Glossary
911 Dispatcher Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential 911 dispatcher terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key 911 dispatcher vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in 911 dispatcher training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- ANI/ALI
- Automatic number and location information.
- CAD
- Computer-aided dispatch.
- Call-taker
- The person who answers calls.
- Critical incident stress debriefing
- Support after traumatic calls.
- EMD
- Emergency medical dispatch.
- Mutual aid
- Help from neighboring agencies.
- NCIC
- National Crime Information Center database.
- Next Generation 911
- Upgraded 911 systems supporting text and data.
- Pre-arrival instructions
- Guidance given until help arrives.
- Priority
- The urgency level of a call.
- PSAP
- Public safety answering point.
- Ten-codes and plain language
- Radio communication styles.
- Text-to-911
- Texting emergency services.
- Unit status
- Whether a unit is available or busy.
- Wireless Phase II
- Cell phone location data.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free 911 Dispatcher practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see 911 Dispatcher training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.