911 Operator Test Situational Judgment and Reasoning 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a person unconscious on the sidewalk. Bystanders say the person 'seemed drunk.' What is the correct dispatcher response?
- Advise bystanders to let the person sleep it off
- Dispatch EMS — unconsciousness requires medical evaluation regardless of suspected cause (Correct answer)
- Send a police officer only to issue a public intoxication citation
- Ask bystanders to move the person off the sidewalk and monitor
Correct answer: Dispatch EMS — unconsciousness requires medical evaluation regardless of suspected cause
An unconscious person may have a medical emergency unrelated to or compounded by alcohol; EMS evaluation is always required.
Question 2: You are dispatching for a structure fire when the reporting caller says they re-entered the building to rescue a pet. What should you do?
- Tell responding units to wait until the caller exits
- Immediately relay this information to responding fire units so they know someone is inside (Correct answer)
- Advise the caller they made a good decision
- Update the call to a non-emergency since the fire may be small
Correct answer: Immediately relay this information to responding fire units so they know someone is inside
Firefighters must know a person has re-entered the structure so they can adjust their strategy and conduct a search if needed.
Question 3: A caller reports a man with a gun walking down Main Street. Which details should the dispatcher PRIORITIZE collecting?
- The caller's relationship with the subject
- Subject's description, direction of travel, and exact location (Correct answer)
- Whether the caller has filed a report before
- The brand and caliber of the firearm
Correct answer: Subject's description, direction of travel, and exact location
Officers need to locate and identify the subject quickly, making physical description, location, and direction of travel the critical data points.
Question 4: A caller reports a minor fender-bender with no injuries. Both drivers are safely on the shoulder. Which is the most appropriate response?
- Dispatch police and fire with lights and sirens
- Dispatch police with standard (non-emergency) response (Correct answer)
- Advise the parties to exchange insurance and handle it privately, no dispatch needed
- Dispatch EMS as a precaution for any hidden injuries
Correct answer: Dispatch police with standard (non-emergency) response
Property-only crashes still require a police report for insurance and legal purposes, but no life-threatening emergency warrants a non-emergency response.
Question 5: During a call, you realize the caller has provided an address that does not match the location on ANI/ALI. What should you do?
- Trust the ANI/ALI data and ignore the caller's stated address
- Confirm the discrepancy with the caller and dispatch to the caller's stated address while noting the ANI/ALI location (Correct answer)
- Hang up and redial to verify
- Send units to both locations simultaneously regardless of resources
Correct answer: Confirm the discrepancy with the caller and dispatch to the caller's stated address while noting the ANI/ALI location
ANI/ALI can reflect outdated or cell-tower locations; confirming with the caller and dispatching to the stated address while noting the discrepancy is safest.
Question 6: A caller reports a toddler locked inside a hot car on a summer day. The parent is not nearby. What is the correct dispatch priority?
- Non-emergency police response only
- Emergency police and fire/EMS response (Correct answer)
- Ask the caller to find the parent before dispatching
- Dispatch animal control since vehicles are their jurisdiction
Correct answer: Emergency police and fire/EMS response
A child in a hot vehicle is a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate police to gain entry and EMS to evaluate the child.
Question 7: A caller reports a person climbing a radio tower and says the person may be under the influence of drugs. Which agencies should be dispatched?
- Police only
- Fire department only for high-angle rescue
- Police, fire department (rescue), and EMS (Correct answer)
- Mental health unit only
Correct answer: Police, fire department (rescue), and EMS
Police manage the scene and potential crime, fire/rescue handles the technical rescue, and EMS stands by for medical needs including drug-related symptoms.
911 Operator Test Situational Judgment and Reasoning 5
A caller reports a person unconscious on the sidewalk.
Bystanders say the person 'seemed drunk.' What is the correct dispatcher response?