IAED EMD Course Prep Exam Questions
With Complete Verified Solutions.
Common Misconceptions About EMDs - Answer 1. Callers are too upset to provide accurate and useful
responses to the EMD
2. Callers would not be able to provide the EMD with required information that is necessary to
effectively dispatch emergency medical resources
3. The medical expertise required for effective emergency medical dispatch is not important, therefore
public safety officials should use non-EMD dispatchers to dispatch resources
4. All EMS calls will be answered "lights and sirens"
5. The EMD is too busy dispatching to worry about asking all those questions, to provide instructions or
use their protocol cards (EMDPRS)
6. Medical advice (provided over the phone) cannot help patients and could actually be dangerous
7. Using the EMDPRS increases the amount of time and resources required to process a call
Attributes/Behaviors of the Successful EMD - Answer - Helpful and compassionate
- Handles the emotional stress involved in caller/patient crisis situations and clearly guides callers in
these situations
- Masters the skills, philosophy and knowledge of Emergency Medical Dispatch
- Effectively gathers information from callers, prioritizes that information and consolidates that
information in a useful format
- Assists other EMD personnel in reaching the patient's location
- Determines the nature of the medical emergency without diagnosing the medical problem or condition
- Assists EMS personnel on the scene as requested by EMS personnel and avoid making patient care
decisions by long distance
- Reacts passively to hostile callers, making no judgements based on the caller's demeanor or past
experience with the caller
- Maintains confidentiality
Three Phases of the Dispatch Function - Answer Phase 1 - Call-Receiving Activities (Collect)
- an E.M.D takes an incoming call and goes through an "initial survey" sequence
,- Where? What? How? Who? When?
Phase 2 - Dispatch Activities (Dispatch)
- EMD goes to proper protocol
- Protocols give appropriate response mode
- Established by local medical authority
Phase 3 - Post-Dispatch Activities ( Provide)
- EMD prepares caller for responding personnel and can be providing medical instructions as indicated
by the E.M.D Guidecards
Resources Commonly Found in an EMS System - Answer 1. Basic Life Support (BLS)/ Advanced Life
Support (ALS)
2. Fire
3. Police
4. Hospitals/Emergency Care Facilities
5. Other
- These include hazardous materials units (aka "HAZMAT" ), Sexual AssauIt Centers, Hyperbaric Centers,
Trauma Centers, Poison Control Centers, Burn Centers, Language Translator Services, etc.
Tiered EMS System Structures (Not all systems have these tiers) - Answer An EMS system with more
than 1 level of response
Tier 1 (First Responders)
- Police and fire departments
- Normally trained in BLS
Tier 2 (Basic Life Support)
- Transport ambulance
- Normally staffed by EMTs
- Trained in Patient Assessment, Minor Injuries, Performing CPR
Tier 3 (Advanced Life Support)
, - Ambulance or non-transport capable chase vehicle
- Staffed by 2 paramedics
- Work under a physician's license
- Capable of cardiac monitoring, drug therapy, and breathing support methods
Tier 4 (Aeromedical services)
-Advanced Life Support
- Paramedics
- Nurses
Used to transport most severe cases where transport time to the hospital may be the determining factor
in the patient's survival
Response Modes - Answer "Cold" responses
- No lights, no sirens
- Responders are a part of normal traffic flow
"Hot" responses
- Lights and sirens
- Emergency vehicle traffic laws still apply
- May be permitted to exceed the speed limit
Liability - Answer You are ultimately responsible for your actions/lack of action
Negligence - Answer - Failure to act or perform in a particular situation as any other reasonable,
prudent dispatcher (with the same or similar training) would under the same or similar circumstances
- Failure to meet standard of care
Proving Negligence - Answer To prove negligence, the court must determine 4 things:
1. Duty
2. Breach of Duty
3. Injury/Damage
With Complete Verified Solutions.
Common Misconceptions About EMDs - Answer 1. Callers are too upset to provide accurate and useful
responses to the EMD
2. Callers would not be able to provide the EMD with required information that is necessary to
effectively dispatch emergency medical resources
3. The medical expertise required for effective emergency medical dispatch is not important, therefore
public safety officials should use non-EMD dispatchers to dispatch resources
4. All EMS calls will be answered "lights and sirens"
5. The EMD is too busy dispatching to worry about asking all those questions, to provide instructions or
use their protocol cards (EMDPRS)
6. Medical advice (provided over the phone) cannot help patients and could actually be dangerous
7. Using the EMDPRS increases the amount of time and resources required to process a call
Attributes/Behaviors of the Successful EMD - Answer - Helpful and compassionate
- Handles the emotional stress involved in caller/patient crisis situations and clearly guides callers in
these situations
- Masters the skills, philosophy and knowledge of Emergency Medical Dispatch
- Effectively gathers information from callers, prioritizes that information and consolidates that
information in a useful format
- Assists other EMD personnel in reaching the patient's location
- Determines the nature of the medical emergency without diagnosing the medical problem or condition
- Assists EMS personnel on the scene as requested by EMS personnel and avoid making patient care
decisions by long distance
- Reacts passively to hostile callers, making no judgements based on the caller's demeanor or past
experience with the caller
- Maintains confidentiality
Three Phases of the Dispatch Function - Answer Phase 1 - Call-Receiving Activities (Collect)
- an E.M.D takes an incoming call and goes through an "initial survey" sequence
,- Where? What? How? Who? When?
Phase 2 - Dispatch Activities (Dispatch)
- EMD goes to proper protocol
- Protocols give appropriate response mode
- Established by local medical authority
Phase 3 - Post-Dispatch Activities ( Provide)
- EMD prepares caller for responding personnel and can be providing medical instructions as indicated
by the E.M.D Guidecards
Resources Commonly Found in an EMS System - Answer 1. Basic Life Support (BLS)/ Advanced Life
Support (ALS)
2. Fire
3. Police
4. Hospitals/Emergency Care Facilities
5. Other
- These include hazardous materials units (aka "HAZMAT" ), Sexual AssauIt Centers, Hyperbaric Centers,
Trauma Centers, Poison Control Centers, Burn Centers, Language Translator Services, etc.
Tiered EMS System Structures (Not all systems have these tiers) - Answer An EMS system with more
than 1 level of response
Tier 1 (First Responders)
- Police and fire departments
- Normally trained in BLS
Tier 2 (Basic Life Support)
- Transport ambulance
- Normally staffed by EMTs
- Trained in Patient Assessment, Minor Injuries, Performing CPR
Tier 3 (Advanced Life Support)
, - Ambulance or non-transport capable chase vehicle
- Staffed by 2 paramedics
- Work under a physician's license
- Capable of cardiac monitoring, drug therapy, and breathing support methods
Tier 4 (Aeromedical services)
-Advanced Life Support
- Paramedics
- Nurses
Used to transport most severe cases where transport time to the hospital may be the determining factor
in the patient's survival
Response Modes - Answer "Cold" responses
- No lights, no sirens
- Responders are a part of normal traffic flow
"Hot" responses
- Lights and sirens
- Emergency vehicle traffic laws still apply
- May be permitted to exceed the speed limit
Liability - Answer You are ultimately responsible for your actions/lack of action
Negligence - Answer - Failure to act or perform in a particular situation as any other reasonable,
prudent dispatcher (with the same or similar training) would under the same or similar circumstances
- Failure to meet standard of care
Proving Negligence - Answer To prove negligence, the court must determine 4 things:
1. Duty
2. Breach of Duty
3. Injury/Damage
