Vehicle Readiness: Inspection, Cleaning, Staffing, and Stocking Practice Questions

25 multiple-choice questions on Vehicle readiness: inspection, cleaning, staffing, and stocking for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 47 (Transport Operations). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

25 practice questions

1. The main purpose of a start-of-shift ambulance inspection is to:

   1. A. Find problems before a call depends on the unit
   2. B. Record mileage and fuel for the fleet office
   3. C. Shift responsibility for the unit to the new crew
   4. D. Satisfy the state's annual licensing inspection
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Find problems before a call depends on the unit

   A daily check of the vehicle and equipment catches failures (a dead monitor battery, low oxygen, a bad tire) before a patient depends on them. It is a readiness tool; mileage records, the handover of responsibility, and annual state inspections are separate matters and do not replace finding problems before a call.

2. During your morning check, the engine is cold and off. Which items are best checked at this stage?

   1. A. Siren tones, warning lights, and air conditioning
   2. B. Brake response at highway speed and steering alignment
   3. C. Fluid levels, tires, belts, and body damage
   4. D. Heater output and patient compartment temperature
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Fluid levels, tires, belts, and body damage

   Fluids are read accurately with the engine off and cold, and tires, belts, and body damage are inspected on a walk-around. Lights, siren, climate systems, and brakes need the engine running or the vehicle moving.

3. You start the ambulance during your inspection. With the engine running, you should next check:

   1. A. Coolant and oil levels by removing the caps while it runs
   2. B. Tire tread depth by crawling under the unit
   3. C. The radiator cap while the engine warms up
   4. D. Gauges, warning lights, siren, and climate
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Gauges, warning lights, siren, and climate

   Running checks include dashboard gauges, every warning light, the siren, heating and air conditioning, and the horn. Opening the radiator or reaching near moving belts on a hot running engine causes burns and injuries.

4. During inspection, you find that one rear warning light is out. The best action is to:

   1. A. Report it and fix it before the unit runs calls
   2. B. Ignore it, because the other lights are working
   3. C. Run calls but avoid using lights and siren
   4. D. Tape a flashlight over the light to replace it
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Report it and fix it before the unit runs calls

   Warning devices are part of the vehicle's legal emergency equipment and protect the crew at scenes. A defect should be reported and repaired, or the unit placed out of service, according to policy.

5. Your inspection shows front tire tread worn to the wear bars. The safest decision is to:

   1. A. Drive it but keep speeds under the posted limit
   2. B. Take the unit out of service until fixed
   3. C. Use it for nonemergency transfers until fixed
   4. D. Note it for the next scheduled service
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Take the unit out of service until fixed

   Worn tires sharply increase stopping distance and hydroplaning risk, so the unit should not run until repaired. Limiting speed or call type does not remove the hazard in rain or a sudden stop.

6. Besides cleaning after each call, the patient compartment needs a scheduled deep cleaning that reaches:

   1. A. The cot and the floor area
   2. B. The cab windows and the mirrors
   3. C. The exterior and the wheel wells
   4. D. Cabinets, ceilings, and stored gear
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Cabinets, ceilings, and stored gear

   After-call cleaning targets high-touch surfaces such as the cot, rails, and cuff; a periodic deep clean on an agency schedule reaches cabinets, walls, ceilings, and stored equipment where contamination builds up. The cot and floor are already cleaned after every call.

7. Back at the station, you need to clean a blood-soaked backboard. The right place to do it is:

   1. A. The kitchen sink, which has hot water
   2. B. The crew bathroom shower stall
   3. C. A designated decon area with a drain
   4. D. Outside on the lawn with a garden hose
   Show answer

   Answer: C. A designated decon area with a drain

   OSHA's bloodborne pathogens rules bar cleaning contaminated equipment where food is prepared or eaten, so it is done in a designated decontamination area while wearing PPE. Hot water in a kitchen sink is tempting but spreads blood to food surfaces.

8. Midway through a shift, you and your partner both develop headaches while working in the patient compartment, and the unit's carbon monoxide detector alarms. You should:

   1. A. Open a window and keep running calls in it
   2. B. Silence the detector, since alarms are often false
   3. C. Take the unit out of service and have it inspected
   4. D. Finish the shift and report it at the next inspection
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Take the unit out of service and have it inspected

   An ambulance with an exhaust leak can pour carbon monoxide into the patient compartment, poisoning crew and patients. Symptoms plus an alarm mean the vehicle is unsafe: get out, ventilate, get checked for CO exposure, and keep the unit out of service until the leak is repaired. Opening a window does not make it safe.

