PSD Emergency Services and Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports a vehicle fire on the highway with unknown occupants. What is the FIRST resource a dispatcher should send?
- Fire department only
- Fire department and EMS simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Police only to assess the scene
- Tow truck to clear the roadway
Correct answer: Fire department and EMS simultaneously
Unknown occupants in a vehicle fire require fire suppression and potential patient care simultaneously, so both fire and EMS are dispatched immediately.
Question 2: What does the term 'staging area' mean in emergency operations?
- The command post location
- A predetermined safe area where resources wait before being assigned (Correct answer)
- The scene perimeter boundary
- The hospital receiving bay
Correct answer: A predetermined safe area where resources wait before being assigned
A staging area is a safe, organized location where emergency resources assemble and await deployment to avoid congesting the scene.
Question 3: During a hazmat incident, a dispatcher should advise citizens in the immediate area to:
- Evacuate immediately in any direction
- Shelter in place or evacuate based on the incident commander's guidance (Correct answer)
- Call back for updates every 5 minutes
- Self-decontaminate with water
Correct answer: Shelter in place or evacuate based on the incident commander's guidance
Shelter-in-place vs. evacuation decisions depend on the hazmat type and wind conditions, and should follow the incident commander's direction.
Question 4: Which radio practice helps ensure a critical message was accurately received by a field unit?
- Repeating the message twice before transmitting
- Requesting the unit to read back the message (Correct answer)
- Using the phonetic alphabet for all words
- Transmitting on a secondary channel
Correct answer: Requesting the unit to read back the message
Requesting a read-back (echo) confirms the unit received and understood critical information such as address, patient condition, or assignment.
Question 5: A dispatcher receives a call where the caller whispers 'I can't speak freely.' The dispatcher should:
- Ask the caller to call back when safe
- Ask yes/no questions to gather information covertly (Correct answer)
- Transfer immediately to law enforcement
- Disconnect and call back on a different line
Correct answer: Ask yes/no questions to gather information covertly
Yes/no questions allow a distressed caller in a dangerous situation to communicate without alerting a potential threat.
Question 6: What is the purpose of CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) systems in emergency communications?
- To replace radio communications entirely
- To automate resource tracking, call logging, and recommended deployment (Correct answer)
- To handle 911 calls without a dispatcher
- To process payroll for emergency personnel
Correct answer: To automate resource tracking, call logging, and recommended deployment
CAD systems support dispatchers by tracking units, logging incident data, and suggesting resource recommendations based on location and availability.
Question 7: When multiple agencies respond to a large incident, unified command is used to:
- Give one agency total authority over all others
- Allow multiple agencies to share command responsibilities collaboratively (Correct answer)
- Eliminate the need for an incident commander
- Restrict communications to a single frequency
Correct answer: Allow multiple agencies to share command responsibilities collaboratively
Unified command under NIMS/ICS allows multiple agencies with jurisdiction to share decision-making and coordinate operations at a single command post.
PSD Emergency Services and Operations 2
A caller reports a vehicle fire on the highway with unknown occupants.
What is the FIRST resource a dispatcher should send?