Press Release
May 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 363-9127 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
Navigator, the educational conference hot spot for emergency dispatch drew more than 1,200 professionals from 14 countries during six days of workshops and sessions held in April at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Sponsored by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) Dispatch, the conference drew professionals from countries that include the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, China, and Brazil. Workshops and sessions divided into seven educational tracks provided a bevy of choices suited to every level of emergency communications.
Not only were the classrooms filled near to capacity but, other activities dedicated to award presentations, exhibits, inspirational talks by keynote speakers, networking and a communications center tour were packed as well
This year’s Dispatcher of the Year award went to New Hampshire Bureau of Emergency Communications EMD Stephen Harris. Jeff Clawson, M.D., co-founder of the NAED, presented awards recognizing lifetime service and leadership. The City of Hialeah (Fla.) Public Safety Communications Division was announced as the third center in the world to achieve accreditation in fire, police, and medical dispatch.
College of Fellows Chair Marc Gay and IAED Standards Council Chair Marie Leroux accepted the Emeritus Award for lifetime service to the Academy. This was the fifth time in 20 years Dr. Jeff Clawson has presented the award. Both said the honor took them by surprise.
“The past 20 years have provided a wonderful experience helping the protocol grow from a good tool used in the states to an excellent one used throughout the world,” Leroux said. “But it’s the dedication of all of you that makes the good things happen.”
The German Language Cultural Committee took home the leadership award. The committee of 10 translated the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) protocol into the German language, which includes determining changes to accommodate medical/cultural details without affecting protocol’s integrity. The four members present to accept the award donated the $500 honoree check to the Japanese Red Cross to assist earthquake/tsunami victims.
The Academy announced 12 new Accredited Centers of Excellence (ACE) achieved over the past year in addition to 33 centers earning reaccreditation. An ACE signifies the highest level of excellence for emergency dispatch centers and requires completion of a rigorous 20-point self-study document and an onsite evaluation visit by Academy representatives.
Opening day featured speaker Richard Picciotto, a retired New York Fire Department (FDNY) Chief and the highest-ranking firefighter to survive the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. He and members of his Battalion 11 were descending a stairwell between the sixth and seventh floors of the North Tower when—at 10:28 a.m. Eastern time—the tower collapsed and his life flashed before his eyes.
NAED President Scott Freitag called Navigator 2011 a momentous occasion.
“It’s exciting to witness the Academy’s growth,” “Just about everywhere we go calltakers are answering calls the way they should. Other aspects of operations may vary from country to country but protocol is a common thread.”
Each spring upwards of 1,000 emergency services professionals gather at the NAED’s annual Navigator conference to learn more about the dispatch role in EMS. The NAED is a non-profit standard-setting organization promoting safe and effective emergency dispatch services.
For more information about the Academy, visit www.emergencydispatch.org
May 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 363-9127 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
New Hampshire dispatcher receives annual Navigator award
New Hampshire Bureau of Emergency Communication PSAP Supervisor Stephen Harris, EMD, received the Dispatcher of the Year Award for 2011 at the Navigator Conference sponsored by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch™ (NAED®).
Harris was at work during the midnight shift on Thanksgiving Day 2010 when he responded to a call from Tom “TJ” Cogswell who needed immediate medical assistance for his wife Denise. The Wolfeboro, N.H., resident had lapsed into a seizure later attributed to heart arrest caused by ventricular fibulation.
“She’s not waking up,” he told Harris.
Harris launched into the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®) Pre-Arrival Instructions for CPR, surprised TJ who expected to wait in anxious silence for responders to arrive. TJ was able to administered chest compressions following the instructions Harris relayed through his stepson Derek Brockney.
Paramedics took over upon arrival, applying two shocks from a defibrillator prior to transport. Denise was transferred to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., where she spent one week in ICU.
Harris later met the family during a visit to the PSAP, and for a second time at Navigator when they were brought together on stage for the award presentation.
Denise acknowledged Harris, her son, TJ, and MPDS for beating the odds.
