911 Dispatcher Mock Interview
Master 30 911 Dispatcher interview questions covering emergency protocols, stress management, and call prioritization.
Question 27 of 30
If there were a domestic dispute phone call and a potential suicide call at the same time, but only one available officer, where would you send the officer?
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Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"This is a challenging question to answer definitively, but first, I would check to see which resources were available to me, such as other first-responders such as EMS or the fire department. My initial reaction would be to respond to the domestic call, especially if the situation were violent or involving a weapon."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
The way you approach this question will depend on the level of emergency response training you have received. When working in dispatch, there are levels of emergencies. You may learn priority dispatch codes, which consist of hundreds of categories and sub-categories ranging from non-emergency to health conditions, to violent crimes, and more. Every call is different, with each day bringing a range of decisions that need to be made, often in the blink of an eye.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"My response will change depending on the smaller details of each situation. For instance, if the domestic involves a weapon, or if the suicidal person has already taken self-harm action. As a 911 Dispatcher, I have yet to come across a situation where only one officer is available; however, I can see how this would happen in a smaller town or rural area. One decision would be to dispatch the officer to the domestic while dispatching the fire department or ambulance to the potential suicide where the responders are cross-trained to handle situations such as self-harm."
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