Number:  5.0

 

Replaces:  4-24

 

Date Issued:  January 01, 1998

 

Revised:  December 14, 2005

 

Date Effective:  January 25th, 2006

 

Subject:  Emergency Medical Dispatch Policy

 

All El Paso and Teller County Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) shall process all 9-1-1 calls for medical assistance in a standardized manner, utilizing the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS) protocols.  Agencies that utilize this system shall be provided with the following equipment, training and personnel by the El Paso - Teller E9-1-1 Authority Board:

 

1.      An AMPDS card system and computer program (Pro QA) shall be provided to each PSAP for each licensed position.

 

2.      All AMPDS upgrades, as they become available, shall be provided for each licensed position.

 

3.      At a minimum, one AQUA (quality assurance software) licensed position will be provided per PSAP.

 

4.      A Medical Director who will provide medical direction to the Authority, the PSAPs compliant to the protocol and the quality assurance procedures, and to the certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs) who are compliant to the protocol.

 

5.  An Authority Board EMD Quality Assurance Specialist (EMD-Q) and a National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch (NAEMD) instructor, who will provide initial EMD training and EMD continuing education.

  

The Authority EMD-Q will serve as the liaison between the Authority Medical Director / Physician Advisor and the EMDs.

 

The Authority EMD-Q will assist with responder and public education, and other EMD related activities as deemed appropriate by the Authority and the El Paso-Teller E 9-1-1 System Manager.

 

The Emergency Dispatch Review Committee (EDRC) is comprised of PSAP EMD-Qs, the Authority EMD-Q, and EMS field personnel.  The mission of this committee is to ensure a compliant EMD process for all EMDs of both counties under the guidelines set forth by the NAEMD and AMPDS.  The committee focuses on training, case review, field feedback forms and recommendations for change within the protocol.

 

The El Paso-Teller E 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch Steering Committee is responsible for approving policies and procedures developed by the EDRC.  The committee is responsible for strategic planning and developing broader policy and position statements.  The Steering Committee is structurally the governing body of the EMD program.  The physician advisor must be a member of this committee and will provide the medical over site of the program.

 

If it is evident that a PSAP is not utilizing the AMPDS protocol to provide Emergency Medical Dispatch services or complying with the recommended QA process, the E 9-1-1 Authority will no longer be obligated to continue to provide equipment or training support to the PSAP or the EMDs employed by that agency.

In the event an individual EMD or agency reflects a pattern of non-compliance, the El Paso-Teller Authority Medical Director / Physician Advisor will have the option of not serving as the medical director or physician advisor for that individual or agency.

 

As Medical Director (local medical control) for the El Paso-Teller County Authority, Dr. Marilyn Gifford has authorized the use of the NAED EMD protocol to be used by all call takers and dispatchers in the local system.  Call takers and dispatchers under the Authority and Dr. Gifford must demonstrate a level of competency based on the required EMD certification.

Re-certification Requirements

  • Academy Certification is valid for two years unless revoked, suspended or expired.  An EMDs continued affiliation with the Academy relies upon their support of the Code of Ethics and upon their participation in the Continuing Dispatch Education Program (CDE).
  • It is the responsibility of the employee to report a lapse in certification or expiration to his or her immediate supervisor or training coordinator. 
  • It is the responsibility of the supervisor or training coordinator to contact the Dispatch Protocol Coordinator with El Paso-Teller County E9-1-1 of the expiration a soon as he or she is notified of the employees certification expiration.
  • EMD re-certification applications will be accepted as early as 60 days before expiration. While working in the El Paso-Teller County E9-1-1 system and under the Medical Direction of Dr. Marilyn Gifford all NAED certifications expire on the date it expires. (One day expired is the same as one- year expired.)  A call taker/dispatcher may not answer 9-1-1 or emergency phone calls as an EMD, EFD, or EPD during any time their certification has been expired while working under the direction of the E9-1-1 Authority. 
  • Submit verification of 24 hours of CDE during the 2-year re-certification period (see below). Each credit hour is based on 1 hour of participation.
  • Submit a copy of a current, valid CPR card which meets National Safety Council, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, European Resuscitation Council or equivalent standards;
  • Successfully complete the Academy's "open book" 50-question correspondence re-certification exam with a score of at least 80 percent; (retests are also available for a $25.00 fee charged to the individual’s agency.)

