Okeechobee County implements Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) Program

Posted 10/9/20

Okeechobee County Fire Rescue Chief Ralph Franklin has announced that his department, in cooperation with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Communications Center, has implemented the Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) Program.

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Okeechobee County implements Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) Program

Posted

OKEECHOBEE — Okeechobee County Fire Rescue Chief Ralph Franklin has announced that his department, in cooperation with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Communications Center, has implemented the Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) Program.

Emergency Medical Dispatch is a systematic program of handling medical calls. Trained telecommunicators, using locally approved EMD Guidecards, quickly and properly determine the nature and priority of the call, dispatch the appropriate response, then give the caller instructions to help treat the patient until the responding EMS unit arrives. The treatment instructions given to the caller have been approved by the OCFR medical director.

As Okeechobee County operates a co-located communication center, all Sheriff’s Office and City of Okeechobee Police Department telecommunicators have received this training. Newly hired telecommunicators will receive the training also.

The initial EMD training consists of a 32-hour training course, certification in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and a certification examination. All telecomunicators must recertify every two years. Recertification requires the completion of 24-hours of Continuing Education courses, current certification in CPR, and a recertification examination.

This program was made possible by using a grant from the Florida Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and funds from the countywide EMS assessment fees.

EMD, emergency medical dispatching

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