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Shopping Guide News Wednesday, February 18, 2026
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What are the Priority Dispatch protocols? Priority Dispatch protocols are designed for time-critical decision-making and enable telecommunicators to provide lifesaving instructions before responders arrive. Developed and maintained by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and delivered through the Priority Dispatch system, the protocols are organized into three disciplines: emergency medical, fire and police dispatch. Each uses structured questioning, determinant codes and pre-arrival instructions to guide callers through emergencies. Here is a look at the three protocol groups and why they matter.
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Why 911 dispatchers ask so many questions and how it helps save lives
Emergency Medical Dispatch
Emergency Medical Dispatch provides: • Rapid identification of life-threatening conditions. • Determinant codes that define response priority. • Pre-arrival instructions, including CPR and AED use, choking relief, childbirth assistance, bleeding control and airway management. EMD transforms the call taker into the first link in the chain of survival. In many cases, what occurs during the first two to three minutes of a call directly affects patient outcomes. Continued on page 2
AT WORK — Two telecommunicators at the Fulton County 911 Center are shown at their consoles handling calls for all county emergency services. The center has a team of 13 highly trained telecommunicators who are vital to the safety of callers and first responders. Photo provided by Fulton County 911 Center.
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You have an emergency and you call 911 but you are asked many questions. Why? The person handling your call is a trained professional who must ask specific questions to ensure the appropriate emergency service is dispatched and that responders are fully prepared when they arrive. “Our mission is to provide exceptional customer service and compassionate care to our community and to those traveling through our jurisdiction,” said Brittney Thompson, director of Fulton County’s 911 center. Fulton County 911 has a team of 13 highly trained telecommunicators. Each is trained in the protocols and required questions that
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must be answered. They are also vital to the safety of callers and responders. Recently, to support this mission, the communications center began using the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch Priority Dispatch system. The center went live with the third discipline Feb. 10. “This enables us to provide call-taking instructions for police, fire and emergency medical services,” Thompson said. “These protocols are lifesaving tools for 911 centers and significantly improve outcomes for callers and emergency personnel. They are not scripts, but evidence-based systems designed to bring order, safety and precision to some of the most chaotic moments individuals experience,” she said. Continued on page 2
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