Emergency dispatchers cross-trained to handle medical related 911 calls for help

Nashville Emergency Communications Center (ECC) has cross-trained and certified 9-1-1 operators in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). Dispatchers can now provide lifesaving and safety instructions to callers and patients before medical help arrives on the scene, including Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR).

The 9-1-1 medical call for help is answered and processed within Nashville’s ECC. Dispatchers share the information with Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services dispatchers and Nashville Fire Rescue medical responders through an enhanced computer-aided dispatch interface between the city and county. The process saves valued time during life-threatening emergencies.

“Nashville is a growing city with a growing ECC, and our aim with adding EMD to our center has focused on investing in our Emergency Communications personnel,” said Emergency Communications Director Seth Russell. “Through high-quality training, we can triage medical calls with nationally recognized standards and research-based protocols that identify life-threatening situations.”

9-1-1 operators also received training in evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for T-CPR. Tennessee 9-1-1 Dispatcher Training Regulations now require T-CPR training for all 9-1-1 emergency dispatchers.

“Proactive quality improvement (QI) processes are also an important part of our EMD
program,” Russell said. “QI processes will allow our team to assess the quality of services we provide and make positive adjustments to our operational processes and training programs. As well as better support our 9-1-1 heroes who answer the calls for help every single day.”

As a Primary 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), Nashville Emergency Communications personnel are the first to answer the call for help for approximately 50-percent of emergency medical calls in Rutherford County.