Mixed Deck — All CED Topics Flashcards

What should be done when a dispatcher receives a garbled or unclear message over the radio?

Answer: Request clarification to ensure full understanding

When a dispatcher receives a garbled or unclear message over the radio, they must request clarification to ensure full understanding. Acting on incomplete or misinterpreted information can lead to severe errors, misdirection of resources, or even endanger responders and the public. Ensuring accuracy through clarification is paramount for effective and safe emergency response.

How should CED professionals measure success in computer-aided dispatch systems?

Answer: Using defined metrics, benchmarks, and regular evaluation against established goals

Success in computer-aided dispatch systems is measured through defined metrics and benchmarks, with regular evaluation against established professional goals.

What is the role of 'read-back' or 'verification' during call-taking?

Answer: Repeating critical information—address, nature of call, callback number—back to the caller to confirm accuracy

Read-back catches data entry errors in real time, ensuring responders are sent to the correct location with accurate incident information.

A structure fire call is received for a building the CAD system identifies as a school. What resource upgrade should the dispatcher consider?

Answer: Mass casualty resources and additional EMS units given the potential for high occupancy

Schools represent high-occupancy locations that may require mass casualty resources if a fire occurs during operating hours.

A 911 caller reports a child who is unconscious and not breathing. The caller is panicking. What should the dispatcher prioritize?

Answer: Dispatch EMS and provide CPR instructions to the caller simultaneously

Simultaneous dispatch and pre-arrival CPR instructions maximize the child's survival by reducing both response time and intervention delay.

Which of the following BEST describes 'span of control' as it applies to a dispatcher during a major incident?

Answer: The number of units or channels a single dispatcher can effectively manage, typically 3–7

ICS defines optimal span of control as 3–7 resources per supervisor or coordinator, including dispatchers managing radio traffic.

A dispatcher notices the CAD mapping interface is not updating unit positions. What is the most likely cause?

Answer: The AVL feed has lost connectivity or the GPS devices have malfunctioned

A frozen map display most commonly indicates an AVL feed connectivity failure or GPS device malfunction rather than all units simultaneously entering dead zones.

What is the primary goal of 'risk stratification' when a dispatcher receives multiple simultaneous calls?

Answer: Ranking incidents by severity to allocate limited resources to the highest-priority threats first

Risk stratification ensures that life-threatening incidents receive immediate resources while lower-risk calls are queued appropriately.

Why is documentation important in CED risk management?

Answer: It creates an audit trail and demonstrates due diligence

Documentation in risk management creates accountability, supports decision-making, and demonstrates professional due diligence.

Under ICS, what role is responsible for coordinating communication between agencies at the operations level during a major incident?

Answer: Liaison Officer

The Liaison Officer serves as the point of contact for representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies, coordinating inter-agency communication.

Which of the following actions in a CAD system best documents a dispatcher's decision to send additional resources beyond the standard response plan?

Answer: Adding a supplemental unit to the incident and entering a free-text note explaining the reason

Adding units and documenting the rationale in the CAD notes creates a transparent, time-stamped record of dispatcher judgment that supports quality assurance review.

A dispatcher receives a call about a vehicle accident on a freeway. The caller says traffic is stopped for a mile. What elevated risk does this create beyond the immediate accident?

Answer: Secondary collisions from inattentive drivers approaching the stopped traffic

Stopped freeway traffic creates a high secondary collision risk as approaching drivers may not see the hazard in time, requiring dispatcher-initiated traffic control coordination.

What communication error most commonly causes caller distress during dispatch calls?

Answer: Using jargon and technical codes that callers do not understand

Using 10-codes or internal jargon with civilian callers creates confusion and increases their anxiety.

A dispatcher's recording reveals they gave an incorrect address to responding units. The error was discovered after units arrived at the wrong location. What should the dispatcher do?

Answer: Immediately correct units via radio with the accurate address and notify a supervisor

Immediate radio correction minimizes response delay and the supervisor notification triggers quality assurance and possible support protocols.

What is the significance of tone of voice in dispatcher-caller communication?

Answer: It directly affects caller compliance, trust, and emotional state

A calm, confident tone of voice reassures callers, improves compliance, and reduces panic during emergencies.

What term describes the emotional and psychological toll on dispatchers who are repeatedly exposed to traumatic events through the calls they handle?

Answer: Secondary traumatic stress (vicarious trauma)

Secondary traumatic stress, also called vicarious trauma, occurs when emergency dispatchers absorb the trauma of callers and victims without direct physical exposure.

What is 'triangulation' in qualitative dispatch research?

Answer: Comparing findings from multiple data sources or methods to strengthen conclusions

Triangulation uses multiple data sources, methods, or investigators to cross-check findings and enhance the credibility of qualitative research.

What is the term for the ICS process of expanding the organization from the top down to meet the needs of a growing incident?

Answer: Modular expansion

Modular expansion is the ICS process by which the organization is built and expanded based on incident needs, activating only the functions required.

A caller reports a gas leak in a commercial building with people still inside. The dispatcher should advise occupants to:

Answer: Evacuate immediately using stairs without activating switches or elevator buttons

Activating electrical switches can ignite gas; stair evacuation avoids this risk and must happen immediately.

In a Next Generation 911 (NG911) system, which of the following is a key capability that traditional 911 systems LACK?

Answer: The ability to receive text messages, photos, and video from callers

NG911 is designed to accept multimedia communications including texts, images, and video, which legacy circuit-switched 911 systems cannot process.