CED Computer-Aided Dispatch Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'AVL' stand for in a CAD system context?
- Automated Vehicle Locator (Correct answer)
- Active Visual Link
- Aerial Vehicle Logger
- Automated Vendor List
Correct answer: Automated Vehicle Locator
AVL stands for Automated Vehicle Locator, which uses GPS to track the real-time position of emergency units.
Question 2: When a CAD system shows a unit status of 'OSP,' what does this typically indicate?
- On Scene Pending
- Out of Service Permanently
- On Special Project
- Out of Service — Personal (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Out of Service — Personal
OSP commonly stands for Out of Service — Personal, indicating a unit is temporarily unavailable for personal reasons.
Question 3: Which CAD feature automatically recommends the closest available unit based on GPS location?
- Incident history search
- Automatic Vehicle Locating dispatch (Correct answer)
- Beat assignment module
- Premise alert flag
Correct answer: Automatic Vehicle Locating dispatch
The AVL dispatch feature cross-references unit GPS positions and availability to recommend the nearest appropriate resource.
Question 4: A dispatcher receives a duplicate call for the same address already in the CAD. What should the dispatcher do first?
- Create a new incident for documentation
- Link the new call to the existing incident (Correct answer)
- Ignore the second call
- Transfer the caller to the responding unit
Correct answer: Link the new call to the existing incident
Linking duplicate calls to the existing incident keeps all information consolidated and avoids sending redundant resources.
Question 5: What is a 'premise alert' (or premise history) flag in a CAD system?
- A note warning responders of known hazards or history at a specific address (Correct answer)
- An automatic alarm from a building's fire suppression system
- A flag indicating the address is outside the service area
- A billing alert for repeat callers
Correct answer: A note warning responders of known hazards or history at a specific address
Premise alerts are stored notes that warn responders of hazards, violent history, special needs occupants, or other critical information at a specific location.
Question 6: In a CAD system, what does 'CAD-to-CAD' interoperability allow?
- Two different agencies' CAD systems to share incident and resource data in real time (Correct answer)
- A CAD system to automatically call 9-1-1 when an incident is created
- Civilian access to dispatch records
- Backup dispatching from a mobile device
Correct answer: Two different agencies' CAD systems to share incident and resource data in real time
CAD-to-CAD interoperability enables separate dispatch centers to exchange incident details and mutual aid resource information seamlessly.
Question 7: A dispatcher notices the CAD mapping interface is not updating unit positions. What is the most likely cause?
- The units are in a dead zone with no GPS signal
- The AVL feed has lost connectivity or the GPS devices have malfunctioned (Correct answer)
- The incident was closed prematurely
- The mapping layer has been disabled by the supervisor
Correct 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.
CED Computer-Aided Dispatch Systems 2
What does the term 'AVL' stand for in a CAD system context?