Apr 23, 2025 - Jun 03, 2025
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1. Current EMD 5.4 student certification 2. Current CPR (AHA/ARC/Equiv) Certification 3.
EMT-A or Paramedic or higher Certification *if applicable 4. Minimum one-year experience in
an emergency communications center (ECC), a telematics or 3-1-1 call center. 5. Must be
affiliated with an agency.
The APCO Institute EMD Program combines telecommunicator skills with medical knowledge. According to ASTM and NHTSA standards the APCO Institute requires that the Emergency Medical Dispatch Course be taught by instructors with telecommunicator and medical backgrounds. All EMD instructor candidates must hold a current CPR certification (AHA, ARC or equivalent) and those who wish to teach the medical portion must have, minimally, current certification as an EMD-Advanced under the National Standard Curriculum as set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and ASTM International.
Affiliation agency MUST be implementing the APCO EMD Program, or completely implemented with guidecards in-house.
Any candidate that does not possess or obtain this level of training will be classified as a
restricted dispatch instructor and will not be able to teach the medical portion of the courses. Agencies with a restricted dispatch instructor must also have a restricted medical instructor that meets the required level of training and required medical certification. If one individual can fulfill both the telecommunications and medical requirements, that person may teach the entire course alone. If not, the course must be presented by two APCO EMD instructors who meet the proper qualifications. Any agency that does not have an in-house medical instructor can contact APCO for assistance with instructing the medical modules for an additional cost.
Students enrolled in this course will participate in class with those learning to teach in other disciplines as well. Course content includes general instructional theory and techniques, as well as specific strategies for teaching APCO’s Emergency Medical Dispatch course.
Topics include:
- Introduction to EMD
- The Instructional Process
- The Design/Utilization of Instructional Media
- Legal Issues in Training
- Utilizing Lesson Plans and Student Materials
- Overview of the EMD Program
- Simulation Design and Evaluation
- Practical Skill Development
- Student and Course Evaluations
- Implementation Policies and Procedures
Restrictions:
APCO Institute certified EMD 5.4 Instructors may not conduct classes outside their own agency. Excluded from this restriction are agencies who are part of a regional system with a common medical director and common guidecards. EMD programs vary from agency to agency and APCO Institute, in accordance with the NHTSA and ASTM Standards, restricts instructors to instruction in their own agencies. Contact APCO Institute for more details.
CDEs Earned: 40
Recertification Requirements:
APCO certified Emergency Medical Dispatch Instructors must provide proof every two years of 24 hours (12 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE) and 24 hours (12 hours per certification year) of Instructing hours. Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Emergency Medical Dispatch 5th Ed., Version 4 Instructor course.
Recertification requires ongoing continuing education and teaching.
Tuition:
Options |
Term |
Tuition |
|
Non-Member |
Member * |
Online |
6 weeks |
$605 |
$555 |
* You must be a current Associate, Full or Commercial member to receive member discounts on all courses. Online members receive member discounts on online courses only.
**
Virtual Classroom Requirements and Expectations
Late fee $25 (applied 10 days prior to course start date)
Tuition includes a comprehensive course manual and all certification fees.
Additional shipping fees may apply for international shipments.
Tuition for live courses does not include travel, lodging, meals or other costs. Online class tuition does not include web access fees or other local internet/web-related costs. Successful students will earn APCO Institute certification.