Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Study Guide –
2025 Updated | Roles, Procedures, Medical
Protocols & Stress Management
Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) ✔✔combination of telecommunications skills and
medical knowledge
Determine Nature of Call ✔✔without diagnosing the medical problem or condition
Successful E.M.D ✔✔should be clear, concise and use accurate speech
Law Enforcement ✔✔Police officers are also part of many E.M.S systems
Hospital/Emergency Care Facilities ✔✔Hospital emergency departments and other
emergency care facilities also are included in most E.M.S systems
Tiers of E.M.S System Structure ✔✔- First Responders provide immediate response to
events that are determined to be highly urgent
• Advanced Life Support (ALS)
• Many E.M.S systems have air-ambulance support available if needed
Myths/Facts of E.M.D ✔✔MYTH: All E.M.S calls must be answered with lights and siren
, MYTH: Using the E.M.D Guidecards increases the amount of time and resources required
to process a call
(FACT: Sometimes response time even decreases)
FACT: C.P.R instructor certification is not as vital as being able to tell a caller how to do it via
telephone instructions using the approved E.M.D Guidecards
Liability ✔✔you are ultimately responsible for your actions
Negligence ✔✔Intent to harm is not required to prove this
Proximate Cause/Causation ✔✔Plaintiff has to show a direct relationship between the
action or inaction of the E.M.D and the injury and claimed damages to the patient
Good Samaritan Laws ✔✔These laws do not apply to you while on the job
Patient Confidentiality ✔✔Medical calls demand a higher standard of this
HIV Patients ✔✔These patients can and have been discriminated against and it is for
this reason that the US Dept of Justice recommends against relaying this information
about them
2025 Updated | Roles, Procedures, Medical
Protocols & Stress Management
Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) ✔✔combination of telecommunications skills and
medical knowledge
Determine Nature of Call ✔✔without diagnosing the medical problem or condition
Successful E.M.D ✔✔should be clear, concise and use accurate speech
Law Enforcement ✔✔Police officers are also part of many E.M.S systems
Hospital/Emergency Care Facilities ✔✔Hospital emergency departments and other
emergency care facilities also are included in most E.M.S systems
Tiers of E.M.S System Structure ✔✔- First Responders provide immediate response to
events that are determined to be highly urgent
• Advanced Life Support (ALS)
• Many E.M.S systems have air-ambulance support available if needed
Myths/Facts of E.M.D ✔✔MYTH: All E.M.S calls must be answered with lights and siren
, MYTH: Using the E.M.D Guidecards increases the amount of time and resources required
to process a call
(FACT: Sometimes response time even decreases)
FACT: C.P.R instructor certification is not as vital as being able to tell a caller how to do it via
telephone instructions using the approved E.M.D Guidecards
Liability ✔✔you are ultimately responsible for your actions
Negligence ✔✔Intent to harm is not required to prove this
Proximate Cause/Causation ✔✔Plaintiff has to show a direct relationship between the
action or inaction of the E.M.D and the injury and claimed damages to the patient
Good Samaritan Laws ✔✔These laws do not apply to you while on the job
Patient Confidentiality ✔✔Medical calls demand a higher standard of this
HIV Patients ✔✔These patients can and have been discriminated against and it is for
this reason that the US Dept of Justice recommends against relaying this information
about them
