EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH (EMD) | QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | 2026 UPDATE | GRADED A +.
Misconception ✔️Callers are too upset to provide accurate and useful responses to the EMD
EMD ✔️determine the nature and severity of the medical incident type
Compassion ✔️___ for others and the desire to help then are two of the most important characteristics of a good EMD
A successful EMD effectively ✔️___ handles the emotional stress involved on caller/patient crisis situations and clearly guides callers in these
situations
EMD ✔️___ gather(s) information from callers, prioritizes that information and consolidates that information in a useful format.
EMD ✔️___ ensure the safety of the patient, bystanders and responders.
EMD ✔️___ instruction to callers that will help them prepare for the arrival of responders, based on the instructions of the EMDPRS
Call Receiving ✔️___ : In this phase an EMD takes an incoming xall and goes through and "all-caller interrogation" sequence.
Location? ✔️Location of Patient
What? ✔️Nature of emergency
How? ✔️How it occured
Who? ✔️To whom it occurred
When? ✔️When did it occur
Dispatch ✔️___ : The EMD turns to the proper protocol. This protocol provides the proper response mode. Response mode are pre-determined
by local medicL authorities for the most effective response to the call type.
Post Dispatch ✔️___ : Once resources have been dispatched. the EMD engages in preparing the caller/patient for the arrival of responding EMS
personal
Basic Life Support (BLS) Advanced life support (ALS) ✔️Generally, there are multiple types of responding resources available in many EMS
systems. They are defined at the state and local level. These resources vary in the type of equipment carried, patients transport capability
treatments that can be provided and the training that the attending personnel have received.
Tier 1 First Responders ✔️___ : ___ are used to provide immediate response to events that are determined to be highly urgent
Liability ✔️You are ultimately responsible for your actions.
Exemptions for liability ✔️"Good Samaritans" Laws provide protection to person
Proximate Cause / Causation ✔️The fourth criteria used to determine negligence is some determination of "Causation" this means that the court
has to show there is a direct relationship between the action take by the EMD and the injury to the patient.
Simple Negligence ✔️Negligent conduct that was not purposeful or due to malicious intent (you didn't mean to do it)
Gross Negligence ✔️Negligent action that was undertaken with malicious intent (you meant to cause harm) and willful disregard for the safety
of persons and or property.
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in comparison to others with similar training and experince
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in compassion to locally approved protocols and guidelines.
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in comparison to local or state statues, local ordinances, case law or administrative orders that address
the standard of care.
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in comparison to professional standards published by organizations involved in the development of
emergency medical service standards such as the National Academy of Emergency Medical Service Physicians (NAEMSP) and the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
, Abandonment ✔️When you leave a patient who is known to be in a life-threatening condition. This includes starting treatment and then letting
someone with less training take over resulting in being further injury or decline in the patient's condition.
Principle of Reasonableness ✔️This refers to what a "reasonable person" would do when faced with the same or similar situation.
Emergency Rule ✔️States that one who is faced with an emergency cannot be held to the same stranded of conduct that he/she would
otherwise be held to when not faced with such a situation.
Foreseeability ✔️Refers to the fact that you must rely solely on the information you get from callers
Detrimental Reliance ✔️A person expects that a certain action will be taken based on Thales fact that it has been reported in the media, public
education or through simple reasonable expectation.
Damages ✔️Anything awarded to winning plaintiffs. In negligence lawsuits, damages can be both "Compensation" and punitive compensatory
damages are those that involve repaying plaintiffs for money they have lost. Punitive damages are those used to punish a defendant.
Implied Consent ✔️Refers to situations where if patients are unconscious and can't respond, it is safe to assume that they would want your help.
Good Samaritan Laws ✔️Do not apply to you while on the job
Governmental Immunity ✔️Provided by 911 or EMS laws and only apply to cases of simple negligence and only public agencies.
