Press Release
May 1, 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.
May 1, 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 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.
April 1, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED™) announces the release of version 12.1 of the Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®).
The release approved by the NAED’s Medical Council of Standards presents a significant revision to the world’s most trusted and widely used emergency medical dispatch protocol. Among other changes detailed below, version 12.1 introduces the Stroke Diagnostic Tool and Protocol 37: Interfacility Evaluation/Transfer.
The Stroke Diagnostic Tool, triggered in Protocol 28: Stroke (CVA) Key Questions, enables more accurate evaluation and identification of acute stroke patients. Twelve Determinant Suffixes added to Protocol 28 reflect the tool’s recommendation and aid in pinpointing specific symptoms most predictive of stroke.
Medical Council of Standards Co-Chair Marie Leroux said the Stroke Diagnostic Tool represents a significant life-saving prehospital tool for accurately identifying a stroke, and an essential tool when distinguishing patients suitable for immediate response without delay.
“The trick to helping these patients is identifying possible signs of a stroke within a very small window from onset,” Leroux said. “The EMD is a critical first link in the chain of recovery.”
The addition of Protocol 37 corresponds to requests for an interfacility transfer specific to medically-trained callers. The new protocol—already proven successful in Beta testing—is an alternative to Protocol 33 that allows dispatchers to minimize Key Questions regarding patient evaluation. Protocol 37 is only available in ProQA®.
NAED Academics, Standards, & Research Associate Brett Patterson said Protocol 37 represents the consensus of an expert sub-council that considered feedback obtained through an Academy survey answered by MPDS users internationally.
“The issue boiled down to two primary objectives,” Patterson said. “It was a matter of separating the routine transfer from the evaluation, and providing more response options for the trained EMD and health care professional to consider. Protocol 37 does this, and more.”
Other revisions in version 12.1 include an upgraded Aspirin Diagnostic and Instructions Tool, enhanced responder safety information, and earlier dispatch in certain circumstances.
The NAED is a nonprofit association, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that specializes in the development of emergency communications center dispatch protocol.
October 1, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
The National Academies of Emergency Dispatch ® (NAED™) announces the release of version 5 of the Fire Priority Dispatch System™ (FPDS™). The release features the most thorough fire revision yet from the Academy in response to changing fire standards, research, and technology. More than 200 official Proposals for Change submissions were considered.
New features and modifications in FPDS v5.0 increase the effectiveness and efficiency of call processing. It handles more types of incidents than ever before, with more than 40 new Determinant Descriptors.
Notable advances include adding a protocol to address bomb threats/suspicious packages and dividing Protocol 70 (train/rail incident) into two separate protocols. The protocols added were placed in numerical sequence, rather than inserted in alphabetical order, to maintain the historical integrity of data collection. Protocol 53 (citizen assist/service call) gives agencies the opportunity to add locally-defined service calls.
Other highlights include:
- Replacing safety questions formerly found at Case Entry with incident-specific safety questions to individual protocols.
- Moving dispatch points in Key Questions to earlier in the interrogation sequence and adding several new dispatch points, also early in the sequence.
- Adding Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs) for incidents involving tunnel fires, trench collapse, structure collapse, confined space entrapments, suspicious packages (suspected contamination), and bombs/potential explosives.
Mark Braswell, member of the NAED Fire Standards Committee, said the revisions represent a significant amount of work, conducted over a two-year period, and incorporate Proposals for Change submitted from multiple users. The result, he said, is a fire protocol "one-step closer to perfection."
"Protocol is a living breathing animal," said Braswell, of the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department in Houston, Texas. "We're very happy with version 5 but this, too, will evolve along with fire standards and technology."
For more information or to watch an online streaming demonstration of FPDS ProQA® software, visit www.prioritydispatch.net or call (800) 363-9127. To learn more about the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, visit www.emergencydispatch.org or call (800) 960-6236.
The FPDS is part of the growing family of emergency response protocols developed and maintained by the NAED and found in communications centers around the world for the past 30 years. Nearly 300 centers currently utilize the FPDS worldwide.
August 25, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
The Emergency Medical Center (First Aid Station) Branch of the Chinese Hospital Association has endorsed the use of the Medical Priority Dispatch System® (MPDS™) for use in its affiliated emergency medical centers.
According to the announcement issued in July 2008 by the organization, China's national 120 emergency telephone call volume and pre-hospital emergency workload trends are increasing every year and the earlier the country uses MPDS, the faster it will advance in the quality of pre-hospital response to patients.
"MPDS resolves pre-hospital problems quickly by obtaining the patient's on scene information, using this information to determine the condition based upon scientific judgment to make the most appropriate response," the announcement states. "At the same time, MPDS provides standardization to the dispatchers to ensure quality services. In fact, during the telephone interrogation and dispatch period, MPDS quickly identifies the medical factors involved in the emergency incident."