Once all appropriate classes, tests and fees have been processed then the EMD is able to continue processing calls for medical service within their appropriate PSAP in the El Paso-Teller County E9-1-1 Authority.

 

 

As Medical Director, I, Dr. Marilyn Gifford will at no time represent an individual who is not current with an NAED EMD certification, nor should at any time before an initial 3-day course certification class should any employee be practicing as an EMD utilizing the protocol and giving medical direction over the phone.

 

 

___________________________________                                      _________________

Approved Signature of Dr. Marilyn Gifford                                           December 14, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number:  5.1

 

Replaces:  4-25

 

Date Issued:  January 01, 1998

 

Revised:  December 14, 2005

 

Date Effective:  January 23, 2001

 

Subject:  Emergency Medical Dispatching Quality Assurance and Improvement Process

 

The E-911 Authority will provide the Advanced Quality Assurance software (AQUA) and the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) quality assurance training so that each PSAP will have a minimum of one AQUA software licensed position and 2 certified EMDs to perform in-house or agency quality assurance (QA).  These individuals will be identified as the primary Public Safety Answering Point Emergency Medical Dispatch Quality Assurance person (PSAP EMD-Q) and the alternate PSAP EMD-Q.  This EMD-Q training and certification is subject to approval by the Authority.

 

It is the responsibility of the PSAP to meet or exceed the EMD standards or policies as set forth by the E-911 Authority, the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS), and the NAED.  Seeking NAED Accreditation is recommended and supported by the E-911 Authority, but is left to the discretion of the individual PSAPs.

 

The quality assurance and improvement process within the PSAPs shall follow a standardized procedure utilizing the NAEMD EMD-Q guidelines, with the support and direction of the Authority EMD-Q.  If it is evident that a PSAP is not utilizing the AMPDS protocol to provide the recommended QA process, the      E 9-1-1 Authority will no longer be obligated to continue to provide equipment or training support to the PSAP or the EMDs employed by that agency.

 

A sampling of medical calls processed within a PSAP shall be reviewed monthly by the PSAP EMD-Qs, in accordance with NAEMD standards. The PSAP EMD-Q is responsible for ensuring direct performance feedback to the EMD.  The process in which this is done will be included in the individual PSAP’s EMD standard operating procedure (SOP) manual.

 

The PSAP EMD-Q will provide a sampling of 10 reviewed calls to the Authority EMD-Q.  Call selection is made following a process established by the Emergency Dispatch Review Committee (EDRC).  The Authority EMD-Q will review those calls and provide feedback to the PSAP EMD-Q.

 

In the event that the Authority EMD-Q and PSAP EMD-Q disagree on the proper procedure for handling a specific call, and if a resolution cannot be achieved locally, the call or incident will be forwarded to the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) or the NAED for final review.

 

The Authority EMD-Q will serve as a resource for the PSAP EMD-Q, assisting with the PSAP QA activities by consulting on QA issues and providing medical education.  The Authority EMD-Q will review the PSAP EMD-Q’s performance and offer feedback to the PSAP EMD-Q regarding his or her review of specific calls.  The Authority EMD-Q will not audit cases that have not been previously scored by the PSAP EMD-Q.  The Authority EMD-Q will also provide medical education to the individual EMD or PSAP supervisors when the need for such education is indicated during call review or upon request.

 

Policies involving individual non-compliance and remediation are issues that should be outlined in the EMD SOP of the individual PSAP.  Remediation plans may be developed with the assistance of the Authority EMD-Q.

 

Any occurrence of gross deviation from the protocol or patient negligence shall immediately be reported to the Authority EMD-Q or the System Manager so that the Authority members, medical director, and legal advisor can be notified.

 

The PSAP manager shall report any individual found to have a pattern of non-compliance to the protocol, whose compliance averages fall below compliance standards for more than 60 days to the Authority EMD-Q or System Manager.

 

Agencies not compliant to the QA process for longer than 60 days must notify the Authority EMD-Q or System Manager.

 

In the event the PSAP EMD-Q is found to have a pattern of non-compliance or sub-standard performance within the quality assurance process, the Authority EMD-Q will notify that PSAP EMD-Q's supervisor and the Authority’s Medical Director / Physician Advisor.