911 Operator Test Information Recall and Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following scenarios requires a dispatcher to use a 'hot transfer' to a PSAP in another jurisdiction?
- A caller asks about local parking laws
- An incident location falls outside the receiving PSAP's service area (Correct answer)
- The dispatcher is too busy to handle the call
- The caller is speaking a foreign language
Correct answer: An incident location falls outside the receiving PSAP's service area
A hot transfer (live transfer with the caller still connected) is used when an incident falls in another jurisdiction's service area so no information is lost.
Question 2: A dispatcher receives a call about a gas leak and the caller says 'it smells really strong inside the house.' What information is MOST critical to confirm next?
- How old the house is
- Whether everyone has evacuated or is still inside (Correct answer)
- The name of the gas company
- When the smell started
Correct answer: Whether everyone has evacuated or is still inside
The immediate life-safety question for a gas leak is whether occupants are still inside an atmosphere that could ignite or cause asphyxiation.
Question 3: A caller reports a shooting and says the shooter 'just drove away going south on Broad Street in a red pickup.' What is the dispatcher's FIRST radio transmission priority?
- Request ambulance for any injured parties
- Broadcast the suspect vehicle description and direction of travel to all units (Correct answer)
- Secure the scene with the nearest officer
- Ask for additional callers to verify the direction of travel
Correct answer: Broadcast the suspect vehicle description and direction of travel to all units
Broadcasting the fleeing suspect's description immediately maximizes the chance of interception and public safety.
Question 4: When a 911 dispatcher takes notes during a call, the notes should be:
- Written in personal shorthand that only the dispatcher can read
- Objective, accurate, and legible enough to support the official CAD record (Correct answer)
- Lengthy narrative descriptions of the dispatcher's interpretation
- Discarded after the call is closed in CAD
Correct answer: Objective, accurate, and legible enough to support the official CAD record
Dispatcher notes may be reviewed in legal proceedings and must therefore be objective, accurate, and professionally legible.
Question 5: A caller reports a cardiac arrest but is panicking and can barely communicate. What is the dispatcher's most effective communication strategy?
- Speak quickly to match the caller's urgency
- Use short, clear, direct sentences and one instruction at a time (Correct answer)
- Immediately transfer the call to EMS without speaking further
- Raise your voice to get the caller's attention
Correct answer: Use short, clear, direct sentences and one instruction at a time
Short, direct instructions delivered one at a time help panicked callers absorb and execute lifesaving guidance under extreme stress.
Question 6: A caller reports that a child fell into a swimming pool and is not moving. After dispatching EMS, what pre-arrival instruction should the dispatcher give?
- Tell the caller to wait by the road to flag down the ambulance
- Direct the caller to remove the child from the water and begin CPR if trained (Correct answer)
- Advise the caller not to move the child in case of a spinal injury
- Ask the caller to estimate the depth of the pool
Correct answer: Direct the caller to remove the child from the water and begin CPR if trained
For a drowning victim, removing the child from water and initiating CPR is the correct pre-arrival priority — spinal precautions are secondary to airway and circulation.
Question 7: After a 911 call ends, a dispatcher realizes they forgot to ask the caller for a callback number. What is the BEST immediate action?
- Note the omission and move on to the next call
- Use ANI data to retrieve the callback number and document it in the CAD record (Correct answer)
- Ask a colleague if they know the caller
- Wait to see if the caller calls back
Correct answer: Use ANI data to retrieve the callback number and document it in the CAD record
ANI (Automatic Number Identification) provides the caller's phone number, which should be retrieved and added to the CAD record for follow-up.
911 Operator Test Information Recall and Comprehension 5
Which of the following scenarios requires a dispatcher to use a 'hot transfer' to a PSAP in another jurisdiction?