Why You Never Want to Hear ‘Code Blue!’ When Shopping in Illinois

I tend to mentally ignore any store announcements when I'm shopping in one of the zillion Illinois stores I frequent when running family errands. That's actually a very bad idea and this is a great example. If you suddenly hear "code blue!" over the intercom, you're probably in big trouble.

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It's very important to keep your cool no matter what kind of situation you find yourself in while shopping. There are many store codes you'll occasionally hear and most are not an emergency. But, it is important to remember a few that could be the difference between life and death.

What does it mean if you hear "code blue!" in a store in Illinois?

As Mashed mentions, for the past several years retailers like Walmart have had a standard meaning for "code blue" and it means there's an active bomb threat. Note: that does NOT necessarily mean make a run for the front door. It is VITAL to pay close attention to what store managers and employees are directing you to do. It might be to leave the store in an orderly fashion. It might be to shelter in place.

Whatever you do, keep your cool if you hear an emergency announcement. A mad rush toward exit doors could lead to serious injuries and you might just be running into the trouble you're being warned about. The Illinois store will let you know what to do to remain safe.

Knowing how you'd react before you're in a situation where you have to react can keep you safe and might just save your life.