CED Risk Assessment & Mitigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a house fire with unknown occupancy. Which risk factor should the dispatcher prioritize when upgrading the response?
- Time of day indicating likely occupancy (Correct answer)
- Distance of the nearest unit
- Weather conditions at the scene
- Caller's tone of voice
Correct answer: Time of day indicating likely occupancy
Time of day is a critical factor because it helps estimate whether people are likely inside, directly affecting the response level.
Question 2: During a multi-vehicle accident dispatch, a caller mentions one vehicle is a tanker truck. What immediate risk mitigation step should the dispatcher take?
- Notify the hazmat team and upgrade the response (Correct answer)
- Wait for units on scene to confirm the hazard
- Dispatch only fire units and cancel EMS
- Ask the caller to identify the truck's markings before dispatching
Correct answer: Notify the hazmat team and upgrade the response
A tanker truck presents a potential hazmat threat, so dispatching hazmat resources proactively mitigates risk before the hazard is confirmed.
Question 3: What does the term 'scene size-up' mean in the context of risk assessment for dispatchers?
- Gathering pre-arrival information to anticipate hazards (Correct answer)
- Counting the number of units needed on scene
- Reviewing the caller's prior call history
- Determining the geographic boundaries of the incident
Correct answer: Gathering pre-arrival information to anticipate hazards
Scene size-up involves collecting as much information as possible before units arrive to identify potential hazards and resource needs.
Question 4: A caller reports a 'man with a gun' inside a school. Which resource should the dispatcher add beyond standard law enforcement units?
- EMS staged at a safe perimeter (Correct answer)
- Additional dispatchers to handle media calls
- A supervisor to monitor radio traffic only
- Animal control for crowd management
Correct answer: EMS staged at a safe perimeter
EMS should be staged at a safe perimeter so medical resources are immediately available if injuries occur once the scene is secured.
Question 5: Which factor most increases the risk level of a reported structure fire?
- Reports of persons trapped inside (Correct answer)
- The building being in a commercial zone
- A single caller reporting the fire
- The incident occurring on a weekday
Correct answer: Reports of persons trapped inside
Confirmed or suspected trapped persons dramatically escalate life safety risk and require an upgraded, prioritized response.
Question 6: A caller describes a suspicious package left outside a government building. What risk mitigation action should the dispatcher take first?
- Dispatch law enforcement and advise them of the potential bomb threat protocol (Correct answer)
- Ask the caller to move the package to a safer location
- Dispatch only fire units since it may be a fire hazard
- Wait for a second caller to confirm before dispatching
Correct answer: Dispatch law enforcement and advise them of the potential bomb threat protocol
Law enforcement should respond immediately with bomb threat protocols activated, as suspicious packages near government buildings carry high threat potential.
Question 7: In risk assessment, what is the purpose of using Automatic Aid agreements?
- To ensure sufficient resources respond automatically when incidents exceed local capacity (Correct answer)
- To reduce dispatcher workload by automating all unit assignments
- To replace mutual aid when budgets are limited
- To allow neighboring agencies to use the same radio frequencies
Correct answer: To ensure sufficient resources respond automatically when incidents exceed local capacity
Automatic Aid agreements pre-establish resource sharing so that when local capacity is exceeded, neighboring agencies respond automatically without delay.
CED Risk Assessment & Mitigation 2
A caller reports a house fire with unknown occupancy.
Which risk factor should the dispatcher prioritize when upgrading the response?