CED Crisis Management & Decision-Making 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a multi-vehicle highway accident with possible entrapment. What is the dispatcher's FIRST priority?
- Gather an exact vehicle count
- Dispatch appropriate resources while gathering additional information (Correct answer)
- Wait for a second caller to confirm the incident
- Advise the caller to approach the vehicles for a closer look
Correct answer: Dispatch appropriate resources while gathering additional information
Dispatching resources immediately while continuing to gather information minimizes response delay and follows the simultaneous dispatch principle.
Question 2: During a large-scale emergency, multiple units request guidance simultaneously. The best strategy is to:
- Answer each unit in the order received, making other units wait
- Prioritize life-safety requests first, then property and resource needs (Correct answer)
- Place all units on hold until the situation is fully understood
- Refer all units to their on-scene supervisor without further radio contact
Correct answer: Prioritize life-safety requests first, then property and resource needs
Triage of communications mirrors triage of patients — life-safety transmissions always take precedence.
Question 3: A caller becomes hysterical and cannot provide a location. Which technique should a dispatcher use FIRST?
- Disconnect and wait for a callback
- Use ANI/ALI data to identify location while calmly coaching the caller (Correct answer)
- Transfer the call immediately to a supervisor
- Ask the caller to put someone else on the line before doing anything
Correct answer: Use ANI/ALI data to identify location while calmly coaching the caller
ANI/ALI provides automated location data while the dispatcher simultaneously works to calm the caller, ensuring response is not delayed.
Question 4: Which decision-making model is most commonly recommended for emergency dispatchers under stress?
- Intuitive decision-making with no structured process
- Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model (Correct answer)
- Deliberate cost-benefit analysis for every choice
- Group consensus before any action is taken
Correct answer: Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model
The RPD model allows experienced dispatchers to quickly recognize situations and act on trained patterns, which is ideal under time pressure.
Question 5: An off-duty officer calls in to report a situation and wants to handle it without official dispatch. The dispatcher should:
- Allow the officer to manage it since they are trained
- Document the call and dispatch appropriate resources per standard protocol (Correct answer)
- Advise the caller to contact the on-duty supervisor directly
- Transfer the call to the on-duty shift commander and take no further action
Correct answer: Document the call and dispatch appropriate resources per standard protocol
Protocol requires proper documentation and dispatch regardless of the caller's credentials, ensuring accountability and officer safety.
Question 6: A dispatcher receives conflicting information from two callers about the same incident. The best action is to:
- Believe the first caller and ignore the second
- Dispatch based on the worst-case scenario while seeking clarification (Correct answer)
- Wait until information is confirmed before dispatching
- Ask a supervisor to determine which caller is correct
Correct answer: Dispatch based on the worst-case scenario while seeking clarification
Dispatching for the worst-case scenario ensures adequate resources while conflicting details are resolved.
Question 7: A dispatcher is mid-call on a priority-1 emergency when a second priority-1 call comes in. The correct action is to:
- Place the first caller on hold and answer the second call
- Signal another available dispatcher to take the second call (Correct answer)
- Ignore the second call until the first call is fully resolved
- Ask the first caller to call back after the other emergency is handled
Correct answer: Signal another available dispatcher to take the second call
Routing the second priority-1 call to another dispatcher ensures both callers receive the urgent attention their situations demand.
CED Crisis Management & Decision-Making 2
A caller reports a multi-vehicle highway accident with possible entrapment.
What is the dispatcher's FIRST priority?