The Emergency Medical Center (First Aid Station) Branch of the Chinese Hospital Association is an exclusive national professional organization for Chinese emergency practitioners/administrators. It is a non-profit, grass-root based organization formed by 26 emergency medical centers around China on a voluntary basis under the direct leadership of Ministry of Civil Administration, Ministry of Health, in addition to the Chinese Hospital Association. It was officially founded in Qingdao in April 2002 with its organizational secretarial department set at the Beijing Emergency Center.
The Emergency Medical Center (First Aid Station) Branch of the Chinese Hospital Association stated that the MPDS is applicable in pre-hospital emergencies for several reasons, including:
- MPDS can improve the accuracy level of on scene patient evaluation
- Before the arrival of an ambulance, MPDS telephone life support system can correctly and promptly help to stabilize the condition of the on scene patient
- MPDS treatment of classification system greatly enhances the efficient utilization of emergency resources and enables the patient to obtain the most effective treatment
- The use of MPDS in the country can greatly accelerate the work of pre-hospital emergency and reach the speed and level of international standards
In conclusion, the announcements states, "Our branch believes that the introduction of MPDS is entirely feasible and practical; therefore the branch encourages the introduction of MPDS into the emergency center. It is hoped that the full use of pre-hospital emergency treatment will continuously promote the development of China's emergency industry."
MPDS is part of 3,000 communications centers around the world, including centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
April 28, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
Earlier today, the Toronto Emergency Medical Services’ Central Ambulance Communications Centre received accreditation as a Centre of Excellence by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch.
The City of Toronto uses the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS), the most advanced tool available for determining the priority of a 9-1-1-call and providing the caller with life-saving medical instructions. In addition, accreditation as a Centre of Excellence ensures that each month, 450 calls to 9-1-1 are randomly audited, with Emergency Medical Dispatchers receiving ongoing feedback to ensure that every 9-1-1 call for a medical emergency in Toronto is handled professionally according to the most effective, medically-driven guidelines available.
The AMPDS system is used in 23 countries throughout the world, and is translated into 10 languages. However, only 122 communications centres in the world are accredited to meet the highest international benchmark for quality. With today’s announcement, Toronto has become the second largest ambulance service in the world to gain this status, after London, England.
Scott Freitag, President of the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, presented the award today at Toronto EMS headquarters. “The citizens and visitors to this great city should understand that when they call 9-1-1, they will be treated by, listened to, and given care by, the most dedicated and professional Emergency Medical Dispatchers in the world,” said Freitag.
Today’s accomplishment says much about how the job of an Emergency Medical Dispatcher has changed. While in the past dispatchers gathered information and co-ordinated the movement of ambulances, now it is recognized that they are truly the first point of contact in a medical emergency and can give life-saving instructions over the phone before the ambulance arrives. When appropriate, Emergency Medical Dispatchers now use information from AMPDS to instruct the caller in providing immediate intervention for choking, cardiac arrest, imminent birth and other medical emergencies before the paramedics arrive.
In achieving today’s accreditation, Toronto joins the ranks of the most outstanding ambulance communications centres in the world, including the cities of Edmonton, Miami, Dublin, and London, England as well as the Scottish and Welsh ambulance services.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. In the past three years, Toronto has won more than 70 awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto’s government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.
Media contacts:
Toronto EMS - Lyla Miller 416-392-2255, lmiller3@toronto.ca
Dave Ralph 416-629-6262 (cell)
 |
||
April 28, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
At 4:17 a.m. on Nov. 13, 2007, Scott Dunkelberger received a 9-1-1 call from a frantic 15-year-old girl reporting a house fire sparked from an unattended candle that was trapping her and three siblings inside a second floor bedroom. The smoke was so thick breathing was difficult. She was very frightened.
Dunkelberger, a dispatcher from New County Castle Emergency Communications (Del.), took action. Following Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs), he instructed her to shut the door and seal the doorway with clothing to block the smoke. He kept the teen on the phone, calming and reassuring her, until firefighters were on the scene and, with his help, locate and rescue the children without injury.
NAED Associate Director Carlynn Page, who presented Dunkelberger with the 2008 Dispatcher of the Year Award from the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED) at the annual Navigator conference held April 23-25 in Baltimore, Md., said from listening to the call, she was confident that Dunkelberger’s actions saved the day.
“It would have been a far different outcome had it been for Scott’s ability to remain calm and deliver the protocol in its prescribed manner,” she said.
But it wasn’t only me, Dunkelberger insisted after the presentation.
“I work with a great group of guys, and for me to get the award without them here, well, it’s hard,” he said. “We work together. I’m accepting this for all of them.”
Dunkelberger is from a long line of family members involved in emergency services and he has volunteered as a firefighter since age 16. At age 19, he landed his first dispatch position with the Delaware State Police and after nearly six years there, he accepted a job at his current agency.
Although he has told his wife that he’s on a two-year plan, things just don’t work out that way. He can’t seem to let go and it is calls like the house fire that keep him coming back for more.
