CA POST Dispatcher key terms

A planned, ordered set of questions used to pull the essential facts from a caller quickly and the same way every time: what happened, where, when, who is involved, weapons, and injuries.

Sorting a caller's problem into a standard incident type and priority code, so the call is routed to the right responders with the right urgency and the right resources attached.

Confirming the exact address of an emergency by repeating it back and asking for cross streets, unit numbers, or landmarks, because an unverified location sends every responding unit to the wrong place.

The phone number where the caller can be reached again, read back digit by digit for accuracy so a disconnected or dropped call can be reestablished without delay.

Automatic Number Identification displays the caller's phone number; Automatic Location Identification displays the address tied to that phone. Both can be wrong, outdated, or from another location, so they support but never replace asking the caller.

A call where no one speaks or the line stays connected without conversation. It is treated as a possible emergency and verified by callback or response rather than dismissed as a pocket dial.

Approved, scripted directions given to a caller before responders arrive, such as starting CPR, applying pressure to a wound, or moving people away from a hazard.

A second report of an incident already entered in the system. It is linked to the original so units are not sent twice, while any new details from the second caller are still recorded.

A text telephone used by deaf or hard-of-hearing callers, answered through a special device or relay service so the conversation is conducted in typed text rather than speech.

Plain everyday language used instead of agency codes, so every responder on the channel, including those from other agencies, understands the message on the first hearing.

A standard word list such as Alpha, Bravo, Charlie used to spell names, license plates, and tags over the radio, preventing confusion between letters that sound alike.

A defined channel, or set of channels, shared by a particular group of units. Traffic on other talkgroups cannot be heard unless the dispatcher patches them together.

The standardized condition of a field unit, such as available, en route, on scene, transporting, or out of service, which tells the dispatcher who can be assigned right now.

Deciding which units and how many to send to an incident, weighing its priority, the units' locations and skills, and how much coverage remains for the rest of the area.

A standing agreement in which one agency sends personnel or equipment to assist another that lacks the units, specialty skills, or capacity to handle an incident alone.

Repositioning available units into an area left empty after a dispatch, so calls in that area still receive a timely response until the original unit clears.

A radio announcement that the channel must be kept clear for a life-threatening message. Other units hold their transmissions until the emergency traffic has been passed and acknowledged.

The spoken distress signal used by a responder whose own life is in danger. It overrides all other radio traffic on the channel until it is acknowledged and help is committed.

The habit of keeping transmissions short, identifying the unit and the addressee, waiting for a clear channel, and never interrupting priority traffic with routine business.

A shared management structure that assigns roles such as command, operations, and staging, giving multi-agency incidents one clear chain of authority and one voice on the radio.

A ranking of incidents by threat to life and safety, which determines the order calls are dispatched and which ones may be held in a queue without response.

Maintaining a current mental picture of unit locations, open calls, officer status, and changing conditions, and recognizing quickly when that picture no longer matches reality.

A stored warning attached to a location, such as prior weapons calls, hazardous materials, or aggressive animals, which is read to responding units before they arrive.

Steps taken to protect field personnel, such as sending backup, holding the approach, or relaying a known hazard, even when a caller insists there is no time.

Holding lower-priority calls in a pending list because no unit is free, while monitoring them so they are not forgotten and do not sit unanswered too long.

An event serious enough, such as an officer-involved shooting, a mass casualty event, or a line-of-duty death, that it triggers special notification, support, and documentation procedures.

Giving full attention to a caller, hearing tone and background sounds as well as words, and confirming understanding before moving to the next question.

Guiding an upset, angry, or rambling caller with short and direct instructions, so the needed information is gathered without the caller steering the conversation.

Restating the caller's key facts or feelings in your own words, which lets the caller correct mistakes and signals that what they said was actually heard.

Using a calm, steady tone and simple, non-threatening language to lower a caller's or subject's agitation so the situation does not become more dangerous.

A question that invites a full narrative answer, such as asking the caller to describe what happened, used early to capture the whole story before narrowing with specific questions.

A brief spoken acknowledgment of what the caller is feeling, which builds trust and cooperation without promising a response time or an outcome the dispatcher cannot guarantee.

The running written record of an incident inside the computer-aided dispatch system, capturing call receipt, units assigned, status changes, updates, and final disposition as they occur.

The system-generated time recorded for each event, such as call received, dispatched, arrived, and cleared, which supports review, performance analysis, and legal accountability.

A record arranged in the order events happened, showing what occurred and when, rather than grouping information by topic or by person involved.

Factual, neutral wording that reports what was said, heard, and observed without opinion, blame, speculation, or emotional labels about the people involved.

The permanent history of who created, changed, or viewed a record and at what time, which means every entry must be accurate, complete, and entered by the person who made it.

The rules limiting who may be given names, criminal history, medical details, or other protected data, allowing release only to persons with both a legal right and an operational need to know.