Radio Procedure and Reports Practice Questions

42 multiple-choice questions on Radio procedure and reports for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 5 (Communications). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

42 practice questions

1. Before speaking, the paramedic should press the transmit key and:

   1. A. Lower your voice to reduce distortion
   2. B. Wait about one second before speaking
   3. C. Begin speaking at once to save air time
   4. D. Say 'test' to confirm the channel works
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Wait about one second before speaking

   Waiting keeps the first words from being cut off. Releasing the key too early clips the end the same way.

2. The correct way to speak on the radio is:

   1. A. Softly, to avoid distorting the signal
   2. B. Loudly, with lips on the microphone
   3. C. Quickly, to keep air time short
   4. D. Clearly and at a moderate pace
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Clearly and at a moderate pace

   Hold the microphone a few inches from your mouth. Shouting distorts; rushing garbles.

3. Radio transmissions should:

   1. A. Avoid patient names and identifying details
   2. B. Include the date of birth to confirm identity
   3. C. Include the patient's full name for tracking
   4. D. Include the patient's address for records
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Avoid patient names and identifying details

   Transmissions are not private. Anyone with a scanner may be listening.

4. Profanity on the radio:

   1. A. Is prohibited and can bring FCC penalties
   2. B. Is not enforced by regulators in practice
   3. C. Is tolerated under high-stress conditions
   4. D. Is allowed on private agency channels
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Is prohibited and can bring FCC penalties

   It can also lead to discipline. Assume every transmission is recorded.

5. Plain English is preferred over codes because it:

   1. A. Is mandated by the FCC for all traffic
   2. B. Is faster than any ten-code system
   3. C. Reduces confusion between agencies
   4. D. Sounds more professional to the public
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Reduces confusion between agencies

   Agencies use different code sets. The National Incident Management System encourages plain language.

6. An order received from medical control should be:

   1. A. Acknowledged with "copy" and carried out
   2. B. Written down and performed without comment
   3. C. Confirmed with your partner, then performed
   4. D. Repeated back word for word before acting
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Repeated back word for word before acting

   Echo procedure is the main defense against misheard orders.

7. If an order from medical control is unclear or seems inappropriate, the paramedic should:

   1. A. Let the partner decide whether to perform it
   2. B. Perform it as heard, since the physician is responsible
   3. C. Ask the physician to clarify and state the concern
   4. D. Decline it silently and follow protocol instead
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Ask the physician to clarify and state the concern

   A brief clarification prevents most errors.

8. A standard radio report to the receiving hospital generally includes:

   1. A. Unit, age, sex, complaint, findings, care, and ETA
   2. B. Unit identification and ETA, with no other details
   3. C. Every assessment detail in the order it was found
   4. D. Patient name, insurance, complaint, and ETA
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Unit, age, sex, complaint, findings, care, and ETA

   Include unit ID and level of service, age and sex, chief complaint, brief history, pertinent findings and vitals, treatment and response, and ETA. Keep it under about 30 seconds when possible.

9. The purpose of the radio report is to:

   1. A. Allow the hospital to notify the family
   2. B. Serve as the official legal record of care given
   3. C. Replace the written patient care report
   4. D. Let the hospital prepare the right resources
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Let the hospital prepare the right resources

   The facility can ready the right room, staff, and resources. The written report and bedside hand-off carry the detail.

10. A useful practice at the end of a radio report is to:

    1. A. Sign off at once to keep the hospital channel clear
    2. B. Ask if the facility has questions or orders
    3. C. Give your full name and certification
    4. D. Repeat the entire report for accuracy
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Ask if the facility has questions or orders

    It confirms the message was received and understood.

11. The word "break" during a long transmission is used to:

    1. A. Signal a switch to another radio channel
    2. B. Request that the receiver repeat the message
    3. C. Pause so others can break in with urgent traffic
    4. D. End the conversation and clear the channel
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Pause so others can break in with urgent traffic

    It also lets the receiver acknowledge in segments.

12. Emergency traffic or a mayday call should be used when:

    1. A. Radio traffic is heavy and you cannot get through
    2. B. Your unit will be significantly delayed in arriving
    3. C. A patient is critical and needs early hospital notice
    4. D. A responder is in distress or life is at immediate risk
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A responder is in distress or life is at immediate risk

    The channel must be cleared. Dispatch clears the channel and prioritizes the emergency.

13. Before transmitting, the operator should:

    1. A. Listen to make sure the channel is clear
    2. B. Announce their name and certification level
    3. C. Key up immediately to claim the channel
    4. D. Wait a full 30 seconds after the last message
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Listen to make sure the channel is clear

    Stepping on another transmission blocks both.

14. Identifying the unit at the start of a transmission:

    1. A. Wastes air time and should be skipped when busy
    2. B. Is optional once dispatch knows the crew
    3. C. Is required so the receiver knows who is calling
    4. D. Is needed only when calling dispatch, not hospitals
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Is required so the receiver knows who is calling

    Use the unit designator, not names.

