IAED EMD Course UPDATED ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORECT Answers
Common Misconceptions About EMDs - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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) - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER You are ultimately responsible for your actions/lack of
action
Negligence - CORRECT 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
Exam Questions and CORECT Answers
Common Misconceptions About EMDs - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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) - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER You are ultimately responsible for your actions/lack of
action
Negligence - CORRECT 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
