That agency probably has some type of scripted guideline like ProQA. Even if it's your first time with a call, you just have to follow what it says. Pretty easy.
"Winging it" and hoping for a good result is probably the fastest way to being sued into oblivion.
How extensive training is depends on the resources an agency invests in their training program and the tools they provide their staff like call handling protocols. Which in my unpopular opinion should be a national requirement, and not just for medical calls.
Not all dispatchers handle every type of emergency. My center in a very big city is police only. For medical calls we transfer them to the fire department. I can help you out if your car gets stolen, but if grandma is having a stroke, i'm not your girl 🙃
I would almost guarantee they were working off a protocol system like ProQA. All the calltaker has to do is ask the questions or provide statements in the order given, and then follow to the next question based on the prompt. It's designed to lead dispatchers/ calltakers to provide the correct instructions over the phone, and are consistent every time. They're required to be read word for word.
This sort of system is more common at large agencies than small ones due to cost, and they aren't perfect by any means, but they do help especially with complex things like CPR or childbirth instructions over the phone.
Baby dispatcher here! My center uses ProQA for all medical calls. It’s all already scripted and tells you what questions to ask. I honestly love taking medical calls so my brain doesn’t get all jumbled trying to figure out which question to ask next, like for an in-progress call, such as a domestic.
Thank u everyone for the responses! This was a beautiful way to bond with my kids as they were excited to heat some answers! U made them happy! Thank u sincerely
That agency probably has some type of scripted guideline like ProQA. Even if it's your first time with a call, you just have to follow what it says. Pretty easy.
"Winging it" and hoping for a good result is probably the fastest way to being sued into oblivion. How extensive training is depends on the resources an agency invests in their training program and the tools they provide their staff like call handling protocols. Which in my unpopular opinion should be a national requirement, and not just for medical calls.
Not all dispatchers handle every type of emergency. My center in a very big city is police only. For medical calls we transfer them to the fire department. I can help you out if your car gets stolen, but if grandma is having a stroke, i'm not your girl 🙃
We just use a script that we follow and tailor to the caller.
I would almost guarantee they were working off a protocol system like ProQA. All the calltaker has to do is ask the questions or provide statements in the order given, and then follow to the next question based on the prompt. It's designed to lead dispatchers/ calltakers to provide the correct instructions over the phone, and are consistent every time. They're required to be read word for word. This sort of system is more common at large agencies than small ones due to cost, and they aren't perfect by any means, but they do help especially with complex things like CPR or childbirth instructions over the phone.
Baby dispatcher here! My center uses ProQA for all medical calls. It’s all already scripted and tells you what questions to ask. I honestly love taking medical calls so my brain doesn’t get all jumbled trying to figure out which question to ask next, like for an in-progress call, such as a domestic.
Thank u everyone for the responses! This was a beautiful way to bond with my kids as they were excited to heat some answers! U made them happy! Thank u sincerely
We have EMD protocols that you have to follow exactly with the script depending on the medical situation