911 Operator Test Listening and Memory Recall 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a suspicious person and says: 'He's been standing outside for 20 minutes, he's wearing all black, and he keeps looking at the neighbor's house.' Which detail best justifies the call as suspicious?
- He is wearing all black
- He has been there for 20 minutes
- He keeps looking at the neighbor's house
- The repeated focused attention on a specific property combined with prolonged presence (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The repeated focused attention on a specific property combined with prolonged presence
The combination of prolonged presence and repeated focused attention on a specific property together create the suspicious behavior pattern, not either detail alone.
Question 2: A caller reports an unconscious person and says, 'She's not breathing — wait, she just took a breath.' What is the correct way to update the responding EMS units?
- Keep the original report as 'not breathing' to ensure fastest response
- Update to 'breathing noted' and relay the full sequence of events (Correct answer)
- Cancel the call since she is now breathing
- Wait to update until the caller confirms more breaths
Correct answer: Update to 'breathing noted' and relay the full sequence of events
Updating EMS with the full sequence — initially not breathing, now breathing — gives paramedics the most accurate clinical picture for pre-arrival preparation.
Question 3: A caller reports a vehicle description: 'It's a white SUV with tinted windows, a roof rack, and a bumper sticker that says VETERANS.' As you relay to officers, which details should you emphasize most?
- The bumper sticker text since it's unique
- White SUV with tinted windows
- Roof rack details
- White SUV with tinted windows and VETERANS bumper sticker (Correct answer)
Correct answer: White SUV with tinted windows and VETERANS bumper sticker
The vehicle type/color combined with the unique bumper sticker text provides both a broad and specific identifier for officers.
Question 4: You are recalling a caller's description of a suspect after the call ended: 'Hispanic male, 30s, 5'9", thin build, black hair, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, last seen running east on Grove Avenue.' How many distinct descriptors did the caller provide?
- Five
- Six
- Seven (Correct answer)
- Eight
Correct answer: Seven
The descriptors are: ethnicity, sex, age range, height, build, hair color, clothing (jeans + white t-shirt = 2), and direction/location — totaling eight, but clothing counts as one group, making seven.
Question 5: A caller describing a shooter says, 'He fired twice — no, maybe three times — then ran into the building on the left side of the parking lot.' What is the most critical piece of information for officer safety?
- The number of shots fired
- The uncertainty about the number of shots
- The suspect entered a building (Correct answer)
- The parking lot location
Correct answer: The suspect entered a building
The suspect entering a building is the highest officer safety concern as it changes the nature of the response from an outdoor to an indoor situation.
Question 6: A caller provides their address at the beginning of a call, then the connection becomes poor. You need to confirm the address before dispatching. What is the best approach?
- Dispatch to the address you heard and hope it was correct
- Use ALI (Automatic Location Identification) to confirm the address (Correct answer)
- Ask the caller to repeat the entire call from the beginning
- Disconnect and wait for them to call back on a better line
Correct answer: Use ALI (Automatic Location Identification) to confirm the address
ALI automatically captures the caller's location data, providing a reliable way to confirm or supplement a partially heard address.
Question 7: After a long shift, you notice your ability to accurately recall details from calls is declining. What is the most appropriate professional response?
- Push through and rely on experience to compensate
- Immediately document all key details in CAD during or directly after each call (Correct answer)
- Reduce the detail level in reports to compensate for fatigue
- Request a partner to handle all calls until your shift ends
Correct answer: Immediately document all key details in CAD during or directly after each call
Real-time documentation during or immediately after each call compensates for fatigue-related memory decline and maintains accuracy.
911 Operator Test Listening and Memory Recall 5
A caller reports a suspicious person and says: 'He's been standing outside for 20 minutes, he's wearing all black, and he keeps looking at the neighbor's house.' Which detail best justifies the call as suspicious?