“There were a lot of heroes that day,” Denise said. “And, I’d like to thank all of you. I am alive because of what you do.”
Harris said he was awed by the recognition, although accolades he said aren’t the reason he enjoys working in dispatch.
“It feels great to know we can save lives,” said Harris, a firefighter prior to transferring to dispatch three years ago.
More than 1,200 emergency communication professionals attended this year’s Navigator Conference held April 20 to April 22 at the Paris in Las Vegas. The NAED is a non-profit standard-setting organization promoting safe and effective emergency dispatch services worldwide. Baltimore, Md., will be the host city for Navigator 2012.
For more information about the NAED, visit www.emergencydispatch.org or call 800-960-6236.
May 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 363-9127 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
City of Hialeah Public Safety Communications Division achieves triple ACE
It’s official.
The City of Hialeah (Fla.) Public Safety Communications Division is now home to a tri-accredited emergency dispatch center.
The announcement, made April 21 at Navigator 2011 in Las Vegas, underscores the center’s high standards and excellence in three disciplines of emergency dispatch: law enforcement, fire, and EMS. It is only one of three 9-1-1 centers in the world to achieve triple Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) status through the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED™).
Hialeah Director of Communications Chief Lazaro Guerra credited hardworking staff for reaching the goal that not only accomplishes prioritized emergency response and technical capabilities but, also, the customer service provided at a center receiving 345,500 calls annually. Hialeah is the fifth largest city in Florida.
“Tri-ACE was the direct result of shared staff training, hard work, and tenacity,” he said. “We are now able to verify and validate our performance for everyone to see.”
The recognition followed within two years of the center’s consolidation. In October 2009, the dispatchers and calltakers from two centers merged into a new 3,000 square-foot facility located in the fire administration building.
Accreditation is a comprehensive project. Public Safety Communications dispatchers must meet specific standards for certification and the agency must submit an ACE application form along with a detailed, self-study document based on the Academy's Twenty Points. The self-study covers everything from the center’s description to procedures outlining a quality improvement plan, continuing dispatch education, and compliance to the life-saving emergency dispatch protocols developed by Jeff Clawson, M.D.
The City of Hialeah Public Safety Communications Division was among 45 new and reaccredited ACEs recognized at the annual Navigator conference. More than 100 of the 3,000 centers worldwide using the fire, police, and/or medical protocols are recognized ACEs.
More than 1,200 emergency communications professionals attended this year’s Navigator conference held April 20-22 at the Paris in Las Vegas. The NAED is a non-profit standard-setting organization promoting safe and effective emergency dispatch services worldwide. Baltimore, Md., will be the host city for Navigator 2012.
For more information about the NAED, visit www.emergencydispatch.org or call 800-960-6236.
May 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 363-9127 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
Emergency call center program to protect children advances in numbers
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children® (NCMEC) added 12 more public-safety answering points (PSAPs) from eight states to its 9-1-1 Call Center Partner Program.
The announcement made at Navigator 2011, sponsored by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED™) held in April at the Paris Hotel, brings the total number of partners (9-1-1 agencies) to 25 on the state and local levels.
More than 300 dispatchers from these centers have been trained in handling calls for missing and/or sexually exploited children, as outlined in the ANSI-approved standard.
William Hinkle, NCMEC Call Center Program Executive Committee chairman, congratulated the centers for their dedication to defending children.
“They have adopted a principle to safeguard our most precious possessions,” said Hinkle, past president of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and former director of the Hamilton County (Ohio) Department of Communications. “There is nothing more important that we do than protect our children.”
Partners accepted into the program must participate in training programs designed for managers and calltakers/dispatchers and adopt policies and procedures developed by NCMEC in collaboration with the NAED, NENA, and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO).
NCMEC 911 Partners during the first quarter of 2011 are: El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Woodland Park Police Department, and Fountain Police Department (Colo.); Boca Raton Police/Fire—Rescue 9-1-1 and Tallahassee Police Department (Fla.); Ada County Sheriff’s Office (Idaho); Riverside Department of Public Safety (Mo.); Oxford Police Department (Ohio); Loudon County E911 (Tenn.); Provo City Police/Fire and Valley Emergency Communications Center (Utah); and NORCOM (Washington).
