ELIGIBILITY NOTE: This course is one component of APCO’s comprehensive Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Program, which includes training, dispatch guide cards, quality assurance requirements and documentation. Individuals who successfully complete this course ARE NOT QUALIFIED to provide emergency medical dispatch services unless they are employed by an emergency communications center that has implemented or is implementing APCO’s full EMD Program. For more information, contact emd@apcointl.org.

Topics covered provide the student with the knowledge and foundation to answer calls for emergency medical service and properly prioritize the response. The course also provides the student with the knowledge needed to convey proper pre-arrival instructions to the caller when needed.

Topics include:

• Roles, Responsibilities, and Resource Allocation
• Legal & Liability Issues: National/State Standards
• Calltaking and APCO EMD Guidecard Information
• Chief Complain Types Review
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Quality Assurance and Recertification
• Stress Management

The classroom setting provides practical exercises to help the new EMD become familiar with the theories and practices of EMD and students will practice with either their agency's APCO EMD Guidecards or the APCO Institute Training EMD Guidecards in simulated EMD calls.

Completion of this course is required for enrollment in the EMD Instructor.

Note: The online EMD course requires students to attend a web seminar in week three and a practical practice conference call in week six. The week three web seminar lasts approximately one hour. The week six practical practice conference call lasts around 1.5 hours. The final practical practice is completed by a one-on-one conference call with the instructor at the end of the course.

These sessions may or may not be during the student's regularly scheduled work time, especially if the student works overnight. Arrangements will/may have to be made at the agency level to allow the student to attend these required sessions.

CDEs Earned: 32

Recertification Requirements:
APCO certified EMDs must provide proof every two years of 24 hours (12 hours per certification year) of Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE). Complete information on the recertification process is provided at the conclusion of the Emergency Medical Dispatch, 5th Ed., Version 4 course. Recertification requires ongoing continuing education.

Tuition: Registration fees vary, depending of the number of course registrants. Fees will be adjusted at the start of the course, and you will receive a refund or revised invoice if necessary. For more info, contact institute@apcointl.org.

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.