911 Operator Test Information Recall and Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a vehicle accident and says 'the car is on fire and there's a person trapped inside.' Which piece of information should the dispatcher relay FIRST to responding units?
- The vehicle's make and color
- Fire with a trapped victim requiring immediate rescue (Correct answer)
- The caller's name and phone number
- Whether the car is in a ditch or on the road
Correct answer: Fire with a trapped victim requiring immediate rescue
Life-threatening conditions (fire with entrapment) are the highest-priority information to relay immediately to responders.
Question 2: During a call, a caller provides the address '1424 Elm Street' but later corrects it to '1442 Elm Street.' What should the dispatcher do?
- Keep the original address since it was given first
- Update the address in the CAD system and notify responding units of the correction (Correct answer)
- Dispatch to both addresses to be safe
- Ask a supervisor before making any changes
Correct answer: Update the address in the CAD system and notify responding units of the correction
Corrected information must be updated immediately in CAD and communicated to responders to ensure they arrive at the right location.
Question 3: A caller says: 'I think my neighbor might be having a stroke — his face is drooping and he can't talk.' What type of information does this represent?
- Hearsay that should be disregarded
- Observed signs and symptoms that support a medical emergency (Correct answer)
- An assumption with no evidentiary value
- Secondary information that requires verification before dispatch
Correct answer: Observed signs and symptoms that support a medical emergency
Observable signs like facial drooping and inability to speak are clinically relevant symptoms that support dispatching EMS immediately.
Question 4: A 911 operator receives a call about a suspicious person. The caller describes the subject as 'wearing a red hoodie, about 6 feet tall, and walking north on Oak Ave.' How many identifying data points has the caller provided?
- Two
- Three
- Four (Correct answer)
- Five
Correct answer: Four
Four data points are provided: clothing color/type (red hoodie), height (6 feet), direction of travel (north), and street name (Oak Ave).
Question 5: Why is it important for a 911 dispatcher to repeat critical information back to a caller?
- To fill silence on the call
- To verify accuracy and ensure the correct information is recorded (Correct answer)
- It is required by federal law
- To buy time while units are dispatched
Correct answer: To verify accuracy and ensure the correct information is recorded
Repeating information back confirms accuracy, corrects errors before they reach responders, and builds caller confidence.
Question 6: A caller reports a domestic disturbance and mentions 'he has a knife.' At what point should this weapon information be relayed to responding officers?
- After the call has ended and a report is written
- Immediately, as soon as the information is obtained (Correct answer)
- Only if the caller repeats it a second time
- When the officer arrives on scene and asks for an update
Correct answer: Immediately, as soon as the information is obtained
Weapon information is a critical officer safety concern that must be transmitted to responders without delay.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'active listening' in the context of 911 call-taking?
- Talking continuously to keep the caller calm
- Fully concentrating on, understanding, and retaining the caller's information while simultaneously entering data (Correct answer)
- Listening only to the caller's tone of voice
- Waiting for the caller to finish speaking before beginning data entry
Correct answer: Fully concentrating on, understanding, and retaining the caller's information while simultaneously entering data
Active listening requires simultaneous processing of verbal information, emotional cues, and data entry without missing key details.
911 Operator Test Information Recall and Comprehension 2
A caller reports a vehicle accident and says 'the car is on fire and there's a person trapped inside.' Which piece of information should the dispatcher relay FIRST to responding units?