NCMEC, established by Congress in 1984, operates a toll-free 24-hour national missing children’s hotline that has handled more than 2,528,730 calls. For course descriptions, training dates, and more information about the NCMEC 9-1-1 Call Center program, visit www.missingkids.com/911 or e-mail 911@ncmec.org.
More than 1,200 emergency communications professionals attended this year’s Navigator conference held April 20-22 at the Paris in Las Vegas. The NAED is a non-profit standard-setting organization promoting safe and effective emergency dispatch services worldwide. Baltimore, Md., will be the host city for Navigator 2012.
For more information about the NAED, visit www.emergencydispatch.org or call 800-960-6236.
September 29, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
Jerry Overton to lead IAED Clinical Advice Board
The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™) announces the selection of Jerry Overton as Chairman of the IAED Emergency Clinical Advice System & Standards Board.
In his new position, Overton will oversee the processes that clinically and technically combine emergency medical dispatch (EMD) protocols and nurse triage for health care access management.
Overton said the position offers him the exciting prospect of working even more closely with Jeff Clawson, M.D., inventor of the Priority Dispatch System™ (PDS™) and founder of the NAED™/IAED.
“I have tremendous respect for Dr. Clawson and the Academy,” he said. “This is a remarkable opportunity. I was asked to come aboard and quickly agreed.”
Overton brings extensive emergency medical services experience to the position, including 19 years as executive director of the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) in Virginia and similar positions with the Metropolitan Ambulance Service Trust (MAST) and Kansas City EMS, both in Kansas City, Mo. Overton was among the first directors of a large EMS to embrace the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®).
Dr. Clawson acknowledged Overton for expertise in EMS Status Systems Management, which is a process to direct EMS resources between calls in order to prepare the system for the best possible response for all subsequent EMS calls.
Overton and Dr. Clawson began their long professional association in 1989 when Overton was intent on improving dispatch services in Kansas City. He is a member of the NAED College of Fellows, a position he will continue to hold. His dedication to the dispatch process is reflected in the Jeff Clawson Leadership Award he received at the Academy's Navigator 2010.
“If you ever hear me talk about EMS system design, you know my beliefs regarding where it all begins,”said Overton, following the award presentation. “That's dispatch. When it goes right we're going to save a life. When it doesn't, there's going to be a problem.”
In addition to his EMS career, Overton has provided technical assistance to numerous EMS systems throughout the United States and to governments and agencies in Europe, Russia, Asia, Australia, and Canada. He also designed an implementation plan for an Emergency Medical Transport program in Central Bosnia—Herzegovina.
Overton's EMS credentials are striking. He is on the governing board for the North American Association of Public Utility Models (NAPUM) and a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee for the Future of Emergency Care in the U. S. Health Care System. He is a past president of the American Ambulance Association. He is chief financial officer of the World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine. He was selected as EMS Administrator of the Year in Missouri and Virginia. He serves on the editorial boards of two emergency peer review journals.
The Fire, Police, and Medical Priority Dispatch Systems are found in 3,000 communications centers around the world, including centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
August 15, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Ron McDaniel
+1 (801) 363-9127
ron.mcdaniel@emergencydispatch.org
IAED and IRHC team up to train Emergency Medical Dispatchers in Middle East
Salt Lake City, Utah - August 16, 2010 - The Institute of Remote Health Care (IRHC) became the first licensed training site in the Middle East for the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (AMPDS®).
The IRHC, in conjunction with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™), will offer the three-day AMPDS course to dispatchers in Middle East requiring certification in the medical protocol used in emergency communications centers throughout the world. Dr. Aimen Merii, an IAED certified instructor, will be in charge of the Middle East office in Dubai, a country that uses the AMPDS in its emergency 9-9-9 centers.
