ASTM F1258-95(2022)
(Practice)Standard Practice for Emergency Medical Dispatch
Standard Practice for Emergency Medical Dispatch
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This practice is intended to promote the use of trained telecommunicators in the role of emergency medical dispatcher. It defines the basic skills and medical knowledge to permit understanding and resolution of the problems that constitute their daily routine. To use trained telecommunicators fully as functioning members of the emergency medical team, it is deemed necessary to upgrade the telecommunicators' training by the addition of the concept of emergency medical dispatch priorities.
5.2 All agencies or individuals who routinely accept calls for emergency medical assistance from the public and dispatch emergency medical personnel shall have in effect an emergency medical dispatcher program in accordance with this practice. The program shall include medical direction and oversight and an emergency medical dispatch priority reference system.
5.3 The successful use of the EMD concept depends on the medical community's awareness of the “prearrival” state of EMS affairs and their willingness to provide medical direction in dispatch.
5.4 This practice may assist in overcoming some of the misconceptions regarding emergency medical dispatching. These include the uncontrollable nature of the caller's hysteria, lack of time of the dispatcher, potential danger and liability to the EMD, lack of recognition of the benefits of dispatch prearrival instructions, and misconceptions that red lights, siren, and maximal response are always necessary.
5.5 The EMD is the member of the EMS response team with the broadest view of the entire emergency system's current status and capabilities. The EMD has immediate lifesaving capability in converting the caller into an effective first responder. This practice recognizes the EMD's role as including:
5.5.1 Interrogation techniques,
5.5.2 Triage decisions,
5.5.3 Information transmission,
5.5.4 Telephone medical intervention, and
5.5.5 Logistics and resource coordination during the event.
5.6 For the EMD, th...
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers the definition of responsibilities, knowledge, practices, and organizational support required to implement, perform, and effectively manage the emergency medical dispatch function.
1.2 This practice is useful for planning and evaluating the training, implementation, and organizational support to satisfy the functional needs of emergency medical dispatching.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: F1258 − 95 (Reapproved 2022)
Standard Practice for
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Emergency Medical Dispatch
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1258; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3. Terminology
1.1 This practice covers the definition of responsibilities, 3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
knowledge, practices, and organizational support required to
3.1.1 emergency medical dispatcher (EMD)—a trained pub-
implement, perform, and effectively manage the emergency
lic safety telecommunicator with additional training and spe-
medical dispatch function.
cific emergency medical knowledge essential for the efficient
management of emergency medical communications.
1.2 This practice is useful for planning and evaluating the
training, implementation, and organizational support to satisfy 3.1.2 emergency medical dispatching—the reception and
the functional needs of emergency medical dispatching.
management of requests for emergency medical assistance.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.1.3 emergency medical dispatch priority reference system
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
(EMDPRS)—a medically approved system used by a dispatch
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
agency to provide aid to medical emergencies that includes:
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
systematized caller interrogation questions, systematized pre-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
arrival instructions, and protocols matching the dispatcher’s
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
evaluation of injury or illness severity with vehicle response
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
mode and configuration.
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
3.1.4 medical direction—the management and accountabil-
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
ity for the medical care aspects of an emergency medical
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
dispatch (EMD) program including: the medical monitoring
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
oversight of the training of the EMD personnel; approval and
medical control of the operational emergency medical dispatch
2. Referenced Documents
priority reference system (EMDPRS); evaluation of the medi-
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2.1 ASTM Standards:
cal care and prearrival instructions rendered by the EMD
F1031 Practice for Training the Emergency Medical Tech- personnel; direct participation in the EMD system evaluation,
nician (Basic)
quality assurance, and quality improvement process and
F1381 Guide for Planning and Developing 9-1-1 Enhanced mechanisms; and responsibility for the medical decisions and
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Telephone Systems (Withdrawn 2008) care rendered by the emergency medical dispatcher and emer-
F1552 Practice for Training Instructor Qualification and gency medical dispatch program.
Certification Eligibility of Emergency Medical Dispatch-
3.1.5 public safety telecommunicator—an individual trained
ers
to communicate remotely with persons seeking emergency
F1560 Practice for Emergency Medical Dispatch Manage-
assistance and with agencies and individuals providing such
ment
assistance.
3.1.6 telephone aid—consists of “ad-libbed” telephone in-
structions provided by either trained or untrained dispatchers
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This practice is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee F30 on Emergency
and differs from DLS-based prearrival instructions in that the
Medical Services and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F30.04 on
instructions provided to the caller are based on the dispatcher’s
Communications.
Current edition approved Sept. 1, 2022. Published September 2022. Originally knowledge or previous training in a procedure or treatment
approved in 1990. Last previous edition approved in 2014 as F1258 – 95 (2014).
without following a scripted prearrival instruction protocol.
DOI: 10.1520/F1258-95R22.
They cannot be medically preapproved since they do not exist
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For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
in written form.
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
3.1.7 telephone treatment sequence protocols—specific
the ASTM website.
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treatment strategies designed in a conversational script fo
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