Job Details

Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Under the Duty Captain and Patriot Emergency Medical Services Inc. officers, the ideal Emergency Medical Dispatcher ("incumbent") will perform duties associated with providing telecommunications services and directing emergency medical care to the sick and injured in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and Patriot Emergency Medical Services Inc. policies.

The incumbent must possess and apply knowledge and skills necessary to perform the duties of dispatcher, in a dignified and compassionate manner including:

• Directing emergency and non-emergency calls, calmly, efficiently and promptly
• Assessing the nature and extent of injury or illness to establish and prioritize medical resources;
• Communicating with professional medical personnel and treatment facilities to obtain instructions regarding further treatment and/or to arrange reception of patients to the appropriate center

The incumbent must perform all job responsibilities in a manner that protects patient privacy:

• The incumbent is expected to protect the privacy of all patient information in accordance with the Company's privacy policies, procedures, and practices, as required by federal [and state] law, and in accordance with general principles of professionalism as a health care provider.
• The incumbent may access protected health information and other patient information only to the extent that is necessary to complete your job duties. The incumbent may only share such information with those who have a need to know specific patient information you have in your possession to complete their job responsibilities related to treatment, payment or other Company operations.
• The incumbent is encouraged and expected to report, without the threat of retaliation, any concerns regarding the Company's Policies and Procedures on patient privacy and any observed practices in violation of that Policy to the designated Privacy Officer.
• The incumbent is expected to actively participate in Company privacy training and is required to communicate privacy Policy information to coworkers, students, patients and others in accordance with Company Policy.
• Coordinating requests for non-emergency transports in accordance with the non-emergency transport policies
• Monitoring communication equipment to maintain contact with the dispatcher
• Performing rescue operations
• Maintaining apparatus and equipment
• Cleaning, emptying trash and other related duties around the corporate office
• Representing the ambulance service while on duty at public service functions, expositions, and other public events
• Be a team player, as EMS is a team effort, and providers must provide necessary assistance to ensure system sanitation, readiness and adherence to quality assurance standards
• Be flexible, as emergency services operate on a 24-hour clock; the incumbent's assigned work shift schedule may vary and the incumbent should be available to respond immediately for a call during the assigned work period, and the start and shift times may vary due to the nature of the business
• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of local geography, which includes maps, streets, and grid book systems
• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of applicable current standards of care, including equipment functions and uses
• Assure that all certifications, licenses and registrations are up-to-date.

Educational Requirements:

The incumbent must have a minimum of either a high school diploma or a GED as evidence of completion of a high school education and must have and maintain a valid driver's license as well as reliable transportation.

Upon Accepting a position as a dispatcher the employee agrees to obtain and maintain certification in EMD, APCO, CPR, HAZMAT Awareness, HAZMAT Operations, ICS 100,200,300,400,700,800. Additional required training: Documentation, HIPAA, ZOLL and Emergency Medical Technician.

Patriot Emergency Medical Services Dispatch Protocol

Overview of FCC Rules and Regulations

It Is Unlawful To:

• Transmit Superfluous Signals, Messages, or Communications of any kind on your radio transmitter.
• To use profane, indecent, or obscene language.
• To willfully damage or permit radio apparatus to be damaged.
• To cause unlawful or malicious interference with any other radio communications.
• To intercept and use or publish the contents of any radio message without the express permission of the proper authorities in your department.
• To transmit without first making sure that the intended transmission will not cause harmful interference.
• To make unnecessary or unidentified transmissions.
• To make any adjustments, repairs, or alterations whatsoever to your radio transmitter. It is required by law that only professional radio technicians, holding a second class license or higher, may make adjustments or repairs.
• To deny access to your radio equipment if a properly identified representative of the Federal Communications Commission asks to inspect it. The equipment must be made available at any reasonable hour.
• To transmit a call signal, letter or numeral which has not been assigned to your station.

It is the responsibility of the dispatcher to transmit clear, brief, and concise messages.

Organization and staffing:

The operation responsibilities for receiving all citizens and facilities requests for ambulances and ambulettes and associated dispatching are assigned to Patriot EMS. Personnel will be assigned shifts that are twelve hours and typically run on a 36/48 schedule. Dispatchers are determined by workload. Dispatchers are directly accountable to the Duty Captain.

Basic elements of dispatching:

The reception and processing of citizens/field units request for assistance.

The actual dispatching of field units.

The maintenance of all records and transactions.

A dispatcher will retain responsibility for an incident from the receipt through assignment completion, enabling the dispatcher to efficiently and intelligently handle each call for service.

Responsibility for incoming requests/information rests with the dispatcher receiving the original complaint or request and cannot be relinquished, except to a higher authority in performance of duty or as necessitated during shift change. (In other words, when taking a call from the public or field unit, follow up on the call/request to its completion).

Whenever any console position within Patriot EMS becomes overloaded with incoming calls or a generalized heavy workload, any other position in the office less busy at the time shall immediately assist the overloaded dispatcher.

Authority:

Dispatchers assigned to the radio room as dispatchers, perform in accordance with the policies of Patriot EMS, the FCC, and orders and guidelines contained in the dispatch protocol manual.

Dispatchers inform the field units of information that may or may not require their action. It is the Deputy Chief or shift supervisor's responsibility to make command decisions. Dispatchers do have the authority as to the priority of the calls to be dispatched, and which units to send based upon location or availability according to set guidelines and policies.

Overriding a dispatcher:

Should any field unit have a good reason to doubt, or question the authority or practicality of a given assignment, the field unit shall notify the Duty Captain or if after hours the on-call supervisor. The supervisor shall have the authority to change the decision of reassignment of field units as he/she feels necessary and which is in compliance with the guidelines and notify the dispatcher of such changes. Under no circumstances will arguing with a dispatcher be permitted, and such action may be construed as cause for disciplinary measures to the offending field unit and or dispatcher. Refusal to respond will be considered a voluntary resignation.

General duties and responsibilities for dispatchers are hereby adopted by Patriot EMS.

a. Knowledge of Local Geography: Dispatchers must have a good working knowledge of the geography of the Patriot EMS service area and a mental picture of the location of highways, businesses, buildings, etc.

b. Knowledge of departmental policies and execute faithfully the service program within their respective areas of responsibility.

c. Responsibility of conditions and operations of Patriot EMS; while on duty, dispatchers will be responsible for the condition of the building and for its economical and efficient operation in accordance with policies, orders, guidelines, rules, or conduct and practices.

d. Telephone Courtesy: When answering the telephone, dispatchers will answer as follows: "Thank You for Calling Patriot EMS, May I please help you?" Dispatchers will be courteous and exert every effort to satisfy the reasonable and valid needs of citizens requesting service, assistance, or information, and courteously explain and instances where jurisdiction does not lie within the Patriot EMS area. All incoming calls should be answered as soon as possible.

e. Duty to remain on Post Until Relieved: Except when in the course of their work it becomes necessary to leave temporarily, dispatchers will remain at their respective positions while on duty. Under no circumstances will the dispatch center be occupied by less than one individual. Failure to remain on post will be considered