911 Operator Test Map Reading and Directions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller describes seeing a 'frontage road' alongside a highway. What is a frontage road?
- A local road running parallel to a highway providing access to nearby properties (Correct answer)
- The main travel lane of a highway
- A road that crosses over a highway via a bridge
- A restricted-access road for emergency vehicles only
Correct 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.
Question 2: On a map, a highway with shields labeled 'US-1' and 'SR-1' sharing the same roadway is called:
- A concurrent route (Correct answer)
- A divided highway
- A limited-access expressway
- A collector road
Correct 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.
Question 3: 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:
- Inbound (Correct answer)
- Outbound
- Laterally
- On a bypass route
Correct answer: Inbound
Inbound means traveling toward the city center or downtown area, while outbound means traveling away from it.
Question 4: A dispatcher receives a call from someone at 'Pier 7' at the city marina. What additional geographic detail is most important to confirm?
- Which marina location, if the city has multiple marinas (Correct answer)
- The depth of the water at that pier
- The number of boats docked at the pier
- Whether the pier is publicly or privately owned
Correct 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.
Question 5: A caller says they were told to 'turn left at the light' three times. This type of verbal direction is problematic for dispatch because:
- It doesn't use street names, making the location impossible to map precisely (Correct answer)
- Left turns are always illegal without signage
- Traffic signals change frequently and may not be present
- Callers often confuse left and right under stress
Correct 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.
Question 6: 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?
- About 300 feet from either Oak Street or Elm Street on Maple Avenue (Correct answer)
- At the Oak Street intersection
- At the Elm Street intersection
- At the midpoint of Maple Avenue's total length
Correct 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.
Question 7: What does a 'one-way street' designation mean for dispatching a unit to an address on that street?
- Units can only approach from the direction of legal travel on that street (Correct answer)
- Units may travel either direction using emergency override
- Only foot patrol can access the address
- The address numbering system is reversed
Correct 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.
911 Operator Test Map Reading and Directions 4
A caller describes seeing a 'frontage road' alongside a highway.
What is a frontage road?