“I can affect a positive outcome, and that keeps me going,” he said. “That keeps me enjoying the work I do. There are hard calls, like the baby who dies from SIDS, but than we get the calls, like this one, when everything just falls perfectly into place.”
The Dispatcher of the Year Award recognizes the NAED certified dispatcher who has made the most significant contributions to further the values and mission of the Academy through personal action, which includes expertise in accurately following protocol when used in an extraordinary situation.
The National Academy can be reached at www.emergencydispatch.org or 800-960-6236.
April 28, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
The sixth largest city in the province of Alberta is home to the first communications centre IN THE WORLD to earn triple status as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED). In little more than eight months, Medicine Hat 9-1-1 Regional Communications Centre earned three titles: Police ACE in April 2007, Fire ACE in December 2007, and Medical ACE in January 2008.
“This is a huge for us,” said Jaci Fox, quality assurance coordinator for the Medicine Hat 9-1-1 Regional Communications Centre. “This is a very positive experience for everyone.”
The task wasn’t easy, admits Centre Director Ronda Grant. Roadblocks included competing priorities for resources and the motivational element. To put it mildly, not all dispatchers wanted to make the transition to standardized protocol. It wasn’t an easy sell. In fact, on some days Grant forced herself to step back and catch her breath.
“It took a while for everyone to understand that protocol came down to providing an excellent service,” said Grant. “This was not about the individual dispatcher as much as being the best at what we do.”
Eric Parry, the Priority Dispatch Corp. police consultant who has worked closely with the Medicine Hat centre, couldn’t agree more. The buy-in, he said, came from telecommunicators believing that protocol is the right thing to do. “This was a journey for them and us [PDC and the IAED]. “You have to first gain confidence in the system, and then gain the confidence that you can do it.”
The importance of an ACE is not confined to the excitement in the dispatch centre. The honor is a big deal for the overall emergency services community as well as the city’s politicians. Grant plans to invite everyone who is anyone in public emergency services and city government to a formal event celebrating the triple ACE distinction.
“We’re on a high note but not only because of the award,” said Grant. “We have a lot of projects on the go and a terrific staff that will help us get them done.”
The IAED, through its College of Fellows, established a high standard of excellence for emergency dispatch through the ACE process. While achieving ACE not an easy process, the recognition could be one of the most rewarding projects your communication center team can approach and achieve together.
“ACE says you’re a leader in patient care,” said Carlynn Page, IAED associate director. “It means your center is providing the best care at a consistently high level and it fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment among your dispatchers.”
The process requires the submission of an application (available from the NAED web site) along with a detailed, self-study document based on the Academy’s Twenty Points of Accreditation. The Academy’s Accreditation Board will review the application and documentation and, from there, arrange an onsite evaluation. The accreditation is renewable every three years.
April 28, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Kris Berg
(800) 960-6236 ext. 116
kris.berg@emergencydispatch.org
The recipient of the 2008 Jeff Clawson Leadership Award saw first-hand the impact emergency protocols can have in saving lives.
“We had not yet finished the EMD training course when a dispatcher received a call from a mother. Her daughter was choking. The dispatcher grabbed Dr. Clawson’s cards and brought the mother through the process. The next sound we heard was the child. She was breathing,” said Robert R. Bass, M.D., FACEP, executive director of the Maryland Institute of EMS Systems.
The incident—and Dr. Bass still has the 9-1-1 tape from the call placed more than a decade ago—convinced him that resource allocation was only one important asset found in using Protocols and their associated Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs).
“They save lives,” he said. “We wanted the system at our communications center to save resources and because of this call we found out that they can also save lives.”
Dr. Bass received the award at the closing luncheon of the Navigator Conference of the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAED) held during the last week in April in Baltimore, Md. Dr. Clawson presented the award that is given annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the emergency dispatch profession and represents the highest standards and pursuit of excellence in research, education, management or operations.
Dr. Bass contributed the award’s $500 honorarium to Maryland Fire-Rescue Services Memorial Foundation, Inc. The foundation’s memorial sculpture in Annapolis represents the emergency services community and shows gratitude for those who serve in that capacity.
Dr. Clawson, inventor of the Priority Dispatch SystemÒ (PDS) and NAED co-founder, praised Dr. Bass for his visionary approach to emergency medicine and the emergency protocols.
“He has always had a vision of system structure,” said Dr. Clawson during his introductory remarks. “He gets the big picture. He leads people along the right path to get things done.”
Dr. Bass received his undergraduate and medical degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972 and 1975, respectively. Prior to completing his undergraduate education, he was employed as a police officer in Chapel Hill, NC and served as a volunteer member of the local rescue squad. Dr. Bass completed an internship and residency in the United States Navy and is currently board certified in both emergency medicine and family medicine. He has served as a medical director of emergency medical services (EMS) systems in Charleston, South Carolina, Houston, Texas, Norfolk, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