9. During your morning check, the glucometer's quality control test with control solution reads outside the range printed on the vial. You should:

   1. A. Use it if it is just a few points out of range
   2. B. Use it after noting the failed test in the log
   3. C. Run the patient test twice and average it
   4. D. Remove the meter from use until it passes
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Remove the meter from use until it passes

   A failed control test means the meter or strips may give false readings, which can lead to missed hypoglycemia or wrong treatment. Check the strip and solution expiration dates, repeat the test, and take the meter out of service if it still fails. A result outside the printed range is a failure even if it is close, and logging the failure does not make the readings trustworthy. Averaging two readings from a faulty meter does not correct the error.

10. Your station mixes a household bleach solution to clean up a large blood spill on the ambulance floor. The solution should be:

    1. A. Mixed fresh daily at about a 1:10 dilution
    2. B. Mixed weekly and stored in a clear bottle
    3. C. Used at full strength and rinsed off at once
    4. D. Mixed with ammonia to make it work faster
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Mixed fresh daily at about a 1:10 dilution

    Diluted bleach loses strength over time, so it is mixed fresh each day; about 1:10 is used for large blood spills after the bulk is cleaned up. Mixing bleach with ammonia releases toxic chloramine gas, and full-strength bleach rinsed off at once misses the needed contact time.

11. While cleaning the ambulance after a call, you find a used needle on the floor. You should:

    1. A. Recap it by hand and then discard it
    2. B. Lift it with a tool into a sharps box
    3. C. Wrap it in gauze and put it in the regular trash
    4. D. Leave it for the station cleaning staff
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Lift it with a tool into a sharps box

    Use forceps or another tool to lift the sharp and drop it directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container. Recapping by hand or putting sharps in regular trash causes needlestick injuries.

12. During restocking, you find the airway bag is missing its pediatric bag-valve mask. You should:

    1. A. Wait until the monthly supply order arrives
    2. B. Replace it now and note it on the checklist
    3. C. Borrow one from the next unit's airway bag
    4. D. Leave it, since most patients are adults
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Replace it now and note it on the checklist

    Missing airway equipment is replaced before the next call and the gap recorded so trends can be tracked. Borrowing from another unit just moves the shortage, and a child in respiratory failure can be your next patient.

13. Under Medicare ambulance rules, a BLS ambulance transporting a patient must be staffed by at least:

    1. A. One EMT who drives and gives care
    2. B. Three crew members, one a paramedic
    3. C. Two crew members, at least one an EMT
    4. D. Two crew members who are both paramedics
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Two crew members, at least one an EMT

    Federal rules (42 CFR 410.41) require a BLS ambulance to carry at least two people who meet state and local requirements, at least one of whom is certified at least as an EMT; states decide the level of the second person, often an EMR or EMT who drives. Two people let one drive while the other cares for the patient. A single EMT cannot drive and give care at the same time. A paramedic is needed for ALS-level service, not every BLS transport, and neither a third crew member nor two paramedics is the minimum.

14. Your patient needs CPR and ventilations during transport, and only you and your partner are on the unit. The best option is to:

    1. A. Ask the fire crew for a driver or an extra rider
    2. B. Have your partner drive and do both tasks yourself
    3. C. Do CPR on scene and skip transport entirely
    4. D. Let a family member drive the ambulance
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Ask the fire crew for a driver or an extra rider

    Two-person care in the back needs a third person to drive; first responders often ride in or drive. One provider cannot do quality compressions and ventilations alone, and an untrained family member must never drive the unit.

15. The best way to make sure an ambulance is fully stocked after a call is to:

    1. A. Rely on memory of what was used on the call
    2. B. Order supplies when the crew notices a shortage
    3. C. Check stock at the start of each month
    4. D. Use a standard checklist for each compartment
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Use a standard checklist for each compartment

    A written checklist ensures every compartment returns to the same standard regardless of who restocks. Memory and waiting until something runs out lead to missing items on the next critical call.

16. The seal on your ALS drug box, which holds no controlled substances, is found broken at the start of your shift. You should:

    1. A. Inventory it, restock it, and log a new seal
    2. B. Assume it is complete and use the seal again
    3. C. Note it and use the box for the shift
    4. D. Reseal it with tape and count it at shift end
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Inventory it, restock it, and log a new seal

    A broken seal means drugs may have been used or tampered with, so the box is checked against its inventory list, missing or expired items are replaced, and a new numbered seal is applied and logged per policy. Reusing the old seal assumes nothing is missing, and noting the break while using the box anyway, or taping it shut to count later, leaves the crew working from a box whose contents are unknown. A broken seal on a controlled-substance box is handled differently: report it to a supervisor at once and document it under DEA and agency rules.

