PSD Call Classification and Prioritization Protocols 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a vehicle fire on the highway with no persons trapped. What priority level should this typically receive?
- Priority 1 — immediate life threat
- Priority 2 — urgent but stable (Correct answer)
- Priority 3 — non-urgent routine
- Priority 4 — informational only
Correct answer: Priority 2 — urgent but stable
A vehicle fire with no persons trapped is urgent due to explosion potential and traffic hazard, but without confirmed life threat it is typically Priority 2.
Question 2: Which factor most significantly elevates a burglary call from Priority 3 to Priority 1?
- The incident occurred at a business
- A suspect is still on the premises (Correct answer)
- The dollar value of loss is high
- The caller is the property owner
Correct answer: A suspect is still on the premises
An in-progress burglary with a suspect still on scene poses immediate danger to life, elevating it to the highest priority.
Question 3: When two Priority 1 calls arrive simultaneously, what is the standard dispatch protocol?
- Hold one call until the first unit clears
- Dispatch available units to both calls simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Downgrade the second call to Priority 2
- Ask callers which incident is more serious
Correct answer: Dispatch available units to both calls simultaneously
When two Priority 1 calls are received simultaneously, dispatchers must assign available resources to both without downgrading either.
Question 4: A caller describes chest pain that started 20 minutes ago. The patient is conscious and breathing. How should this call be classified?
- Non-urgent — patient is stable
- Priority 1 — potential cardiac emergency (Correct answer)
- Priority 3 — advise caller to drive to hospital
- Informational — no dispatch needed
Correct answer: Priority 1 — potential cardiac emergency
Chest pain is always treated as a potential cardiac emergency requiring Priority 1 EMS dispatch regardless of the patient's current conscious state.
Question 5: What does 'determinant coding' refer to in call classification?
- The numeric code assigned to each dispatcher
- A structured system using alphanumeric codes to categorize call type and severity (Correct answer)
- The process of determining fault in an accident
- A code used to flag calls for supervisor review
Correct answer: A structured system using alphanumeric codes to categorize call type and severity
Determinant coding is a standardized alphanumeric system (used in MPDS/FPDS) that categorizes the call type and assigns a response level based on caller-provided information.
Question 6: A caller reports a neighbor's dog barking continuously for two hours. Which call classification is most appropriate?
- Priority 1 — disturbance in progress
- Priority 2 — immediate response required
- Priority 3 or lower — non-emergency complaint (Correct answer)
- Priority 0 — do not dispatch
Correct answer: Priority 3 or lower — non-emergency complaint
A noise complaint about a barking dog is a non-emergency nuisance call that warrants a low-priority or routine response.
Question 7: Which protocol guides EMS dispatchers in providing pre-arrival medical instructions to callers?
- NIMS
- ProQA / Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) (Correct answer)
- CAD tiering matrix
- APCO ANS 1.101
Correct answer: ProQA / Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS)
The Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), implemented via ProQA software, provides structured questioning and pre-arrival instructions for EMS dispatchers.
PSD Call Classification and Prioritization Protocols 2
A caller reports a vehicle fire on the highway with no persons trapped.
What priority level should this typically receive?