code red
Highest danger level
Code red is an emergency alert indicating the highest level of danger or urgency, originally from military and hospital protocols.
Hospitals use it specifically for fire emergencies.
The phrase has spread to general use for any critical situation requiring immediate action: The server crash put the whole IT department on code red.
It can also describe intense, aggressive behavior, from the film *A Few Good Men* where it meant an unofficial violent punishment.
Decisive dangerous moment
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- evacuationRemoval from danger
- triageSeverity-based prioritization
- paramedicsEmergency medical technicians
ambulance · first responders · rescue · lifesaving · hospital · ER · casualty · SOS
Urgent warning signal
- sirenWailing alert device
- lockdownEnforced restriction on movement
- warningAlert about danger
- announcementPublic declaration of information
drill · protocol · intercom · security breach · intruder · all-hands · mobilization · activation
crisis
Decisive dangerous moment
- disasterSudden ruinous event
- evacuationRemoval from danger
- triageSeverity-based prioritization
paramedics · ambulance · first responders · rescue · lifesaving · hospital · ER · casualty · SOS · mayday
alarm
Urgent warning signal
announcement · drill · protocol · intercom · security breach · intruder · all-hands · mobilization · activation · standby
critical
Expressing disapproval or importance
- life-threateningRisking death
- direExtremely serious or urgent
- graveSerious and worrying
severe · acute · serious · dangerous · high-risk · extreme · urgent · immediate · escalation · worst-case
- emergency responsefirst responders, emergency services, fire alarm, 911, call 911
- Alarm Expressionshelp, mayday, SOS, oh no, watch out
- rescuerescue, rescue team, search and rescue, rescue dog, save
- Security Statussafe, secure, secured, unsafe, insecure
- drillsdrill, drills, drilling, fire drill, earthquake drill
- prioritypriority, top priority, high priority, low-priority, first priority
code redall clear
Signal danger has passed
code green · stand down · low priority · code blue · false alarm
code reddrill
Hole-boring device
false alarm · simulation · training exercise · practice run · test run
code redbusiness as usual
Continuation of normal routine
standing down · at ease · peacetime · green light · all quiet
red, code, decode, redness, coded, redden, codes, coding, redder