Confidentiality ✔️You can't relate information Bouton patients names
Confidentiality ✔️can't talk about what the patient said
Confidentiality ✔️can't talk about unusual behaviors that are not related to medical condition unless danger exists (to responders)
Confidentiality ✔️can't talk about aspects of a patient's lifestyle
EMDs should be certified as CPR Instructors. ✔️
ATSM standards ✔️Do not require that EMDs be certified as instructors
EMDs should have advanced medical knowledge ✔️The EMD is operating in a blind environment, having actual hands on advanced medical
knowledge is not required. the basics medical concepts presented this NHTSA curriculum provide sufficient medical knowledge for the EMD to
operate efficiently.
EMDs Confinedaility ✔️EMDs should relay confidential information to responding personnel. The EMD should NEVER relay confidential
information to responders, including HIV status.
EMDs should fear being sued for giving medical instructions. ✔️As long as you are following procedures outlined by your agency and using the
scripts presented in your locally approved EMDPRS, you are okay.
EMD should fear telling callers that an ambulance is "on the way". ✔️This is obviously wrong. One fear that callers have is that help isn't coming.
Telling a caller that an ambulance is "on the way", once one has been dispatched, helps callers relax a little, make it easier for you to enlist their
help in providing medical assistance to the patient
Avoiding Liability ✔️An effort it must be approached at two levels - agency and individual.
The Nervous System ✔️Part of your body that controls all of your body functions and allows for interaction with the outside world through
sensation. This system is made up of the brain, spine, spinal column and all of your nervres
Circulatory System ✔️Carries blood to and from all parts of the body. The blood takes nutrients and oxygen.
Arteries ✔️Have thick walls that expand and shrink as blood goes through them
Veins ✔️Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart
Capillaries ✔️Thin walled vessels
Respiratory System ✔️A system of organs, functioning in the process of gas exchange between the body and the environment, consisting
especially of the nose, nasal passages, nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.
Agonal respirations ✔️Breathing that occurs after cardiac arrest and are ineffective in gathering oxygen for the body.
Misconception ✔️Callers are too upset to provide accurate and useful responses to the EMD
EMD ✔️determine the nature and severity of the medical incident type
Compassion ✔️___ for others and the desire to help then are two of the most important characteristics of a good EMD
A successful EMD effectively ✔️___ handles the emotional stress involved on caller/patient crisis situations and clearly guides callers in these
situations
EMD ✔️___ gather(s) information from callers, prioritizes that information and consolidates that information in a useful format.
EMD ✔️___ ensure the safety of the patient, bystanders and responders.
EMD ✔️___ instruction to callers that will help them prepare for the arrival of responders, based on the instructions of the EMDPRS
Call Receiving ✔️___ : In this phase an EMD takes an incoming xall and goes through and "all-caller interrogation" sequence.
Location? ✔️Location of Patient
What? ✔️Nature of emergency
How? ✔️How it occured
Who? ✔️To whom it occurred
When? ✔️When did it occur
Dispatch ✔️___ : The EMD turns to the proper protocol. This protocol provides the proper response mode. Response mode are pre-determined
by local medicL authorities for the most effective response to the call type.
Post Dispatch ✔️___ : Once resources have been dispatched. the EMD engages in preparing the caller/patient for the arrival of responding EMS
personal
Basic Life Support (BLS) Advanced life support (ALS) ✔️Generally, there are multiple types of responding resources available in many EMS
systems. They are defined at the state and local level. These resources vary in the type of equipment carried, patients transport capability
treatments that can be provided and the training that the attending personnel have received.
Tier 1 First Responders ✔️___ : ___ are used to provide immediate response to events that are determined to be highly urgent
Liability ✔️You are ultimately responsible for your actions.
Exemptions for liability ✔️"Good Samaritans" Laws provide protection to person
Proximate Cause / Causation ✔️The fourth criteria used to determine negligence is some determination of "Causation" this means that the court
has to show there is a direct relationship between the action take by the EMD and the injury to the patient.
