911 Operator Test Multitasking and Data Entry 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller is reporting a vehicle accident while you are already dispatching a medical unit for another call. What is the best approach?
- Place the first caller on hold and fully focus on the new call
- Continue coordinating the medical dispatch while gathering basic accident details from the new caller (Correct answer)
- Transfer the accident call to another dispatcher immediately
- Ask the accident caller to call back in a few minutes
Correct answer: Continue coordinating the medical dispatch while gathering basic accident details from the new caller
Skilled 911 operators manage concurrent calls by gathering essential information from each while maintaining active dispatches.
Question 2: When entering a caller's address into the CAD system, you notice the auto-populated address differs from what the caller stated. You should:
- Always trust the CAD auto-population over the caller
- Confirm the address verbally with the caller and correct the CAD entry if needed (Correct answer)
- Send units to both addresses to be safe
- Ignore the discrepancy and proceed with dispatch
Correct answer: Confirm the address verbally with the caller and correct the CAD entry if needed
CAD auto-population can be inaccurate, so verbal confirmation with the caller ensures units are dispatched to the correct location.
Question 3: Which typing skill is MOST critical for a 911 dispatcher entering data during an active emergency call?
- Typing at maximum speed regardless of accuracy
- Touch typing with high accuracy while maintaining caller engagement (Correct answer)
- Using keyboard shortcuts exclusively to save time
- Typing only after the call ends to avoid errors
Correct answer: Touch typing with high accuracy while maintaining caller engagement
Touch typing with accuracy allows dispatchers to enter data without looking at the keyboard, keeping attention on the caller.
Question 4: A dispatcher receives a silent 911 call. While attempting to verify the call, a second emergency call comes in. The dispatcher should:
- Drop the silent call and answer the new emergency
- Keep the silent call open on one line while answering the new call on another line (Correct answer)
- Send police to the silent call's location only after finishing the new call
- Disconnect the silent call as it is likely a misdial
Correct answer: Keep the silent call open on one line while answering the new call on another line
Silent calls may indicate a caller in danger who cannot speak, so they must be kept open while managing additional incoming calls.
Question 5: During a high-volume period, you are handling three simultaneous calls. Which task should generally take lowest priority?
- Updating unit status in the CAD system
- Confirming a caller's callback number
- Entering detailed narrative notes for a resolved call (Correct answer)
- Dispatching the nearest available unit
Correct answer: Entering detailed narrative notes for a resolved call
Detailed narrative notes for resolved calls can be completed after active emergencies are handled, as they do not affect immediate safety.
Question 6: A caller provides a street name that sounds like two possible streets in your jurisdiction. The best data entry practice is to:
- Enter the street that appears most frequently in your area
- Ask the caller to spell the street name and confirm the correct one before entering it (Correct answer)
- Enter both streets in the notes field and let units figure it out
- Enter whichever street comes up first in the CAD dropdown
Correct answer: Ask the caller to spell the street name and confirm the correct one before entering it
Asking the caller to spell the street name eliminates ambiguity and ensures accurate location data is entered into the system.
Question 7: What does 'dual tasking' mean in the context of 911 dispatch operations?
- Answering two phone calls at exactly the same time
- Simultaneously performing two cognitive tasks, such as talking with a caller while entering data (Correct answer)
- Having two dispatchers share one workstation
- Switching between radio and phone channels alternately
Correct answer: Simultaneously performing two cognitive tasks, such as talking with a caller while entering data
Dual tasking in dispatch refers to performing two cognitive processes concurrently, such as listening to a caller while typing incident data.
911 Operator Test Multitasking and Data Entry 2
A caller is reporting a vehicle accident while you are already dispatching a medical unit for another call.
What is the best approach?