title: Emergency medical dispatch.
abstract: EMD will always remain somewhat of an imprecise science by nature. 911 is, after all, the access point for lifesaving assistance, and citizens must have absolute freedom to this service. The consequence of having the freedom to request help from any location at any time is that some individuals will use it for the wrong reasons. Present-day dispatchers must serve ever-broadening communities with multiple languages, cultural diversity, and unique health needs. Along with other essential personnel that make up the fabric of the public safety net, emergency medical dispatchers have now become essential to the provision of time-critical skills and compassion for perceived medical emergency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92103-8676, USA. jdunford@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: James V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Dunford
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D000552:Ambulances / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004631:Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D013689:Telephone; D014481:United States