APCO Police Communications Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• In the event of a foot or vehicle pursuit, the telecommunicator is usually responsible for which of the following?
• How should a dispatcher handle a silent call (no voice) from a 9-1-1 line?
• What is the primary purpose of a Mobile Data Terminal in field operations?
• What is the purpose of prowords in APCO/plain-language radio communications?
• How should large-scale incidents be managed in terms of staging areas and incident command?
• Which actions should a dispatcher take during a vehicle pursuit?
• In a conflict view of crime, which group holds power?
• Which code denotes a request by a police officer for vehicle registration information?
• What strategy is recommended when dealing with lonely or attention-seeking callers?
• Which of the following is NOT a typical disposition category?
• Encryption in radio systems serves to protect which of the following?
• Two stars represent which rank?
• Which city was the first to have a system of police Telegraph boxes that allowed officers to report specific crimes back to the station?
• During the colonial era, law enforcement in cities like Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and New York was influenced by models based on institutions from:
• APCO Guide cards include all caller questions, vital points questions, and often provide pre-arrival instructions.
• At what stage of the dispatch process would a dispatcher be monitoring on-scene communications by actively listening for transmissions that might go unnoticed?
• What topic is typically included in a shift briefing regarding equipment?
• Police dispatchers need to maintain radio contact with responders to ensure responses are all of the following except:
• What is the purpose of scene safety checks and how are they conducted by dispatchers?
• How do telecommunicators and supervisors differ in responsibilities?
• Bomb threats may be called in by a first-party for a third-party.
• What is the purpose of cross-referencing CAD data with RMS and case files?
• Which regulation governs privacy and secure handling of criminal justice information in dispatch workflows?
• Which system is used to issue emergency alerts to the public via multiple channels?
• Who pointed to the differential opportunity structures available to lower class young people in different neighborhoods, such as criminal, conflict and retreatist as explanations of crime?
• What is the correct protocol when a non-English speaking caller requests assistance?
• Two stars and a crown represent which rank?
• What information is essential to document on a domestic violence call to ensure safety?
• In a major incident, when many calls come into the PSAP about the same incident, is it correct to regard subsequent calls as redundant and disregard them?
• Regarding additional PSAP calls about the same incident, which statement is true?
• Lapse of time in call classification refers to which of the following?
• What does a call disposition describe?
• What steps should a dispatcher take to maintain personal and public safety when responding to a potential threat call?
• What data fields are typically required when logging a motor vehicle crash in CAD?
• Under a conflict theory of crime, power is concentrated among which group?
• Which statement about supervisory monitoring is accurate?
• Which description best matches the criminological idea that crime results from social environments such as neighborhood, peers, and family?
• When using interpreter services, why is confirming key facts with the caller important?
• Why is plain language mandated for radio transmissions?
• Which statement describes multisite trunked radio systems?
• Telecommunicator should handle all reports of missing persons equally, not thinking about circumstances such as age, mental or physical condition or the suspect's behavior.
• Hue and cry refers to what in historical law enforcement?
• What is the purpose of maintaining a running incident log during concurrent incidents?
• The statement that a chemical agent released by terrorists rapidly releases gas and heat, affecting both structures and people, is true or false?
• MDT stands for?
• Which theory posits that individuals weigh the costs and benefits before committing crime?
• What is a primary purpose of obtaining the caller's initial information during a 911 call?
• Which police organization was established to police western territories relinquished by the Hudson Bay Company?
• Which group is typically described as holding power in a conflict perspective on crime?
• Post-dispatch monitoring is primarily concerned with what aspect of dispatch operations?
• What is a key function of documenting incidents and responses?
• APCO Guide cards are typically structured to include which elements?
• Who believed that genetic inheritance and or abnormality led to a higher risk of crime?
• APCO Guide cards include which elements?
• Which city is credited with deploying the first one way radio car in 1929?
• Which type of crime has the highest incidence in Canada?
• Which statement about de-escalation during tense calls is NOT recommended?
• Which action best supports continuity during shift changes?
• When obtaining a personal description during a 911 call, which information should be gathered first about the suspect?
• Just a crown represents which rank?
• Which action should not be part of maintaining safety during a threat call?
• What is the purpose of the CAD call history and how should it be used during ongoing incidents?
• Under conflict theory of crime, power rests with which group?
• Which code denotes a request by a police officer for location information?
• How can dispatchers de-escalate tense calls through voice control and phrasing?
• What is the purpose of logging time stamps and disposition in CAD?
• What essential data elements are collected during the initial 9-1-1 call to determine incident priority and response?
• How should you handle a panicked caller who cannot provide a location?
• Which statement best describes how UCR data are used by governments?
• Aircraft emergencies can be reported by a witness on the ground.
• How should you respond to a threat that rescuers should not be sent to a location?
• How should a dispatcher document public safety communications for historical record?
• During a mutual aid activation, which elements should be tracked to avoid confusion?
• Which term describes listening for the first phrase to gauge emergency severity?
• Which insignia would indicate Chief of Police?
• What is Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and how does it help callers?
• In what year were Provincial Police Departments established to police vast rural areas of Eastern Canada?
• According to Wade & MacPherson, which of the following is not an advantage of specialized units?
• Which statement best reflects the importance of information gathering by the call taker and its transmission to responders?
• Which term best describes callers who may be lonely and seek attention, for whom telecommunicators often use listening and reassurance to confirm that help will respond if needed?
• A typical PSAP performance target for call answering is within how many seconds?
• How should a dispatcher document a call in which a weapon is present but not discharged?
• In a law enforcement PSAP, calls should be answered within which time frame?
• Data from the UCR survey provide key information for all of the following except:
• Which action should a dispatcher take to protect sensitive CJIS data when stepping away from the workstation?
• How should a dispatcher handle a 9-1-1 hang-up with no callback?
• The statement that the two most important factors in prioritizing calls are the seriousness of the incident type and their response time to the incident is
• Cloward and Ohlin are associated with which theory?
• What is the purpose of a CAD incident number and how should it be used?
• One star and a crown represent which rank?
• Define mutual aid and describe how dispatch centers activate it during a large-scale event.
• From a conflict viewpoint on crime, power is attributed to which group?
• Which principles provide the foundation of Police Service delivery in Canada?
• Police motorcycles are used for which applications?
• Which statement about CAD systems is accurate?
• What is the recommended process for callback and welfare checks when a caller cannot be reached?
• What is the recommended approach when a caller asks to remain anonymous but provides critical safety information?
• What is the importance of documentation during incident escalation?
• The first typical statement made by the caller provides insight into what aspect of the emergency?
• The English system was imposed on French areas of Lower Canada after 1859.
• In what year was the British Columbia Provincial Police absorbed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?
• In a Canadian police organization, which rank would be considered the highest among the following?
• Which data field is least likely to be required when logging a motor vehicle crash in CAD?
• How do dispatchers manage concurrent incidents to avoid resource starvation for any one call?
• How should a non-emergency information call be logged in CAD?
• The theory that crime occurs when individuals perceive it is in their interest to engage in crime and the benefits outweigh the costs is known as which theory?
• Which action is not part of switchboard or system downtime and backup communications procedure?
• How should a dispatcher handle a false alarm or non-emergency security alarm?
• CAD stands for?
• Aircraft emergencies can be called into a PSAP by which of the following?
• According to police procedure, when a member is in doubt about the acceptability of any CAD related communication or activity, what should they do?
• Public Safety agencies have what percentage chance of finding an explosive device when they are aware of terrorist activity?
• Municipal and provincial governments use UCR data to make decisions about the distribution of police resources, definitions of provincial standards and for comparisons with other departments and provinces.
• What elements should a shift briefing include to ensure continuity?
• Which theory of crime views individuals as rational actors capable of choosing to commit crime?
• Which organization absorbed the British Columbia Provincial Police?
• UCR data reflect crimes that have been reported to the police and substantiated in court.
• Which insignia shows just a crown?
• What is the first order of business for law enforcement organizations?
• How many tenets of Officer Safety are listed by Below 100?
• What early indicators should be documented in a possible domestic violence call?
• The acronym C-Y-M-B-A-L-S includes all the following except
• In dispatch operations, the call back number primarily serves to:
• After obtaining the location of the emergency, what is the next most important piece of information?
• Which rank is indicated by two stars without a crown?
• What is the general guideline for answering incoming calls in a law enforcement PSAP?
• What is the procedure for switchboard or system downtime and backup communications?
• Which term describes a communications device that provides information processing capabilities and is used in field operations?
• Which group holds power in a conflict view of crime?
• Which insignia represents Staff Superintendent?
• In the ICS scenario, what role does a canine unit serve?
• How should dispatcher handle requests for public records involving 9-1-1 calls?
• Which device is typically used by officers in the field to receive dispatch information and communicate with the center, often with limited processing?
• Which statement correctly describes arrest warrants and jurisdiction?
• When would a dispatcher issue a status downgrade or hold on a response?
• In a conflict view of crime, which group holds power?
• How should a dispatcher prioritize incidents when multiple calls come in at once?
• Being attentive to the first phrase spoken by the caller is an example of what?
