CED Risk Assessment & Mitigation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dispatcher receives a call about a person threatening suicide on a bridge overpass. Which additional resource should be dispatched beyond law enforcement?
- EMS and a crisis negotiation team (Correct answer)
- Fire department only for technical rescue
- Animal control to assist with crowd barriers
- Public works to close the roadway
Correct answer: EMS and a crisis negotiation team
Both EMS and crisis negotiators address the dual risk of injury and the need for de-escalation in a mental health emergency.
Question 2: What is the primary goal of 'risk stratification' when a dispatcher receives multiple simultaneous calls?
- Ranking incidents by severity to allocate limited resources to the highest-priority threats first (Correct answer)
- Transferring all lower-priority calls to a secondary PSAP
- Logging all incidents simultaneously before dispatching any unit
- Assigning all calls to the same unit to maintain consistency
Correct 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.
Question 3: A caller reporting a domestic disturbance mentions that the subject has a history of violence and has access to weapons. How should this information affect dispatch?
- Additional units should be dispatched and officers warned of the elevated threat (Correct answer)
- Dispatch the same standard response since it is a routine domestic call
- Delay response until the caller can confirm the weapons are visible
- Notify only a supervisor and let them decide the response level
Correct answer: Additional units should be dispatched and officers warned of the elevated threat
Prior violence history and weapon access are critical risk factors that require upgrading the response and ensuring officer safety briefing.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'dynamic risk assessment' during an active incident?
- Continuously re-evaluating hazards as new information arrives from the field (Correct answer)
- Completing a formal written risk report once the incident is closed
- Performing a single threat assessment at the time of the initial call
- Reviewing after-action reports to assess past incidents only
Correct answer: Continuously re-evaluating hazards as new information arrives from the field
Dynamic risk assessment requires ongoing re-evaluation throughout an incident as conditions, locations, and information change.
Question 5: When dispatching to a reported gas leak inside a building, which mitigation step should the dispatcher include in caller pre-arrival instructions?
- Instruct occupants to evacuate and avoid using electrical switches or open flames (Correct answer)
- Tell callers to open windows and remain inside to monitor the situation
- Advise callers to locate and shut off the main gas valve themselves
- Instruct callers to call the gas company before leaving the building
Correct answer: Instruct occupants to evacuate and avoid using electrical switches or open flames
Evacuation and avoidance of ignition sources are the most critical pre-arrival safety steps to prevent explosion risk.
Question 6: A dispatcher is tracking an active pursuit that is moving into a densely populated area. What risk mitigation action is appropriate?
- Alert units ahead of the pursuit route and notify supervisors to evaluate pursuit termination (Correct answer)
- Continue monitoring and avoid interfering with the pursuing unit's decisions
- Redirect all non-pursuit units away from the area to clear the radio channel
- Request the pursuing unit to increase speed to end the pursuit faster
Correct answer: Alert units ahead of the pursuit route and notify supervisors to evaluate pursuit termination
Alerting units along the route and escalating to supervisors enables informed decisions about pursuit continuation versus public safety risk.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a static risk factor that a dispatcher should have pre-loaded in their CAD system?
- A location flagged as a known drug house with prior violent incidents (Correct answer)
- A caller who sounds intoxicated during the current call
- Weather conditions at the time of dispatch
- The number of units currently available on shift
Correct answer: A location flagged as a known drug house with prior violent incidents
Pre-loaded location hazard flags such as prior violent incidents are static risk factors that provide critical safety intelligence before a unit arrives.
CED Risk Assessment & Mitigation 3
A dispatcher receives a call about a person threatening suicide on a bridge overpass.
Which additional resource should be dispatched beyond law enforcement?