County Updates EMD Program

Pasco County (Fla.) has changed its policy for handling EMS-related telephone calls in the wake of a victim’s death when a dispatch supervisor allegedly refused to take over a 911 call from a non-EMD trained dispatcher. Previously, new dispatchers had one year to become certified in EMD, during which they were to have a supervisor handle EMS telephone calls. Now new dispatchers will receive EMD training as part of their initial trainng. In March a caller reported his girlfriend was choking, and the dispatcher who handled the call was not EMD trained. Despite repeated requests by the calltaker, officials say an EMD-trained supervisor declined to take over the call. The supervisor later took retirement, and a second supervisor quit after being notified the county intended to fire her.