17. During your inspection, you check tire pressure right after returning from a long, hot highway transport. The reading will likely be:

    1. A. Lower than the true cold pressure
    2. B. Higher than the true cold pressure
    3. C. Accurate, since heat has no effect
    4. D. Too low to read until the tires cool
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Higher than the true cold pressure

    Tires heat up while driving and the air inside expands, so a reading taken right after a long run is higher than the cold pressure that the placard value is based on. Check pressure when the tires are cold, before driving or after they have sat for a few hours, and never let air out of hot tires to match the placard, because they will be underinflated once they cool. Heat raises the reading rather than lowering it, so it is not accurate, and a gauge reads a hot tire normally; there is no need to wait to get a reading.

18. During the shift-change count, you find one fentanyl vial missing with no documented use. You should:

    1. A. Sign the count and look for the vial later
    2. B. Replace it from the station's spare stock
    3. C. Have the off-going crew sign for a waste
    4. D. Stop, notify a supervisor, and document it
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Stop, notify a supervisor, and document it

    A discrepancy in controlled substances must be reported at once and documented under DEA rules and agency policy, and the count is not signed as correct. Quietly replacing the vial or recording a false waste hides possible diversion and is itself a violation.

19. A provider who is ill with fever and vomiting asks to work the shift because staffing is short. The best response is:

    1. A. Allow work if a surgical mask is worn on calls
    2. B. Assign the provider to drive the unit
    3. C. Send the provider home and get a replacement
    4. D. Let the provider decide based on comfort
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Send the provider home and get a replacement

    An ill provider can spread infection to patients and crew and may be impaired as a driver. Masks and driving-only roles do not remove those risks, so the provider should be replaced.

20. A systems manager finds that units sit idle in the station while calls wait in another district. The best strategy is:

    1. A. Adding more units to the busiest station
    2. B. System status management by demand
    3. C. Holding units at quarters until a call comes in
    4. D. Rotating crews so each one works fewer hours
    Show answer

    Answer: B. System status management by demand

    System status management uses historical call data to position units where calls are expected, shortening response times. Simply adding units to one station or holding them at quarters does not match demand.

21. Your unit is sent to a post at a street corner between calls. This practice is called:

    1. A. Posting
    2. B. Staging
    3. C. Off-loading
    4. D. Tiered response
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Posting

    Posting units at strategic locations based on predicted demand is part of system status management. Staging is holding units near an incident until assigned, and tiered response matches resource level to call type.

22. Your crew wants to skip the vehicle inspection because a call came in at shift change. The best approach is to:

    1. A. Delay the call until the check is finished
    2. B. Skip the check for the rest of the shift
    3. C. Have the prior crew complete the check
    4. D. Take the call and complete the check after
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Take the call and complete the check after

    An emergency call takes priority; the crew responds and completes the inspection as soon as it returns. Skipping the check entirely or shifting it to the off-going crew leaves equipment faults undetected.

23. A suction unit fails to reach a strong vacuum during your morning check. You should:

    1. A. Use a bulb syringe if the unit fails
    2. B. Note it on the checklist and keep the unit in service
    3. C. Repair or replace it before the next call
    4. D. Assume it will improve once it warms up
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Repair or replace it before the next call

    Suction is an airway essential; a failed unit must be fixed or replaced before the ambulance runs calls. A bulb syringe is not adequate for adult airway clearance.

24. While transporting a patient with suspected measles, the ambulance ventilation should be set to:

    1. A. Recirculate cabin air with the windows shut
    2. B. Turn off the fans to keep particles still
    3. C. Blow air from the patient area forward into the cab
    4. D. Bring in outside air with the exhaust fan on
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Bring in outside air with the exhaust fan on

    For airborne diseases, use non-recirculating ventilation with the rear exhaust fan on to maximize air exchange, keep the cab isolated if possible, mask the patient, and wear N95s. Recirculating air or pushing it into the cab spreads the virus to the crew.

25. Ambulance maintenance records are important mainly because they:

    1. A. Show the unit was kept in safe condition
    2. B. Replace the need for daily inspections by the crew
    3. C. Track fuel costs for the yearly budget
    4. D. Prove the crew drove within the speed limit
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Show the unit was kept in safe condition

    Documented preventive maintenance shows due care in vehicle safety and is reviewed after crashes and in lawsuits. Records supplement, not replace, the daily inspection. Fuel cost tracking is a budget task, and driving behavior is shown by vehicle monitoring data, not maintenance records.