BCSO EMD qualified dispatchers provide medical self-help to callers until emergency response units arrive on the
scene. This is accomplished by using protocol cards available to each dispatcher according to the medical situation
described by the caller.(Such as difficulty breathing or chest pain.)
Emergency medical dispatchers cannot diagnose medical conditions by telephone, but can provide basic
instructions to treat symptoms or even perform CPR until paramedics arrive.
The types of calls requiring EMD range from choking, to childbirth, to CPR. For those dispatchers who are new to
EMD, this provides an exciting new dimension to their jobs and is highly rewarding.
