Dispatcher Map Reading and Directions Flashcards
6 cards from real CritiCall Dispatcher Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Dispatcher Map Reading and Directions flashcards as text
An officer is at Main St. and 5th Ave heading north. A suspect flees east on 6th Ave. What direction should a second unit travel on 4th Ave to intercept?
Answer: North on 4th Ave
To intercept someone heading east on 6th Ave, a unit on 4th Ave (south of 6th) should travel north to reach 6th Ave and cut off the suspect's path.
A caller gives their location as 'the northeast corner of Park Blvd and Oak Street'. If you are viewing a standard north-up map, which corner is northeast?
Answer: Upper right
On a standard north-up map, northeast is up-and-to-the-right — the upper right corner of an intersection.
You need to route a unit from the precinct to an incident on the east side of the city quickly. The direct route is blocked by a reported road closure. What is the BEST dispatcher action?
Answer: Provide an alternate route using the next parallel street to the north or south
Dispatchers must know alternate routes in their service area and communicate them clearly when primary routes are unavailable.
A caller reports an accident 'about half a mile south of the highway 12 overpass on Route 7'. How should you handle this location description?
Answer: Use the description to identify the approximate GPS coordinates or address using mapping tools, then dispatch
Landmark-relative descriptions can be converted to map coordinates using CAD/GIS tools. Units should be dispatched immediately with the best available location data.
What does 'north-south' street orientation typically mean in a standard U.S. city grid?
Answer: Streets run perpendicular to avenues and extend from north to south
In most U.S. city grids, 'streets' run east-west and 'avenues' run north-south, though this varies by city. Knowing your city's layout is essential.
A unit radios that they are traveling westbound on Commerce Ave and need to know how many blocks to Central Park. Central Park is at Commerce Ave and 3rd Street, and the unit is at Commerce Ave and 9th Street. How many blocks away is the park?
Answer: 6 blocks
From 9th Street to 3rd Street is 6 blocks (9-8-7-6-5-4-3). The unit is 6 blocks from Central Park.