"The certification course offers a fabulous opportunity to centers in the Middle East requiring the gold standard in emergency communications for its dispatchers," said Ron McDaniel, Chief Planning Officer for the Priority Dispatch Corp., distributors of the AMPDS. "The AMPDS is making huge strides in the international delivery of emergency response, proving its universal application and appeal to countries far outside the United States."
About AMPDS
The AMPDS is a medically approved, unified system used to dispatch appropriate aid to medical emergencies featuring systematized caller interrogation and pre-arrival instructions. It has been translated into 14 languages including Arabic.
About IRHC
IRHC was founded in 2008 to increase awareness of challenges of remote healthcare practice. The organization promotes standards in remote healthcare, advances standards of education and training for remote healthcare practitioners, and encourages regulation of remote healthcare practitioners through the establishment of a voluntary register. For more information about IRHC, visit http://www.irhc.co.uk.
About IAED
IAED is a non-profit, standard-setting organization promoting safe and effective emergency dispatch services worldwide. Compromised of three allied academies for medical, fire, and police dispatching, the IAED supports first-responder-related research, unified protocol application, legislation for emergency call-center regulation, and strengthening the emergency dispatch community through education, certification, and accreditation. For more information about IAED, visit www.emergencydispatch.org.
June 13, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 363-9127 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch ® (NAED™) Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the nomination of Pam Stewart Chair of the Board of Certification, in addition to her existing position as executive manager for Dr. Jeff Clawson.
Having worked with the Academy and the Priority Dispatch Corp. (PDC) in various capacities for more than seven years, Stewart will now be responsible for ensuring the policies and standards are met for all certifications and recertifications including EMD, EFD, EPD, ETC, Instructor and EDQ .
Stewart has played an integral part within the organization over the years in many ways including bringing all copyright registrations current, sitting on the Institutional Review Board, organizing Proposals For Change on the behalf of the Medical Council of Standards, and supporting the Medical Council of Standards Readers Group meetings.
April 30, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
Annual Navigator offers something for everyone
The annual Navigator conference, sponsored by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED™), transformed the Coronado Springs Resort, in Orlando, Fla., into dispatch central mixing field trips, education, entertainment, and networking for the more than 1200 participants attending the three-day event.
Seventy-eight sessions divided into categories including leadership, management, and operations highlighted the use of the Medical, Police, and Fire Priority Dispatch System Protocols and their application to emergency communications.
Keynote speaker Jill Shepherd talked about the risks she accepted both as a combat medic serving in Afghanistan and Miss USA 2007 contestant. Dispatcher of the Year recipient Meridith Jensen, EMD, said she was fortunate to find a profession so intrinsically rewarding, similar to the remarks made by Jeff Clawson Leadership Award honoree Jerry Overton, president and chief executive officer of Road Safety International, Inc.
“Bringing even a small amount of hope to a caller's most desperate time of need offers an indescribable intrinsic reward that makes my heart swell with pride every time I am asked what I do for a living,” said Jensen, of the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Communication Center Management (CCM) course graduates took to the stage represented by fellow student Sherri Stigler, training and operations manager, Waukesha County (Wis.) Communications, who lauded the lifetime network the course facilitated. Ing. Christof Chwojka, 144 Notruf NO (Austria) communications manager, accepted the first Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) certificate granted to a country in continental Europe. Tami Wiggins, trainer and quality improvement coordinator for Harford County (Md.) Division of Emergency Operations, gave credit to center dispatchers for achieving the first tri-ACE in the continental United States.
Business took a more leisurely turn with field trips to the Reedy Creek Fire Station and Communications Center, a public agency serving Walt Disney World, an evening party at Typhoon Lagoon, and a gala reception sponsored by exhibitors.
When Navigator 2010 was all over, no one could be more elated about the conference than NAED President Scott Freitag, Salt Lake City Fire (Utah) Department Communications and Public Relations Section director.
“The response at Navigator always gives me an indication of what to expect in the coming year,” he said. “And, from what I see here, it will be a great one.”
