Map Reading and Directions Flashcards
7 cards from real 911 Operator Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Map Reading and Directions flashcards as text
A caller describes seeing a 'frontage road' alongside a highway. What is a frontage road?
Answer: A local road running parallel to a highway providing access to nearby properties
Frontage roads (also called service roads) run parallel to highways and allow local access without entering the main highway lanes.
On a map, a highway with shields labeled 'US-1' and 'SR-1' sharing the same roadway is called:
Answer: A concurrent route
When two different numbered routes share the same physical road, they are running concurrently, and both designations apply to that stretch.
A caller says they are heading toward the city's downtown from the outskirts. On most U.S. city maps, this would be described as traveling:
Answer: Inbound
Inbound means traveling toward the city center or downtown area, while outbound means traveling away from it.
A dispatcher receives a call from someone at 'Pier 7' at the city marina. What additional geographic detail is most important to confirm?
Answer: Which marina location, if the city has multiple marinas
Cities with multiple marinas could have a 'Pier 7' at more than one location, so confirming the specific marina is essential for dispatch.
A caller says they were told to 'turn left at the light' three times. This type of verbal direction is problematic for dispatch because:
Answer: It doesn't use street names, making the location impossible to map precisely
Relative directions like 'left at the light' cannot be converted to a map coordinate without street names as reference points.
A caller reports a downed power line 'about halfway between Oak Street and Elm Street on Maple Avenue.' The two cross-streets are 600 feet apart. Approximately where should units look?
Answer: About 300 feet from either Oak Street or Elm Street on Maple Avenue
Halfway between two cross-streets that are 600 feet apart places the hazard approximately 300 feet from each cross-street.
What does a 'one-way street' designation mean for dispatching a unit to an address on that street?
Answer: Units can only approach from the direction of legal travel on that street
Even emergency vehicles should approach from the legal direction of travel on one-way streets to avoid head-on conflicts with other traffic.