Ambulance Dispatcher

Duties and responsibilities:

A professional telecommunication, tasked with the gathering of information related to medical emergencies, the provision of assistance and instructions by voice, prior to the arrival of Emergency Medical Services, and the dispatching and support of EMS resources responding to an emergency call. The term Emergency Medical Dispatcher is also a certification level and a professional designation, certified through the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, and Power Phone, Inc. Many dispatchers, whether certified or not, will dispatch using a standard Emergency Medical Dispatch protocol.

Salary: $26,000 - $42,999

Education:

Training for EMDs is required to meet a National Standard Curriculum, as outlined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the U.S. government. This training program may be offered by private companies, by community colleges, or by some large EMS systems which are self-dispatching. The minimum length of such training is 32 classroom hours, covering such topics as EMD Roles and Responsibilities, Legal and Liability Issues in EMD, National and State Standards for EMD, Resource Allocation, Layout and Structure of EMD Guidecards, Obtaining Information from Callers, Anatomy and Physiology, Chief Complaint Types, Quality Assurance & Recertification and Stress Management Certification in CPR is not mandatory, but upon completion of the training, students are required to sit a certification examination. Upon completion of the training and certification, Emergency Medical Dispatchers are required to complete 24 hours of Continuing Dispatch Education every two years, in order to maintain certification. This level of training and certification only satisfies the national curriculum, and in most cases, additional training will be required.

Reflection: Do you think you would like to be one? Why? Why not?

Yes, I would like to be one because you get to save people’s lives.