911 Operator Test Geographic Knowledge and Map Reading 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A caller reports an accident at the intersection of two streets but is unsure which street is the primary road. How should a 911 dispatcher determine the primary street?
- By the street with heavier traffic volume
- By alphabetical order of street names
- By the street number that appears first on the CAD map (Correct answer)
- By asking the caller which direction they are facing
Correct answer: By the street number that appears first on the CAD map
Dispatchers rely on the CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) system's map data to identify the primary street at any intersection.
Question 2: What does it mean when a street address is listed as '100 block of Elm Street'?
- The address is between house numbers 100 and 199 (Correct answer)
- The address is exactly at number 100
- The street has exactly 100 buildings
- The address is unverifiable in the system
Correct answer: The address is between house numbers 100 and 199
The '100 block' refers to the range of addresses from 100 to 199 on that street.
Question 3: A caller describes an emergency near a freeway on-ramp. Which piece of information is MOST critical for dispatching accurately?
- The color of nearby buildings
- The direction of travel and nearest mile marker or cross street (Correct answer)
- The speed limit on the freeway
- The number of lanes on the freeway
Correct answer: The direction of travel and nearest mile marker or cross street
Direction of travel and the nearest mile marker or cross street precisely locate the caller on a multi-lane freeway.
Question 4: In US address systems, even-numbered addresses typically appear on which side of the street?
- North or East side (Correct answer)
- South or West side
- The side closest to the highway
- It varies by city with no standard rule
Correct answer: North or East side
In most US municipalities, even numbers are assigned to the north or east side of streets and odd numbers to the south or west side.
Question 5: A caller reports being lost and describes seeing a green highway sign that reads 'Exit 47 — Springfield 2 miles.' What can the dispatcher infer?
- The caller is 47 miles from their destination
- The caller is approximately 2 miles from the Springfield exit (Correct answer)
- The caller is at mile marker 2
- The caller is on Interstate 47
Correct answer: The caller is approximately 2 miles from the Springfield exit
Exit signs indicate the name of the next exit and the distance to it, placing the caller about 2 miles before the Springfield exit.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a grid coordinate system used in dispatch mapping?
- To rank response priority of calls
- To provide a standardized alphanumeric location reference for any point on the map (Correct answer)
- To identify the nearest hospital automatically
- To calculate caller wait times
Correct answer: To provide a standardized alphanumeric location reference for any point on the map
Grid coordinates provide a quick, standardized way to pinpoint any location on a dispatch map using alphanumeric references.
Question 7: A 911 caller says they are near a 'dead end' street. What should the dispatcher immediately note about unit response?
- Units must approach from both ends
- Units may have only one entry/exit route, which could complicate response and egress (Correct answer)
- Dead-end streets are always residential and low-priority
- Units should stage at the main road and wait for confirmation
Correct answer: Units may have only one entry/exit route, which could complicate response and egress
Dead-end streets have a single access point, which can limit how units approach and exit, especially in fast-moving or dangerous situations.
