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IT STARTS WITH A CALL FOR HELP
 When
emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) and communication specialist Zack Lane
receives a call for help, he must make quick and confident decisions based
on limited information from the caller.
He follows protocols from a Medical Priority Dispatch System that contains
answers to a huge selection of medical emergency situations. The EMD is
one of the most important emergency caregivers, because he or she is the
first link in a chain of events that can save a life.
“It can be stressful because a lot of different things can be going on at
the same time. You have to keep track of ambulances, sometimes calm your
callers and give them instructions for what to do before crews arrive,” he
says.
EMDs provide valuable help and support to callers as emergency vehicles
are dispatched simultaneously. They ask questions to best assess the
situation and give pre-arrival instructions such as how to start CPR or
clear airways.
 St.
John’s Communication Center in Springfield receives and processes requests
from 10 counties in Missouri. There are five certified advanced emergency
medical dispatchers on duty 24 hours daily in the state-of-the-art
facility located in the lower level of St. John’s Emergency Trauma Center.
Each of the 33 staff members provides service to ground and air
ambulances and have background in EMS, 911 communications and/or aviation
and hold nationally recognized certifications from the National Academies
of Emergency Dispatch and National Association of Air Medical
Communication Specialists. All staff members are currently EMT licensed in
the state of Missouri.
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