15. A standard radio transmission begins with:

    1. A. Your name, then your certification level
    2. B. A ten-code stating the reason for the call
    3. C. Your message, followed by your unit number
    4. D. The unit being called, then your unit identifier
    Show answer

    Answer: D. The unit being called, then your unit identifier

    For example: "Dispatch, Medic 7."

16. Radio transmissions should be:

    1. A. Casual and conversational in tone
    2. B. Brief, clear, and to the point
    3. C. Coded to keep information private
    4. D. Long and detailed to avoid repeats
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Brief, clear, and to the point

    Air time is shared.

17. Phonetic alphabet is used to:

    1. A. Shorten long or complex transmissions
    2. B. Make the operator sound professional
    3. C. Encode messages from scanner listeners
    4. D. Clarify letters that sound alike
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Clarify letters that sound alike

    Bravo versus Delta.

18. Numbers over the radio should be:

    1. A. Avoided and given by phone or text instead
    2. B. Rounded to the nearest ten for brevity
    3. C. Abbreviated whenever possible to save valuable air time
    4. D. Spoken digit by digit when confusion is possible
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Spoken digit by digit when confusion is possible

    One-five rather than fifteen.

19. Emotional or dramatic language on the radio:

    1. A. Is encouraged when reporting critical patients
    2. B. Conveys urgency and speeds the response
    3. C. Helps the hospital gauge how sick the patient is
    4. D. Should be avoided for calm, factual statements
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Should be avoided for calm, factual statements

    Calm transmissions are understood better.

20. Affirmative and negative are used instead of yes and no because:

    1. A. They are shorter to say than yes and no
    2. B. They sound more official on the air
    3. C. FCC rules require them on all channels
    4. D. They are less easily lost in static
    Show answer

    Answer: D. They are less easily lost in static

    Single syllables get clipped.

21. The receiving ED asks you to give the patient's name over the radio so they can pull old records. What is the best response?

    1. A. Give the full name, since the hospital asked for it
    2. B. Spell the last name phonetically to keep it unclear
    3. C. Give the name along with the date of birth
    4. D. Give age and sex, and provide the name by phone or at hand-off
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Give age and sex, and provide the name by phone or at hand-off

    Radio traffic can be heard by anyone with a scanner, so identifiers stay off the air. Use age and sex on the radio, and give the name by a more secure route such as a recorded phone line, the ePCR, or at the bedside. A request from the hospital does not make the channel private. Spelling the name phonetically still discloses it.

22. A radio report should follow:

    1. A. The sequence in which the patient told the story
    2. B. Whatever order the paramedic finds natural
    3. C. A consistent format the receiver can anticipate
    4. D. The order of sections in the written chart
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A consistent format the receiver can anticipate

    Consistency aids comprehension.

23. The first element of a radio report is usually:

    1. A. Unit identification and level of care
    2. B. The most recent set of vital signs
    3. C. The estimated time of arrival at the hospital
    4. D. The chief complaint and its onset
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Unit identification and level of care

    The receiver needs to know who is coming.

24. The radio report should include the patient's:

    1. A. Insurance provider
    2. B. Home address
    3. C. Full name and age
    4. D. Age and sex
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Age and sex

    Demographics without identifiers.

25. Pertinent history in a radio report means:

    1. A. The complete past medical and surgical history
    2. B. History relevant to the current complaint
    3. C. Only the patient's current medication list
    4. D. Only conditions the patient was hospitalized for
    Show answer

    Answer: B. History relevant to the current complaint

    Select what matters.

26. Treatment given should be reported with:

    1. A. Only the time each treatment was given
    2. B. The drug name, without dose or route
    3. C. The intervention and the response
    4. D. Only the dose of each medication given
    Show answer

    Answer: C. The intervention and the response

    Report the patient's response to each intervention. Response guides the hospital's next step.

27. A trauma radio report should emphasize:

    1. A. Vital signs alone, repeated every 5 minutes
    2. B. The full medical history and medication list
    3. C. Mechanism, injuries, vital signs, and interventions
    4. D. The mechanism of injury and scene description
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Mechanism, injuries, vital signs, and interventions

    The trauma team prepares based on it.

28. A medical radio report should emphasize:

    1. A. Complaint, history, findings, and response
    2. B. The chief complaint without other details
    3. C. Mechanism of injury and scene description
    4. D. Vital signs alone, repeated every 5 minutes
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Complaint, history, findings, and response

    Include the chief complaint, history, findings, and treatment response. History carries more weight in medical patients.

29. For a stroke patient, the radio report must include:

    1. A. Complete past history and medication allergies
    2. B. Time last known well and stroke scale findings
    3. C. Only the ETA so the stroke team can assemble
    4. D. Vital signs and blood pressure trends only
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Time last known well and stroke scale findings

    Time determines treatment eligibility.

30. For a STEMI patient, the radio report should include:

    1. A. A description of the chest pain only
    2. B. Only the current medication list
    3. C. The ETA without clinical details
    4. D. ECG findings and time of onset
    Show answer

    Answer: D. ECG findings and time of onset

    The cath lab activates on it.

31. Ending a radio report with ETA and a request for orders or questions:

    1. A. Closes the loop and lets the hospital prepare
    2. B. Wastes air time on a busy hospital channel
    3. C. Is unnecessary if the ETA was given earlier
    4. D. Is prohibited without a physician on the line
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Closes the loop and lets the hospital prepare

    Confirm receipt.

