CDE (Continuing Dispatch Education)

Recertification for the medical, fire, or police protocols requires 24 hours of CDE every two years. For those holding more than one certification, a sliding scale applies.

Multiple Discipline Reduced Recertification Fee Procedure:

When recertification is due for the first discipline, pay the entire reduced multi-discipline recertification fee and document a full 24 hours of CDE. An invoice showing the amount credited to your upcoming recertification(s) will be mailed from the Academy. When the next discipline comes up for recertification, document the invoice number as a form of payment and/or enclose a copy of the invoice and document the additional required CDE hours. The multiple discipline reduced recertification procedure is not currently available for online recertifications.

* CDE hour totals do not include CPR certification required for EMD & EMD-Q

Your agency's CDE Program should be organized around the training and responsibilities of the dispatchers and meet the following specific objectives:

1. Developing a better understanding of telecommunications and the emergency dispatcher's roles and responsibilities
2. Enhancing on-line skills in Pre-arrival Instructions and in all emergency telephone procedures within the practice of emergency dispatch
3. Improving skills in the use and application of all component parts of the Priority Dispatch System® (PDS) including interrogation and prioritization
4. Providing opportunities for discussion, skill practice, and critique of skill performance

CDE-approved categories

1. Official Academy created educational product/program - Quizzes relating to articles describing Medical, Fire, and Police Protocols are included in each issue of the NAED's official publication. For a sample of current and past articles click here. To learn more about the magazine click here.
    
2. Workshops and Seminars - Members may receive credit from learning more about emergency dispatch services, preferably the required skills of an EMD, EFD, or EPD (i.e. airway management, review of essential telecommunication skills, telephone scenarios, legal issues, computer-aided dispatch, stress reduction, and refresher courses). Tapes or CDs of previous Navigator classes can be used as well.
   Max: 16 credit hours
3. Multimedia Educational Products - Members may use multimedia education products that illustrate and review proper emergency care and rescue and dispatch procedures. Titles are restricted to emergency service topics, preferably dispatch-related.
   Max: 16 credit hours
4. Quality Assurance - Members may provide quality assurance case review, planning and analysis of issues or findings identified by dispatch, theoretically or in practice. For example, you may critique your own work to identify where you can make changes to improve your effectiveness.
   Max: 8 credit hours
5. Meeting Attendance - Members can attend local planning and management meetings, including those organized to discuss planning major disasters, mass casualty, trauma, and HazMat.
   Max: 8 credit hours
6. Teaching - Members qualify for CDE through teaching courses within the scope of PDS protocols to the general public or any individual. The CDE application must include a synopsis of the subjects taught.
   Max: 4 credit hours
7. Protocol Review of the Medical, Fire and Police Protocols - Members may formally review revisions to any of the protocol updates.
   Max: 4 credit hours
8. Miscellaneous - This can include ride-alongs, providing tours of your communication center, and on-duty work experience as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, fire fighter or police officer.
   Max: 4 credit hours

Note: It is not necessary to send the Academy copies of all certificates of completion, logs of attendance or other support papers, as long as your attendance on record and confirmed with the signature of the training officer or other supervisor. Questions? Call us! We're here to help.