Chpt. 36 Radio Communications

Question 1

• ANI/ALI (Automatic Number Identification/Automatic Location Identification)

Answer 1

the phone number and address of a 9-1-1 call that are used to route the call to the appropriate answering point.

Question 2

Angle of Arrival

Answer 2

the sector of the cell tower that the signal hits, used to route a 9-1-1 call from a cell phone, could be useful when cell tower address and sector are the only address information available.

Question 3

Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)

Answer 3

computer-based system which aids PSAP Telecommunicators by automating selected dispatching and record keeping activities.

Question 4

Dead Spot

Answer 4

An area within a coverage area where service is not available.

Question 5

Interoperability

Answer 5

multiple entities being able to communicate with each other when
working a large-scale incident.

Question 6

Mobile Data Computer (MDC) (MDT, MDB, etc.)

Answer 6

in car computer, may be called mobile data terminal or mobile data base.

Question 7

Mobile Radio

Answer 7

radio permanently installed in a squad car.

Question 8

Portable Radio

Answer 8

radio that an officer carries on their person.

Question 9

PSAP

Answer 9

– Public Safety Answering Point, communications facility operated
continuously assigned the task of receiving first line 9-1-1 calls and dispatching a response.

Question 10

Skip (Interference)

Answer 10

– atmospheric and weather conditions can cause a radio
transmission to skip along the channel causing choppy radio transmissions.

Question 11

SSAP

Answer 11

Secondary PSAP, receives 9-1-1 calls transferred from a PSAP.

Question 12

Triangulation

Answer 12

comparing the angle of arrival at three cell towers to approximate
the location of the cell phone.

Question 13

Telecommunicator

Answer 13

a person acknowledged by the commission and employed by or
serving a law enforcement agency that performs law enforcement services on a 24-hour basis who receives, processes, and transmits public safety information and criminal justice data for the agency by using a base radio station on a public safety frequency regulated by the Federal Communications Commission or by another method of communication.

Question 14

Public Safety Entities:

Answer 14

Law Enforcement
* Fire Service
* Emergency Medical Service
* 9-1-1 Emergency Communications
* Emergency Management Services
* Emergency Notification System

Question 15

People descriptions:

Answer 15

Race, sex, height, weight, hair color, eye color, clothing description (head to toe/outside to inside), and any other pertinent information.

Question 16

Vehicle descriptions:

Answer 16

CYMBALS – color, year, make/model, body style, additional information, license plate, license plate state.

Question 17

Other:

Answer 17

Cadence and rhythm, regional pronunciations – listen to how others speak and
pronounce things.

Question 18

Federal Communications Commission (FCC):

Answer 18

• federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing America’s communications law and regulations.
• Unlawful to rebroadcast any portion of radio programming.
• Unlawful to use pleasantries or profanity.
• Unlawful to broadcast any false distress signals.

Question 19

General Guidelines:

Answer 19

• Avoid lengthy transmissions.
• Communicate pertinent details only.
• Do not transmit unrelated information during an emergency situation.
• Do not transmit if asked to stand by.

Question 20

What is the Alert State Network Program?

Answer 20

• The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) State Operations Center (SOC) coordinates the dissemination of qualifying missing person information with its resource partners.
• This is known as the State Network whose goal is to rapidly notify the public of specific missing person cases. Only a law enforcement agency can make a request to activate the State Network.

Question 21

What is criteria for requesting an America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response (AMBER) Alert.

Answer 21

• AMBER Alerts inform the public of serious child abductions.
  Criteria For Entry:
• Is this child 17 years of age or younger, whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose disappearance law enforcement has determined to be unwilling which poses a credible threat to the child’s safety and health; and if abducted by a parent or legal
  guardian, was the abduction in the course of an attempted murder or murder?
  -OR-
• Is this child 13 years of age or younger, who was taken (willingly or unwillingly)
  without permission from the care and custody of a parent or legal guardian by:
  o Someone unrelated and more than three years older
  or
  o Another parent or legal guardian who attempted or committed murder at the time of the abduction.
• Is this child in immediate danger of sexual assault, death, or serious bodily injury?
• Has a preliminary investigation verified the abduction and eliminated alternative explanations for the child’s disappearance?
• Is sufficient information available to disseminate to the public to help locate the child, a suspect, or the vehicle used in the abduction?

Question 22

What is a Silver Alert?

Answer 22

Silver Alerts inform the public of missing older adults with a documented mental condition.

Question 23

State the criteria for requesting a Silver Alert:

Answer 23

Criteria for Entry:

• Is the missing person 65 years of age or older?
• Does the person have a diagnosed impaired mental condition, and does the person’s disappearance pose a credible threat to the person’s health and safety? (Law enforcement shall require the family or legal guardian of the missing person to provide documentation from a medical or mental health professional of the person’s condition.)
• Is it confirmed that an investigation has taken place verifying that the person’s disappearance is due to their impaired mental condition, and alternative reasons for their disappearance have been ruled out?
• Is the Silver Alert request made within 72 hours of the person’s disappearance?
• Is there sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the missing person?

Question 24

What is a BLUE Alert?

Answer 24

Blue Alerts inform the public of suspected violent criminals who kill or seriously wound local, state, or federal law enforcement officers.

Question 25

State the criteria for requesting a Blue Alert:

Answer 25

Criteria for Entry:

• A law enforcement officer must have been killed or seriously injured by an offender.
• The investigating law enforcement agency must determine that the offender poses a serious risk or threat to the public and other law enforcement personnel.
• A detailed description of the offender’s vehicle, vehicle tag, or partial tag must be available for broadcast to the public.
• The investigating law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must recommend activation of the Blue Alert to the State Operations Center.

Question 26

What is a CAMO Alert?

Answer 26

The CAMO alert was created to help military members dealing with mental illness that go AWAL or missing.

• It is a voluntary registration process.

Question 27

State the Criteria of a CAMO Alert:

Answer 27

Criteria for Entry:

• If an active or former member of the military is struggling with mental illness and is worried they will go missing and want to have help in place, they can with a record of impairment from a physician, enter themselves to a state-wide list.

Question 28

What is an Endangered Missing Persons Alert?

Answer 28

Endangered Missing Persons Alerts inform the public of missing persons (of any age) with an intellectual disability.

Question 29

State the criteria for request an Endangered Missing Persons Alert:

Answer 29

Criteria for Entry:

• Has the missing person been diagnosed with an Intellectual Disability and/or a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, including Asperger’s Disorder, Autistic Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, or a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Not Otherwise Specified)? If the missing person has been diagnosed with an Intellectual Disability, law enforcement shall require a written diagnosis from a physician or psychologist licensed to practice within Texas or certified by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services and/or Texas
  Department of State Health Services.
• Is it confirmed that an investigation has taken place, verifying that a reasonable explanation for the missing person’s disappearance has been ruled out and that the disappearance poses a credible threat to the health and safety of the missing person?
• Is the Endangered Missing Persons Alert request being made within 72 hours of the missing person’s disappearance?
• Is there sufficient information available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the missing person?

Question 30

State the procedures for requesting an Alert:

Answer 30

• To request an Alert, a representative from the investigating law enforcement agency should visit https://www.dps.texas.gov/dem/Operations/Alerts/requestAlert.htm to fill out the appropriate form.
• Follow the step-by-step instructions.
• Email the appropriate documentation to the State Operations Center (SOC).
• There is a separate form for each of the type of Alerts that may be requested.