FREE PSD Dispatch Technologies and Systems Questions and Answers

Question 1

A significant advancement of Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) over traditional E9-1-1 is its ability to receive what type of information from the public?

Accepted Answer

Text messages, images, and video files

Answer

NG9-1-1 is built on an IP-based network, which allows it to handle digital data like text, images, and video, providing richer situational awareness. Legacy E9-1-1 systems are based on analog telephone networks and are primarily limited to voice communications.

Question 2

When a 9-1-1 call arrives at a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), what specific information is provided by the Automatic Location Information (ALI) database?

Accepted Answer

The registered service address or approximate coordinates of the caller

Answer

The Automatic Number Identification (ANI) provides the caller's phone number, which is then used to query the ALI database. The ALI database returns the physical address associated with a landline or the estimated latitude/longitude coordinates for a wireless call, which is critical for dispatching responders.

Question 3

A dispatcher answers a 9-1-1 call and, after a moment of silence, hears only a series of repeating, high-pitched beeping sounds. This is a primary indicator of a call from which type of device?

Accepted Answer

A Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD/TTY)

Answer

TDD/TTY devices, used by individuals with hearing or speech impairments, initiate communication by sending audible tones (Baudot tones) that a TDD-equipped call-taker's console can decode into text. The dispatcher must use their TDD/TTY equipment to respond in text.

Question 4

During a multi-agency response to a large wildfire, units from different departments are unable to communicate directly because their radios operate on different frequency bands. Which technology would be most effective for a dispatcher to help coordinate to quickly establish unified communications?

Accepted Answer

A radio interoperability gateway to patch talkgroups together

Answer

A radio interoperability gateway is a device that connects disparate radio systems (e.g., VHF, UHF, 800 MHz) by creating a 'patch'. This allows units on different systems to communicate directly as if they were on the same channel, which is the standard technological solution for such scenarios.

Question 5

A dispatcher is trying to determine the closest available unit to a reported vehicle collision in a rural area with multiple winding roads. Which two integrated technologies are most essential for making this determination accurately?

Accepted Answer

Geographic Information System (GIS) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL)

Answer

The GIS provides the detailed, routable mapping of the area, including all roads. The AVL system shows the real-time GPS location of each patrol unit on that map. Combining these two technologies allows the dispatcher to see the incident location and all unit locations simultaneously and to calculate the fastest response route.

(PSD) Certified Public Safety Dispatcher Practice Test

(PSD) Certified Public Safety Dispatcher Practice Test

FREE PSD Dispatch Technologies and Systems Questions and Answers