DNA To Today

Not many would compare the role of protocol in emergency dispatch with the process of DNA duplication, but that’s just the type of thinking protocol co-founder Dr. Jeff Clawson uses to build his scientific, evidence-based steps for progress—shaping each protocol through several decades of research and refinement.

The Academy often refers to its protocols as “living,” because of their evolving nature. But that evolution isn’t controlled by a sole user or a local “Academy of One.” If so, each protocol could adapt entirely to the preferences of its environment and may thrive there for a time, but it would lose its core integrity, leading to eventual collapse.

When making changes to gain immediate localized “advantages,” a so-modified protocol loses research tracking capabilities, widespread user collaboration, non-local expert input, scientific research, critical protocol updates, and shared best practices.

As the “DNA of Dispatch” article (internally called by the code name “The Evolution of Fish”) powerfully demonstrates, a mishandled protocol can evolve into a quirky or even dangerous mutation. These misfit protocols have no research in their foundation, no built-in structured plan for improvement, and no ability to test, compare, or evaluate their perceived “upgrades.” Furthermore, neglected and outdated protocol versions lack the moral responsibility or integrity to advance to a higher standard of care.

Unfortunately, these protocol practices become indefensible, especially if they endanger the public who relies upon them. They are essentially “human experimentation” without any scientific constraints.

When Dr. Clawson observed this concept firsthand, staring at an early protocol draft he’d nearly forgotten 10 versions earlier, he lost his appetite for dinner that night and wrote this piece instead.

Dealing with the limitations of data and user information at that time, Dr. Clawson realized he had essentially released a “monster” into the hands of the public who could do whatever they wanted with it—no questions asked, and no accountability. The discovery of protocol “users” proud of dusty drafts and do-it-yourself upgrades was a weight he couldn’t bear.

The years that followed spurred an evolution of a structural variety, building the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch^® into the standard-setting organization it is today. With the widespread input and organized consistency the Academy provided, the unified protocol could evolve with defined requirements and support.

Since the DNA of Dispatch article was first published in 1997, there has been one big change that has profoundly affected the use of emergency dispatch protocols— the widespread adoption of emergency dispatch caller-interrogation software. This single change has enabled one software application—ProQA^® —to revolutionize the use of dispatch protocols.

Indeed, it is the emergency dispatch equivalent of the Human Genome Project, famous for decoding and sequencing the entire set of human genetic instructions. Likewise, ProQA codifies and sequences the entire DNA of dispatch, allowing for an orderly evolution of dispatch to continue for the rest of time.

Today, the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System^™, Fire Priority Dispatch System^™, and Police Priority Dispatch System^™ continue to evolve with the Academy’s Council of Standards’ review, study, and approval. Each protocol is updated biannually through well examined and tested software version updates (typically in the spring and fall) to continue to provide the latest and greatest research and experience available to over 4,300 discipline-specific centers.

“You don’t have time to stumble over your own dead bodies to know what needs to be changed in the protocol,” Dr. Clawson said. “The beauty of the Academy is it brings everyone else’s experiences home for you. You don’t have to suffer the same failures yourself and then hope that you fixed it the right way—just for you.”

In the end, the protocol is only as effective as those who believe in it—and contribute to it. As Dr. Clawson says, “You can have control, or you can have content evolution, but you can’t have both.”