Crisis Management & Decision-Making Skills Flashcards

A dispatcher is told by a caller that a child is unresponsive and not breathing. The caller has no CPR training. What should the dispatcher do?

Answer: Provide compression-only CPR instructions immediately while EMS is dispatched

Dispatcher-assisted CPR (DA-CPR) significantly improves survival rates; instructions should begin immediately while EMS is en route.

Which of the following is an example of tunneling vision bias in crisis dispatching?

Answer: Fixating on one type of incident while missing indicators of a more serious threat

Tunneling vision occurs when a dispatcher focuses on one aspect of an incident and overlooks other critical information or emerging threats.

A caller reports a vehicle accident with injuries on a bridge during rush hour. What additional hazard should the dispatcher consider when dispatching?

Answer: Traffic management and potential for secondary accidents requiring law enforcement traffic control

Rush-hour bridge accidents create traffic bottlenecks that can delay responders and cause secondary collisions, requiring traffic control resources.

During a hostage situation, a caller whispers that they are inside the building being held. What should the dispatcher do FIRST?

Answer: Keep the caller on the line, advise them to stay quiet and hidden, and relay information to law enforcement

Keeping the caller safe while gathering intelligence for law enforcement is the dispatcher's dual priority in a hostage situation.

What does CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) provide for public safety dispatchers?

Answer: Peer support and structured intervention to help dispatchers process traumatic incidents

CISM offers structured peer and professional support to help dispatchers process psychological stress from traumatic incidents.

A chemical plant explosion is reported near a residential area. Which protocol should the dispatcher initiate to protect nearby residents?

Answer: Initiate evacuation or shelter-in-place protocols based on wind direction and notify emergency management

Chemical incidents require immediate protective actions based on the hazard's spread potential, which is influenced by wind direction and proximity to residents.

A dispatcher receives two calls simultaneously: a reported cardiac arrest and a residential structure fire with possible occupants inside. Both have equal call times. What guides the priority decision?

Answer: The dispatcher must assess life-safety threat immediacy for each and dispatch resources to both if available

When both incidents involve immediate life threats, the dispatcher should deploy resources to both simultaneously rather than making a binary choice.