PSD Emergency Services and Operations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dispatcher is handling a structure fire call when a second major emergency comes in. The BEST action is to:
- Put the fire caller on hold indefinitely
- Transfer the new call to a supervisor immediately
- Quickly obtain the essential information from the new caller and dispatch while managing the first incident (Correct answer)
- Ignore the second call until the first is resolved
Correct answer: Quickly obtain the essential information from the new caller and dispatch while managing the first incident
Dispatchers must manage concurrent incidents by rapidly triaging new calls, gathering critical details, and dispatching resources without abandoning active emergencies.
Question 2: Which element is most critical when documenting a 911 call for officer safety?
- The caller's billing address
- Suspect description, location, direction of travel, and known weapons (Correct answer)
- The caller's occupation and relationship to the suspect
- The estimated property damage value
Correct answer: Suspect description, location, direction of travel, and known weapons
Officer safety information — suspect description, location, direction of travel, and weapons — must be documented and transmitted to responding units immediately.
Question 3: During a mass casualty incident (MCI), the START triage system categorizes patients using all of the following EXCEPT:
- Respirations
- Perfusion (pulse)
- Mental status
- Patient's name and age (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Patient's name and age
START triage assesses respirations, perfusion, and mental status to categorize patients; personal identifying information is not part of the assessment.
Question 4: A caller reports seeing someone slumped over in a parked car. What information should the dispatcher obtain FIRST?
- How long the person has been there
- Exact location of the vehicle (Correct answer)
- The caller's name and phone number
- Whether the car engine is running
Correct answer: Exact location of the vehicle
Location is always the first priority in any emergency call so responders can be dispatched even if the call disconnects.
Question 5: When a law enforcement officer transmits 'Code 4,' it typically means:
- Request immediate backup
- Scene is secure, no further assistance needed (Correct answer)
- Officer is in pursuit
- Medical assistance required
Correct answer: Scene is secure, no further assistance needed
Code 4 is a widely used signal indicating the situation is under control and no additional units are needed at the scene.
Question 6: When dispatching EMS to a reported cardiac arrest, which pre-arrival instruction is most critical?
- Advising the caller to unlock the front door
- Instructing the caller to begin CPR immediately (Correct answer)
- Asking the caller to gather the patient's medications
- Directing the caller to call the patient's doctor
Correct answer: Instructing the caller to begin CPR immediately
Early CPR is the single most important intervention for cardiac arrest survival and should be initiated before EMS arrival.
Question 7: The National Incident Management System (NIMS) requires all agencies to use a common terminology system primarily to:
- Reduce the number of personnel needed at incidents
- Ensure interoperability and clear communication among all responding agencies (Correct answer)
- Standardize pay scales for emergency responders
- Limit media access to incident information
Correct answer: Ensure interoperability and clear communication among all responding agencies
Common terminology under NIMS prevents confusion caused by agency-specific jargon, enabling seamless coordination across jurisdictions and disciplines.
PSD Emergency Services and Operations 3
A dispatcher is handling a structure fire call when a second major emergency comes in.
The BEST action is to: