CritiCall Dispatcher Test Dispatcher Call Prioritization and Decision-Making 1

Question 1

You receive two simultaneous calls: one reporting a vehicle fire with a person trapped inside, and another reporting an armed robbery in progress at a convenience store.
Which call should receive priority dispatch?

Accepted Answer

Vehicle fire with person trapped — life safety for the trapped victim takes immediate precedence

Answer

Armed robbery in progress — the suspect is still at large and poses a broader public threat

Answer

Both calls are equal priority and should be dispatched at exactly the same time with the same urgency

Answer

The robbery, because property crime with a weapon is always classified higher than a vehicle incident

Question 2

A caller reports that her elderly neighbor has not been seen in three days and is not answering the door. How should a dispatcher typically classify this call?

Accepted Answer

High priority — unexplained absence of a vulnerable person warrants urgent response

Answer

Low priority — welfare checks on elderly individuals are routine and non-urgent

Answer

No priority — this is a civil matter and should be referred to social services only

Answer

Medium priority, but only if the neighbor is over 80 years old

Question 3

During a major apartment fire with multiple units responding, you receive a call about a residential alarm sounding two blocks away with no confirmation of smoke or flames. What is the appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Log the alarm call and queue it for response once primary fire units are available or a new unit can be assigned

Answer

Immediately dispatch the same fire units — any alarm could be a real fire

Answer

Dismiss the alarm call entirely since all units are occupied

Answer

Transfer the caller to the fire department's non-emergency line and take no further action

Question 4

A caller reports a group of teenagers 'acting suspicious' near a park. Moments later, a second caller reports a child who has fallen into a nearby pond and cannot swim. Which action is correct?

Accepted Answer

Immediately shift focus to the drowning child call and dispatch rescue resources — the suspicious persons call can be handled after

Answer

Continue gathering full details on the suspicious persons call first since it was received first

Answer

Place both callers on hold and consult a supervisor before dispatching either call

Answer

Dispatch for suspicious persons first since that call was already in progress

Question 5

You are dispatching units to a reported domestic disturbance. The caller then whispers that the suspect has a firearm and hangs up. What is the MOST appropriate next step?

Accepted Answer

Immediately upgrade the call priority and relay the weapon information to responding officers before they arrive on scene

Answer

Wait for the caller to call back to confirm the information before updating responding units

Answer

Downgrade the call since the caller hung up and the information cannot be verified

Answer

Dispatch units at the original priority level and note the firearm information in the call log only

Question 6

Four calls arrive within sixty seconds of each other. In what order should they be prioritized for dispatch?

Accepted Answer

1. Infant not breathing, 2. Hit-and-run with minor injuries, 3. Intruder alarm at a bank (unconfirmed), 4. Noise complaint from a bar

Answer

1. Noise complaint from a bar, 2. Intruder alarm at a bank (unconfirmed), 3. Infant not breathing, 4. Hit-and-run with minor injuries

Answer

1. Intruder alarm at a bank (unconfirmed), 2. Infant not breathing, 3. Hit-and-run with minor injuries, 4. Noise complaint from a bar

Answer

1. Hit-and-run with minor injuries, 2. Intruder alarm at a bank (unconfirmed), 3. Infant not breathing, 4. Noise complaint from a bar