PSD Crisis Intervention and Stress Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes 'secondary traumatic stress' as it applies to dispatchers?
- Stress caused by equipment malfunctions during a shift
- Trauma symptoms that develop from indirect exposure to others' traumatic experiences (Correct answer)
- Physical injury sustained while working at the console
- Stress resulting from poor scheduling decisions by management
Correct answer: Trauma symptoms that develop from indirect exposure to others' traumatic experiences
Secondary traumatic stress occurs when a dispatcher absorbs trauma vicariously by repeatedly hearing about or managing others' crises.
Question 2: A caller becomes verbally aggressive and begins screaming at the dispatcher during a non-emergency call. What is the recommended approach?
- Immediately terminate the call due to policy violations
- Match the caller's energy to assert authority
- Stay calm, use a lower and slower speaking voice, and acknowledge the caller's frustration (Correct answer)
- Transfer the call to law enforcement without explanation
Correct answer: Stay calm, use a lower and slower speaking voice, and acknowledge the caller's frustration
Remaining calm and speaking slowly in a lower tone helps de-escalate aggression, while acknowledging frustration validates the caller's emotions.
Question 3: In crisis intervention, what is the purpose of 'active listening' beyond simply hearing words?
- To fill silence and prevent awkward pauses during the call
- To demonstrate empathy and build trust so the caller remains engaged and open (Correct answer)
- To record an accurate transcript of everything said
- To identify whether the caller is lying about the emergency
Correct answer: To demonstrate empathy and build trust so the caller remains engaged and open
Active listening communicates empathy and builds trust, which keeps a person in crisis engaged and more likely to accept help.
Question 4: Which of the following is an evidence-based individual coping strategy for dispatchers managing occupational stress?
- Suppressing emotions at work and at home to appear professional
- Regular physical exercise, adequate sleep, and social support outside of work (Correct answer)
- Avoiding all discussion of difficult calls with peers
- Working extra overtime shifts to stay focused
Correct answer: Regular physical exercise, adequate sleep, and social support outside of work
Exercise, sleep, and social support are proven resilience-building strategies that buffer the effects of chronic occupational stress.
Question 5: When dispatching to a caller who mentions having a weapon and feeling hopeless, the dispatcher should:
- Ask the caller to put the weapon down before continuing the call
- Remain calm, keep the caller talking, dispatch appropriate resources, and follow established lethal means protocols (Correct answer)
- Immediately hang up and notify a supervisor only
- Tell the caller that officers will arrest them if they harm themselves
Correct answer: Remain calm, keep the caller talking, dispatch appropriate resources, and follow established lethal means protocols
Lethal means protocols guide dispatchers to keep suicidal callers engaged while simultaneously dispatching resources to reduce access to means.
Question 6: What is 'compassion fatigue' and how does it differ from burnout in public safety dispatchers?
- Compassion fatigue is caused by overwork, while burnout stems from empathy toward callers
- Compassion fatigue results from the emotional cost of caring for others in crisis, while burnout is general exhaustion from job demands (Correct answer)
- They are identical conditions with different names in different agencies
- Compassion fatigue only affects field responders, not dispatchers
Correct answer: Compassion fatigue results from the emotional cost of caring for others in crisis, while burnout is general exhaustion from job demands
Compassion fatigue is the emotional depletion from empathizing with people in crisis, whereas burnout is broader exhaustion from chronic workplace demands.
Question 7: A dispatcher receives a call from a child who reports their parent has collapsed. The child is panicking and crying. The FIRST action the dispatcher should take is:
- Tell the child to stop crying so they can understand the information
- Calmly address the child by name if known, reassure them help is coming, and begin gathering location information (Correct answer)
- Place the child on hold while dispatch resources are coordinated
- Ask the child to perform CPR before confirming the address
Correct answer: Calmly address the child by name if known, reassure them help is coming, and begin gathering location information
Calming and reassuring a child caller first builds the trust needed to gather accurate information and guide them through any needed pre-arrival instructions.
PSD Crisis Intervention and Stress Management 3
Which of the following best describes 'secondary traumatic stress' as it applies to dispatchers?