911 Dispatcher Practice Test

In a situation involving a fire alarm, which action is NOT appropriate for a dispatcher?

1. Evacuating staff

2. Confirming details of the alarm

3. Taking personal control of the situation

4. Alerting the fire department

The correct answer is: Taking personal control of the situation

Taking personal control of the situation is not an appropriate action for a dispatcher during a fire alarm incident. The primary role of a dispatcher is to facilitate communication and coordination between various responding units, rather than taking direct control or intervention at the scene. Dispatchers provide critical information and ensure that the right resources are deployed, but they do not physically manage the emergency scene or make on-site decisions. In contrast, confirming details of the alarm helps ensure that the right response is initiated based on accurate information. Alerting the fire department is a fundamental responsibility, as they are the first responders to a fire incident. Evacuating staff, while typically a responsibility of on-site personnel, can be guided by the dispatcher based on the information provided about the alarm, but the dispatcher themselves does not execute the evacuation. Thus, taking personal control of the situation deviates from the dispatcher’s role and could create confusion and inefficiency during the response to the emergency.