MPOETC Emergency Vehicle Operations 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A police officer is conducting a pursuit and approaches a school zone with children present. The BEST course of action is to:
- Maintain pursuit speed because emergency vehicles are exempt from school zone laws
- Reduce speed significantly or terminate the pursuit to protect pedestrian safety (Correct answer)
- Continue pursuit at the same speed but increase siren volume
- Hand off pursuit to the next available unit regardless of location
Correct answer: Reduce speed significantly or terminate the pursuit to protect pedestrian safety
The presence of children in a school zone creates an extreme hazard that typically warrants reducing speed or terminating the pursuit entirely.
Question 2: What is 'felony stop' positioning designed to accomplish during a vehicle stop?
- Allow the officer to write citations without exiting the vehicle
- Provide maximum officer cover and a tactical advantage over vehicle occupants (Correct answer)
- Position the patrol car to push the suspect vehicle to the curb
- Block the suspect vehicle from view of passing traffic
Correct answer: Provide maximum officer cover and a tactical advantage over vehicle occupants
Felony stop positioning places the patrol vehicle at an angle that provides officer cover and a clear sight line to the suspect vehicle and its occupants.
Question 3: Under what circumstance is it generally acceptable to continue a pursuit through a heavily congested urban area?
- When the officer believes the suspect will eventually stop
- When the suspect is wanted for a violent felony and the risk to the public of non-apprehension outweighs pursuit risk (Correct answer)
- Whenever the shift supervisor has not issued a termination order
- When the police vehicle has four-wheel drive capability
Correct answer: When the suspect is wanted for a violent felony and the risk to the public of non-apprehension outweighs pursuit risk
Pursuit through heavy congestion may be justified only when the severity of the suspect's offense and public safety risk from non-apprehension clearly outweighs the danger of the pursuit itself.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST describes 'threshold braking' in emergency vehicle operations?
- Applying brakes with maximum force until the vehicle stops
- Applying brake pressure just short of wheel lockup to maintain steering control (Correct answer)
- Gradually increasing brake pressure over a five-second interval
- Pumping the brakes repeatedly to prevent skidding on all surfaces
Correct answer: Applying brake pressure just short of wheel lockup to maintain steering control
Threshold braking applies maximum braking force just below the point of wheel lockup, allowing the driver to maintain directional control while stopping quickly.
Question 5: When a police officer's vehicle enters a skid during emergency operations, the officer should:
- Apply the brakes firmly and steer straight ahead
- Turn the steering wheel sharply in the opposite direction of the skid
- Steer in the direction of the skid to regain control (Correct answer)
- Take both hands off the wheel to avoid overcorrection
Correct answer: Steer in the direction of the skid to regain control
Steering into the direction of the skid (counter-steering) allows the rear tires to realign with the direction of travel and regain traction.
Question 6: What information should a pursuing officer communicate to dispatch immediately upon initiating a pursuit?
- Only the direction of travel
- Location, direction of travel, suspect vehicle description, reason for pursuit, and speed (Correct answer)
- Speed and estimated time to apprehension
- The officer's shift number and patrol zone only
Correct answer: Location, direction of travel, suspect vehicle description, reason for pursuit, and speed
Comprehensive communication including location, direction, vehicle description, reason for pursuit, and speed allows dispatch to coordinate resources and supervisor oversight.
Question 7: The 'reactionary gap' in vehicle pursuit refers to:
- The time between when a supervisor orders termination and when the officer complies
- The distance and time needed for an officer to perceive a hazard and bring the vehicle to a stop (Correct answer)
- The gap in radio communication during high-speed operations
- The distance between the lead and secondary pursuit units
Correct answer: The distance and time needed for an officer to perceive a hazard and bring the vehicle to a stop
The reactionary gap accounts for the combined time of hazard perception, decision-making, and physical braking required to stop the vehicle safely.
MPOETC Emergency Vehicle Operations 3
A police officer is conducting a pursuit and approaches a school zone with children present.
The BEST course of action is to: