CA POST Dispatcher flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Callback number

A telephone number where the caller can be reached after the call ends, recorded on every incident so responders or investigators can recontact the reporting party later.

Open-ended question

A question inviting a narrative answer rather than yes or no, used early in a call so the caller describes the event in their own words before details are narrowed.

Closed-ended question

A question answerable with a single word or short phrase, used after the narrative to confirm specific facts such as direction of travel or number of subjects.

Suspect description sequence

Number of suspects, race, sex, age, height, weight, hair, clothing, weapon, direction of travel, then vehicle and plate; the order keeps a description usable when time is short.

Weapon information

Type of weapon, who possesses it, where it is, and whether it has been used; reported weapons are treated as real until field units confirm otherwise.

Phase II wireless location

GPS-derived latitude and longitude delivered with a wireless 911 call, typically accurate to a few hundred feet, used to locate a caller who cannot give an address.

TTY/TDD call

A call placed from a text telephone used by deaf or hard-of-hearing callers; the dispatcher presses the space bar to interrupt and replies in short typed phrases.

Clear text

Plain-language radio communication required under NIMS that replaces codes and signals so personnel from different agencies can understand each other during multi-agency incidents.

Broadcast order

Unit identifier, location, nature of the incident, pertinent details, and time; delivering elements in this order lets responding units act before the transmission is finished.

Emergency traffic

A radio priority signaling an urgent transmission such as an officer needing help; all other units stop transmitting and the dispatcher clears the channel for that unit.

Unit status

A field unit's readiness state, such as en route, on scene, available, or out of service; each change is time-stamped in CAD to track resource availability.

Closest appropriate unit

The nearest resource that is also trained and equipped for the call type; proximity alone does not override the need for the correct resource.

Talkgroup

A defined channel or user group on a trunked radio system; dispatchers assign units to one so incident traffic is separated from routine traffic on other channels.

Life-safety priority

The highest call priority, assigned to violent crime in progress, a person armed with a weapon, a life-threatening medical emergency, or an officer needing help.

Crime in progress

An incident occurring at the moment of the call; it is treated as high priority because the suspect may still be on scene and apprehension is time sensitive.

Cold report

A report of an incident that happened well before the call with no suspect on scene; it generally receives a lower priority than an in-progress event.

Safety check

A dispatcher-initiated radio contact to confirm a field unit's welfare when the unit misses a status check, an incident escalates, or contact is lost.

BOLO broadcast

A be-on-the-lookout message describing a wanted person or vehicle, including what the subject is wanted for, description, direction of travel, and whether armed.

Dispatch first, gather later

The principle that time-critical calls are dispatched on initial information while the call taker keeps gathering details, instead of holding the call until it is complete.

Escalation indicators

Factors such as weapons access, threats to kill, prior violence, stalking, or the presence of children that suggest a call may be more dangerous than first reported.

Active listening

A technique of fully attending to the speaker and then paraphrasing or summarizing what was said, confirming understanding and demonstrating that the caller is heard.

Closed-loop communication

Confirming a critical detail by having the receiver repeat it back to the sender, as with an address or plate, so errors are caught before units arrive.

Plain language

Everyday words used instead of jargon or codes when speaking with the public, so that instructions are understood by a person under extreme stress.

Phonetic alphabet

A spelling system using standard word codes such as Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie to transmit names, plates, and addresses accurately over noisy telephone and radio circuits.

Acknowledging emotion

Naming the caller's feeling, as in 'I can hear that you're frightened,' which lowers arousal and allows the call taker to move on to information gathering.

Voice control

Speaking slowly, at a lower pitch, and in short sentences to project calm; rapid, high-pitched speech raises a caller's anxiety and reduces comprehension.

24-hour time

A clock format running from 0000 to 2359, used in CAD entries and reports to remove any ambiguity between morning and evening times in an incident timeline.

Objective language

Report wording that records observable facts and direct quotations rather than conclusions or opinions, so the narrative can withstand scrutiny in court.

Verbatim quote

A statement reproduced word for word inside quotation marks, used for admissions, threats, and spontaneous remarks made by a caller, victim, or suspect.

Chronological narrative

A report organized in time order from the first event to the last, with each action and its time stated so a reader can follow the sequence of the incident.

CAD narrative

The running record of an incident in the computer-aided dispatch system, including times, unit status changes, and dispatcher entries; it is a discoverable public record.

Strike-through correction

Correcting a handwritten error by drawing a single line through it, leaving the original legible, then initialing and dating rather than erasing or obliterating the entry.