the line of duty, though it may honour an officer who has passed away due to illness, or some other non work related complication. Originally used by Police Officers and Fire Fighters in the East of the US, the honorary practice has spread to American Police generally, throughout the country.
In some cases the call is made twice, initially when the officer has died, and then more formally closer to the funeral, at a later date, or actually at the funeral
An example of a short End of Watch Call;
"Radio Lakewood 101...No answer Lakewood 101...Lakewood 101 out of service. Gone but not forgotten."
When an officer dies, the police officers from his/her unit/department gather around a police radio. The police radio operator calls to the deceased officer, as if to contact them. Thus it is the final call to the officer. After two calls, the radio operator acknowledges that the officer is not responding. The Radio operator then announces that the officer has fallen in the line of duty. The operator then may make some extra mentions honouring the officer, some practices see the call with some words added in memoriam, while others are shorter.
Media depiction
The practice has been depicted in the police procedural Elementary, depicting how the practice is currently done by the NYPD. In the episode "End Of Watch" a police officer in the line of duty dies and the Police unit, including Holmes and Watson, gather around the radio to honour the fallen officer.
The practice has been depicted in the police procedural Southland, depicting how the practice was done by the LAPD. In the episode "Chaos" a police officer in the line of duty dies. In the middle of the following episode, "Reckoning", an end of watch broadcast is made for the officer.
Also depicted in one of the final episodes of the Debra Messing/Josh Lucas dramedy "The Mysteries of Laura"
On the soap opera "General Hospital, the character Jordan Ashford uses the radio for Last Call for Nathan West, her officer killed in the line of duty by his father, Cesar Faison
References
External links
- Example of End Of Watch call for SPD Officer Thomas LaValley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKc6HPBoYqc
- Terms used used in Police Funerals - https://www.funeralwise.com/customs/police/definitions/
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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