911 Operator Test Listening and Memory Recall 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a vehicle accident and gives you four cross streets in quick succession before the line drops. You are confident about three of them. What should you do?
- Dispatch to the three streets you are confident about and note the discrepancy (Correct answer)
- Wait for the caller to call back before dispatching
- Guess the fourth street based on the area
- Dispatch only after confirming all four streets
Correct answer: Dispatch to the three streets you are confident about and note the discrepancy
Dispatching with the confirmed information and noting the discrepancy allows responders to begin while the fourth street is clarified.
Question 2: After a long call with multiple details, you are writing your incident notes. You are unsure if the caller said the suspect was wearing a 'gray' or 'green' shirt. What is the best action?
- Write 'gray or green shirt — unconfirmed' (Correct answer)
- Write 'gray shirt' since it's the most common color
- Omit the shirt color entirely
- Write 'green shirt' since it's more distinctive
Correct answer: Write 'gray or green shirt — unconfirmed'
Documenting both possibilities with an unconfirmed note maintains accuracy and gives officers something to work with.
Question 3: A caller tells you, 'There are about ten people fighting outside.' When you ask if anyone has a weapon, they say, 'I don't know, maybe.' How do you log this?
- Large fight, no weapons
- Large fight, weapons confirmed
- Large fight, approximately 10 persons, weapons unknown
- Large fight, weapons possible — caller uncertain (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Large fight, weapons possible — caller uncertain
Logging 'weapons possible — caller uncertain' correctly conveys that the caller couldn't rule out weapons, prompting appropriate officer response.
Question 4: A caller speaks very quickly and provides details in a disorganized order. What is the best technique for gathering organized information?
- Let them finish, then recap the details back to them for confirmation (Correct answer)
- Interrupt frequently to correct the order they are speaking in
- Only document the last few things they said
- Ask them to start over from the beginning at a slower pace
Correct answer: Let them finish, then recap the details back to them for confirmation
Letting the caller finish and then recapping ensures you capture all information without interrupting and then verify accuracy.
Question 5: A caller reports seeing someone breaking into a car: 'It's a red car — no wait, maybe maroon — in the mall parking lot on the east side, near the food court entrance.' What do you log for vehicle color?
- Red
- Maroon
- Red/maroon — caller self-corrected, unconfirmed (Correct answer)
- Unknown — caller was inconsistent
Correct answer: Red/maroon — caller self-corrected, unconfirmed
Noting the self-correction and logging both possibilities gives officers the most accurate picture of what the caller observed.
Question 6: You receive a call from someone reporting a missing child. The parent provides the child's description including age, clothing, and last known location. What detail is MOST critical to broadcast immediately?
- The child's age
- Last known location
- Clothing description
- Last known location and clothing description together (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Last known location and clothing description together
Officers need both where to search and what the child looks like simultaneously to begin an effective search.
Question 7: During a burglary-in-progress call, the caller says, 'I hear them in the back bedroom — wait, now I think they moved to the kitchen.' How should you handle this real-time location update?
- Log the first location only since that was the original report
- Update CAD with the most recent location and note the progression (Correct answer)
- Disregard both since the caller is confused
- Ask the caller to stop reporting until they are certain
Correct answer: Update CAD with the most recent location and note the progression
Real-time updates should be logged with the most current information while noting the progression to help officers anticipate suspect movement.
911 Operator Test Listening and Memory Recall 4
A caller reports a vehicle accident and gives you four cross streets in quick succession before the line drops.
You are confident about three of them.
What should you do?