What does 'Code Blue' in Walmart signify and how to react if you ever hear it?

2022-12-22

Announcements in Walmart stores are usually not worth the concern of a customer. But when strange messages come out from the loudspeaker, it can be unnerving. Sometimes, the messages can indicate serious issues that require immediate attention.

Mashed, a popular magazine, revealed that Walmart has several such coded announcements with numbers, colors, and phrases, to convey information and alert its staff. They then take necessary action depending on what emergency the code signifies.

Walmart uses codes instead of revealing the emergency plainly not to create panic among customers, as it could worsen the already dire situation by creating mayhem and undermining the pre-planned strategies meant to tackle the crisis.

One such word is ‘Code Blue’.

A Redditor shared an experience where they heard ‘Code Blue’ being announced through the speaker. It was revealed that those words had the staff shut all the main doors, and the customers were held inside till the bomb squad showed up and cleared the issue.

Another Redditor shared their experience where ‘Code Blue’ was called because a backpack was left in the parking lot. The authorities then arrived and confirmed it was safe.

Other secret codes include ‘Code Brown’ for a violent threat nearby, ‘Code Red’ signifies a fire, and ‘Code Green’ indicates a hostage condition.

The most famous of all the Walmart codes is ‘Code Adam’, which came into existence after Adam Walsh, John Walsh’s son, was kidnapped from a Sears department store. ‘Code Adam’ signals a child's missing and requires the staff to put aside all their work till the child is found.

Mashed emphasizes that those who know the codes should remember they are coded to avoid a mass panic among customers. The magazine asks customers to remain calm and follow the staff's directions during emergencies.

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