• Which group is identified as holding power in a conflict view of crime?
• Which of the following best describes the telecommunicator's role during a pursuit?
• Which insignia represents Deputy Chief of Police?
• Cloward and Ohlin are associated with which criminology concept?
• What is the primary goal of Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) instructions?
• What was the first form of law enforcement communication?
• During a large incident, how does staging relieve resource management and coordination?
• What are the two primary duties of the law enforcement telecommunicator?
• What is the role of a liaison during a large incident?
• How should a dispatcher handle a non-emergency noise complaint to avoid tying up responders unnecessarily?
• A bomb threat call can be made by the bomb maker on behalf of a third party.
• In a conflict perspective on crime, who has influence over criminal justice decisions?
• Which agency regulates communications standards in the United States?
• How should a dispatcher respond to a roadway hazard report to keep traffic flowing safely?
• Why is confirming cross streets and landmarks critical in dispatching?
• IPAWS stands for which of the following?
• In a conflict view of crime, which group is described as holding power?
• Which code denotes a request that a breathalyzer operator is required?
• Which criminological theory suggests that crime is shaped by factors external to the individual, including experiences in the neighbourhood, the peer group, and the family?
• Which scenario most strongly justifies a Code 3 emergency response?
• What is the protocol for notifying officers vs supervisors about critical incidents?
• In 1929, which city deployed the first one-way radio car?
• How should a dispatcher handle data integrity and privacy when logging incidents and handling digital evidence?
• Which practice helps prevent unauthorized access to CJIS data?
• Why is accurate location verification critical when dispatching responders?
• Which term describes the practice of arranging calls in order of priority for response in a dispatch center?
• Approximately how many children are abducted worldwide each year by their parents?
• What is the standard guideline for answering incoming calls in a law enforcement PSAP?
• Which item is not listed among essential elements to document on a domestic violence call?
• Lombroso's criminological theory linked criminality to which type of factors?
• UCR data reflect reported crime that has been substantiated by the crown attorney in court.
• In the insignia system, three stars and a crown represent which rank?
• In a conflict view of crime, which group is described as holding power?
• What should be done when incident information changes significantly mid-incident?
• Why is shift-to-shift handoff important and what elements ensure a successful transition?
• How should a dispatcher handle calls requiring interpreter services using TTY or video relay?
• Which statement correctly distinguishes Code 3 emergency response from Code 1 routine response?
• This term describes calls that are dispatched by the Communication Center that received the call.
• Which of the following is not a method for call routing?
• What steps should be taken when an incident reaches an escalation threshold?
• MDC stands for?
• What is the primary function of the CAD system in an emergency dispatch center?
• The code 10-20 indicates what request?
• IPAWS stands for which of the following?
• What is the dispatcher’s role during a dynamic incident to ensure officer safety and effective coordination?
• Who must endorse an arrest warrant to allow cross-provincial or cross-Canada arrest?
• Which one of these is not one of the critical information elements weighed as part of a call taker's Duty?
• Tactical channels are often used for routine response calls where a single unit is attending a high priority call such as an armed robbery.
• Which sequence best describes the typical law enforcement response?
• What does the radio proword 'Copy' signify and when is it appropriate to use it?
• How does a CAD system sort and identify priority calls?
• What is Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), and what is its purpose in dispatcher duties?
• What system keeps track of the location of active incidents and which units have been assigned to respond?
• Which city is associated with early police telegraph boxes for reporting crimes to the station in the described material?
• The code 10-68 is used to indicate what need?
• What does NCIC stand for?
• During downtime, which action is performed first?
• Which statement best describes how incident type influences response in dispatch systems?
• An incident cannot be classified as a robbery if no weapon was used.
• IPAWS is best described as:
• Which statement best describes how UCR data are used in policing?
• Which of the following is used to designate the rank of deputy chief in Ontario?
• According to Wade & MacPherson, which of the following is not one of the advantages of using specialized units?
• What is the role and limits of supervisory monitoring of on-air communications?
• Which option best describes a location within a location in a building complex?
• How should an emergency call be logged in CAD compared to a non-emergency information call?
• What is used in Radio Systems to ensure that surveillance, special enforcement activities, or tactical operations are not compromised?
• UCR data is used by municipal and provincial governments for which purpose?
• Multisite Trunked Radio Systems offer advantages over simpler systems. Which of the following is an example of such an advantage?
• What are typical unit status codes and why is consistency important?
• A 'fail to remain' incident type refers only to a vehicle striking a pedestrian and leaving the scene of the accident without providing any assistance or identification.
• Which of the following describes a use of UCR data by municipal and provincial governments?