Simple Negligence ✔️Negligent conduct that was not purposeful or due to malicious intent (you didn't mean to do it)
Gross Negligence ✔️Negligent action that was undertaken with malicious intent (you meant to cause harm) and willful disregard for the safety
of persons and or property.
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in comparison to others with similar training and experince
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in compassion to locally approved protocols and guidelines.
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in comparison to local or state statues, local ordinances, case law or administrative orders that address
the standard of care.
EMD ✔️Behavior and conduct is judged in comparison to professional standards published by organizations involved in the development of
emergency medical service standards such as the National Academy of Emergency Medical Service Physicians (NAEMSP) and the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
, Abandonment ✔️When you leave a patient who is known to be in a life-threatening condition. This includes starting treatment and then letting
someone with less training take over resulting in being further injury or decline in the patient's condition.
Principle of Reasonableness ✔️This refers to what a "reasonable person" would do when faced with the same or similar situation.
Emergency Rule ✔️States that one who is faced with an emergency cannot be held to the same stranded of conduct that he/she would
otherwise be held to when not faced with such a situation.
Foreseeability ✔️Refers to the fact that you must rely solely on the information you get from callers
Detrimental Reliance ✔️A person expects that a certain action will be taken based on Thales fact that it has been reported in the media, public
education or through simple reasonable expectation.
Damages ✔️Anything awarded to winning plaintiffs. In negligence lawsuits, damages can be both "Compensation" and punitive compensatory
damages are those that involve repaying plaintiffs for money they have lost. Punitive damages are those used to punish a defendant.
Implied Consent ✔️Refers to situations where if patients are unconscious and can't respond, it is safe to assume that they would want your help.
Good Samaritan Laws ✔️Do not apply to you while on the job
Governmental Immunity ✔️Provided by 911 or EMS laws and only apply to cases of simple negligence and only public agencies.
Confidentiality ✔️You can't relate information Bouton patients names
Confidentiality ✔️can't talk about what the patient said
Confidentiality ✔️can't talk about unusual behaviors that are not related to medical condition unless danger exists (to responders)
Confidentiality ✔️can't talk about aspects of a patient's lifestyle
EMDs should be certified as CPR Instructors. ✔️
ATSM standards ✔️Do not require that EMDs be certified as instructors
EMDs should have advanced medical knowledge ✔️The EMD is operating in a blind environment, having actual hands on advanced medical
knowledge is not required. the basics medical concepts presented this NHTSA curriculum provide sufficient medical knowledge for the EMD to
operate efficiently.
EMDs Confinedaility ✔️EMDs should relay confidential information to responding personnel. The EMD should NEVER relay confidential
information to responders, including HIV status.
EMDs should fear being sued for giving medical instructions. ✔️As long as you are following procedures outlined by your agency and using the
scripts presented in your locally approved EMDPRS, you are okay.
EMD should fear telling callers that an ambulance is "on the way". ✔️This is obviously wrong. One fear that callers have is that help isn't coming.
Telling a caller that an ambulance is "on the way", once one has been dispatched, helps callers relax a little, make it easier for you to enlist their
help in providing medical assistance to the patient
Avoiding Liability ✔️An effort it must be approached at two levels - agency and individual.
The Nervous System ✔️Part of your body that controls all of your body functions and allows for interaction with the outside world through
sensation. This system is made up of the brain, spine, spinal column and all of your nervres
Circulatory System ✔️Carries blood to and from all parts of the body. The blood takes nutrients and oxygen.
Arteries ✔️Have thick walls that expand and shrink as blood goes through them
Veins ✔️Blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart
Capillaries ✔️Thin walled vessels
Respiratory System ✔️A system of organs, functioning in the process of gas exchange between the body and the environment, consisting
especially of the nose, nasal passages, nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.
Agonal respirations ✔️Breathing that occurs after cardiac arrest and are ineffective in gathering oxygen for the body.