The NAED is a nonprofit association, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that specializes in the development of emergency communications center dispatch protocol. Navigator 2011 is scheduled for April 20-22 in Las Vegas.
April 30, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
NAED acknowledges distinguished members at annual Navigator conference
The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED™) presented several awards during its annual Navigator conference held April 26-30 at the Coronado Springs Resort in Florida.
Jerry Overton, president and chief executive officer of Road Safety International, Inc., received the Jeff Clawson Leadership Award, and Meridith Jensen, an EMD for the Colorado Springs Police Department, was honored as the Dispatcher of the Year.
Overton’s has held EMS positions with the Metropolitan Ambulance Service Trust (MAST) in Kansas City, Mo., where he served as executive director, and to similar positions with the Kansas City EMS system and the Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) in Virginia. He guided the development and expansion of the MAST-provided emergency services program, and later in his career, he was among the first directors of a large EMS to embrace the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®).
“He is the backbone of everything the Academy (NAED™), EMS, and public safety stand for,” Dr. Clawson said during the award presentation. “He is instrumental in changing the face of EMS in America.”
Jensen received the award not based on a single phone call or even the 97.3% compliance score in all three protocols, according to NAED Associate Director Carlynn Page. While certainly commendable, the choice was made based on a chain of events, from her direct efforts in CPR to save the life of a girl stricken by a fatal heart condition on a school playground, to the calls she now answers as an EMD, EFD, and EPD.
For Jensen, the profession complements her compassion and composure.
“For that one moment, I am the only person able to help the other person on the line,” said Jensen, an EMD, EFD, and EPD for the Colorado Springs Police Department. “I’m there for that person at the moment of crisis.”
The NAED also recognized the 29 graduates of the Communication Centers Managers (CCM) course and centers achieving the rank of Accredited Centers of Excellence.
Overton and Jensen were among the more than 1,200 people from emergency communications centers from around the world attending pre-conference and conference events. This year’s show turned the resort right outside the gates of Walt Disney World into dispatch central mixing field trips, education, entertainment, and networking.
The NAED is a nonprofit association, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that specializes in the development of emergency communications center dispatch protocol.
April 15, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
Malaysia goes full speed ahead in implementing MPDS
Seven hospitals in Malaysia's western coastal state of Selangor and the parliamentary capital of Kuala Lumpur within Selangor recently went live with the Medical Priority Dispatch System® (MPDS™).
Dispatchers are trained and certified, and within the first 30 days of using protocol, emergency phone instructions proved successful for childbirth, CPR, and thousands of other more routine calls for emergency medical assistance transferred from a centralized response center to certified emergency medical dispatchers at the hospitals.
National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) President Scott Freitag calls the progress nothing less than remarkable
"There's been a tremendous amount of effort put into the project," said Freitag during a meeting between representatives from the NAED and Malaysia held at NAED offices. "Our visit to Malaysia for the roll-out was a refreshing experience."
Malaysia's burgeoning population and recognition of Kuala Lumpur as a global city demanded changes to existing laws and regulations, including those governing emergency medical services. In 2009, the Government of Malaysia signed an agreement with Telekom Malaysia to develop a unified MERS 999 System. According to the letter of agreement, the transaction reflected government's commitment to protecting human life using a single three-digit number.
Phase 1 of the first stage of MERS 999—now completed—covered the establishment of a 999 call center in Melaka and upgrading existing call centers at the seven hospitals. The second stage, in process, involves Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) technology to connect calls from MERS 999 response centers to the dispatch centers, and public education emphasizing the importance of an emergency dispatch system.
Plans during the next two years call for bringing MPDS to the rest of the country. MERS 999 Technology Project Director Puteri Mariana Abdul Majid called the project ambitious but anticipates speedy progress.
"We're moving in the right direction," she said. "It's very good that we're working on establishing international best practices throughout the country."
Worldwide, the MPDS is used in over 3,000 communications centers, translated in 15 languages and dialects, with the majority of users in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and New Zealand.