32. Medical control orders, "Fentanyl 50 micrograms IV." Which reply is best?

    1. A. "Confirming fentanyl 5-0 micrograms IV."
    2. B. "Copy that, Medic 4 will give it."
    3. C. "10-4, will do, we're on it now."
    4. D. "Fentanyl for the patient, got it."
    Show answer

    Answer: A. "Confirming fentanyl 5-0 micrograms IV."

    Repeating the drug, dose, and route back (the echo) lets the physician catch a misheard order before it is given. Saying digits separately keeps 50 from being heard as 15. 'Copy,' '10-4,' and 'got it' acknowledge the message without proving it was heard correctly, and 10-codes are discouraged in favor of plain language.

33. An order that conflicts with protocol:

    1. A. Be clarified with the physician and noted
    2. B. Be ignored in favor of the written protocol
    3. C. Be deferred to a field supervisor to decide
    4. D. Be followed, since orders override protocols
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Be clarified with the physician and noted

    Document the conflict. Physicians can override protocols, but clarify.

34. If radio contact fails during a report:

    1. A. Divert to the nearest hospital instead of the planned one
    2. B. Stop treatment until contact is restored
    3. C. Continue under standing orders and try other links
    4. D. Pull over and wait for the signal to return
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Continue under standing orders and try other links

    Attempt alternate communication. Patient care does not stop. Losing radio contact is not by itself a reason to change the destination.

35. Clearing a channel for emergency traffic:

    1. A. Applies only to fire ground operations
    2. B. Stops all nonemergency traffic until resolved
    3. C. Is optional for units already on a call
    4. D. Applies only to law enforcement traffic
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Stops all nonemergency traffic until resolved

    Dispatch controls it.

36. Dispatch should be notified when the unit:

    1. A. Changes status at each phase of the call
    2. B. Clears the hospital, and at no other point
    3. C. Departs the station, and at no other point
    4. D. Arrives on scene, and at no other point
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Changes status at each phase of the call

    En route, on scene, departing scene, at destination, and back in service are each time-stamped.

37. A unit that is out of service for mechanical problems should:

    1. A. Handle it quietly unless a call comes in
    2. B. Finish the shift and report it afterward
    3. C. Notify dispatch immediately so coverage adjusts
    4. D. Notify the supervisor at the end of the call
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Notify dispatch immediately so coverage adjusts

    System coverage depends on accurate status.

38. Radio etiquette includes:

    1. A. Long, complete reports to avoid repeats
    2. B. Casual banter to keep the channel relaxed and friendly
    3. C. Professional, brief, and waiting for a pause
    4. D. Ten-codes only, to keep messages short
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Professional, brief, and waiting for a pause

    Use professional language and brevity, and wait for a pause before transmitting. Assume the public is listening.

39. Which is an appropriate radio transmission?

    1. A. Dispatch, Medic 4 on scene, one patient, request police
    2. B. Dispatch, Medic 4 is 10-23 with one, send PD
    3. C. Dispatch, Medic 4 here, we're on scene with somebody
    4. D. Dispatch, Medic 4 on scene with John Smith, need police
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Dispatch, Medic 4 on scene, one patient, request police

    Factual and specific: unit, status, patient count, and the resource needed. Ten-codes vary between agencies, a vague 'somebody' gives no patient count or request, and a patient's name should not go over the air.

40. Documenting radio communications:

    1. A. Should note times and content of orders
    2. B. Is unnecessary because calls are recorded
    3. C. Is optional unless the patient complains
    4. D. Is the dispatcher's job, not the crew's
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Should note times and content of orders

    Record times of key transmissions and the content of orders. Recordings may be reviewed.

41. Giving a radio report while driving:

    1. A. Is required so the attendant can focus on care
    2. B. Is efficient and saves time at the hospital
    3. C. Is unsafe and should be left to the attendant
    4. D. Is standard practice when the attendant is busy
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Is unsafe and should be left to the attendant

    Give it from the patient compartment or when stopped. Distracted driving kills.

42. Which radio report best helps the hospital prepare for your patient?

    1. A. "Medic 4, en route with a possible stroke, ETA 10 minutes, see you there."
    2. B. "Medic 4, 70-year-old male, sudden left-sided weakness, last known well 0815, BP 182/96, ETA 10."
    3. C. "Medic 4, patient John Smith, date of birth 4/2/55, stroke, ETA 10 minutes."
    4. D. "Medic 4, male patient, history of diabetes, high blood pressure, gout, and arthritis."
    Show answer

    Answer: B. "Medic 4, 70-year-old male, sudden left-sided weakness, last known well 0815, BP 182/96, ETA 10."

    The radio report is meant to let the hospital ready the right team. For a stroke, that means age, the deficit, last known well time, key vitals, and ETA, so the stroke team can be activated. 'Possible stroke, ETA 10' leaves out the time that decides treatment. The patient's name and DOB don't belong on the radio. A history list with no complaint or ETA gives them nothing to act on.