PSD Emergency Call Handling Protocols 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a neighbor's child has been outside alone for hours and appears distressed. Which agency should be dispatched?
- Fire department only
- Law enforcement, and possibly child protective services notification (Correct answer)
- Animal control
- Code enforcement
Correct answer: Law enforcement, and possibly child protective services notification
A potentially neglected or endangered child is a law enforcement matter, and CPS may need to be notified depending on jurisdiction protocol.
Question 2: What is the purpose of 'call verification' before dispatching a burglar alarm?
- To bill the alarm company for the call
- To reduce false alarm dispatches by contacting the premises or key holder first (Correct answer)
- To document that the caller is reliable
- To ensure the alarm was triggered intentionally
Correct answer: To reduce false alarm dispatches by contacting the premises or key holder first
Enhanced call verification (ECV) reduces false alarm dispatches by attempting to reach the subscriber or keyholder before sending units.
Question 3: During a flood event, a caller says water is rising rapidly inside their vehicle. What is the dispatcher's most critical instruction?
- Tell them to stay calm and wait for rescue
- Instruct them to exit the vehicle immediately if safe and move to higher ground (Correct answer)
- Ask for their vehicle's license plate number first
- Advise them to crack the windows and wait
Correct answer: Instruct them to exit the vehicle immediately if safe and move to higher ground
Rapid vehicle flooding is immediately life-threatening; the standard protocol is to exit the vehicle before water immobilizes the doors.
Question 4: A caller asks the dispatcher to 'just send someone' without providing details about the emergency. What should the dispatcher do?
- Refuse to dispatch until details are provided
- Attempt to gather minimum location and nature-of-call information while dispatching based on what is known (Correct answer)
- Transfer the call to a supervisor
- Dispatch all available units as a precaution
Correct answer: Attempt to gather minimum location and nature-of-call information while dispatching based on what is known
Dispatchers should gather at minimum a location and dispatch the most appropriate unit while continuing to obtain details from the caller.
Question 5: When handling a call involving a subject in mental health crisis, which approach is generally recommended first?
- Dispatch SWAT immediately
- Dispatch law enforcement and, if available, coordinate a mental health co-responder or CIT officer (Correct answer)
- Refuse to send units until the subject is calm
- Advise the caller to handle the situation privately
Correct answer: Dispatch law enforcement and, if available, coordinate a mental health co-responder or CIT officer
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained officers or co-responder mental health units are preferred to de-escalate mental health crises safely.
Question 6: A caller reporting a house fire suddenly goes silent and the line remains open. What should the dispatcher do?
- Disconnect and log the call as abandoned
- Continue broadcasting the address, attempt to re-engage the caller, and advise responding units of possible victim inside (Correct answer)
- Place the call on hold and take the next incoming call
- Assume the caller left the building safely
Correct answer: Continue broadcasting the address, attempt to re-engage the caller, and advise responding units of possible victim inside
A silent open line during a fire call may indicate the caller is incapacitated; dispatchers should treat this as a potential victim-inside scenario.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes 'interrogation' in the context of emergency call handling?
- Investigating the caller's criminal background
- Systematically questioning the caller to obtain complete and accurate incident information (Correct answer)
- Transferring the call to law enforcement for questioning
- Recording the call for legal purposes
Correct answer: Systematically questioning the caller to obtain complete and accurate incident information
In dispatch terminology, 'interrogation' refers to structured questioning techniques used to extract necessary incident details from a caller quickly.
PSD Emergency Call Handling Protocols 3
A caller reports a neighbor's child has been outside alone for hours and appears distressed.
Which agency should be dispatched?