Right On Target

ProQA^® software is designed with automated capabilities to guide the Emergency Dispatcher through the protocols developed by the Emergency Dispatcher through the protocols developed by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch^® (IAED^™). This tool allows Emergency Dispatchers to efficiently and consistently gather information, dispatch resources, and provide both Pre-Arrival Instructions (PAIs) and Post-Dispatch Instructions (PDIs) to the caller.

In order for the Emergency Dispatcher to handle the unique dynamics of each emergency, ProQA offers flexible features in its intuitive interface. The Target Tool offers a pathway to critical instructions, represented by a simple bullseye icon located on the top navigation panel. 

When and how to use the Target Tool 

Many Emergency Dispatchers can relate to the confusion of being passed around to multiple callers, relying on pieces of scrambled descriptions amid background chaos, while actively trying to discern the evolving story of what has happened and, most importantly, what is needed at the scene. 

No ideal sixth sense can predict the best path for these situations. You can only do your best to gain control of the call, follow the most appropriate interrogation pathway (based on the clearest description), and send help in a timely fashion. While on that path, you may receive a clearer picture of the instructions the caller needs. In these moments of clarification or changing conditions at the scene, the Target Tool is here for you. 

After you have sent an initial Determinant Code to get responders on their way, the Target Tool icon will change from gray to full color (red) to indicate that it is now active. (In Medical, the icon changes from gray to yellow after the caller party question, then appears red after a Determinant Code has been sent.) Clicking on the icon populates a full menu of Dispatch Life Support Instructions that can be accessed instantly, regardless of which screen you are currently viewing. 

Typical uses 

Emergency Dispatchers sometimes use the Target Tool to access Urgent Disconnect instructions (rather than bypass several screens) when either the caller or the calltaker must end a call due to caller safety or the nature of the incident (including emergency rule circumstances when incoming calls—often reporting the same incident—exceed the number of available calltakers). This is especially common for large agencies managing a high call volume. 

Another useful option is the Target Tool’s quick access to Arrival Interface. While guiding the caller through CPR instructions, for example, you can easily access the appropriate Arrival Interface panel to instruct the caller how to allow help to take over in the appropriate manner.

Less commonly (due to deliberate logic design), you may also use the Target Tool when you are already giving instructions on the PAI Panels but updated information requires you to go back or skip to another part of the instructions (not listed as next steps in the pathway). This might look like beginning on the Protocol F: Childbirth-Delivery Protocol and instructing the caller to get towels to prepare for the delivery, but now the caller reports the baby has just partially been delivered. You can use the Target Tool menu to quickly navigate to the panel you need to access without stumbling through several steps to find the instructions that apply now.

Medical functionality

In the Medical Priority Dispatch System^™ (MPDS^®), the Target Tool brings up a large variety of menu options. The top portion of gray buttons represent common DLS pathways. On the left are Case Exit X-1, Arrival Interface, Urgent Disconnect, Cord around Neck/Body (childbirth), Monitor Baby/Mother (childbirth), and Heat Exposure. The column on the right is mainly Post-Dispatch Instructions for Person on Fire, Nosebleed, External SERIOUS Hemorrhage/Amputation, Seizure PDIs, Critical Caller Danger, Case Entry PDIs, and Cold Exposure. 

The radio buttons below these options allow the Emergency Dispatcher to select the appropriate age range of the patient, which determines the Pre-Arrival Instruction Protocol options that display in the drop-down menu below. 

If you double-click one of the main lettered PAI Protocols, the software will take you to the beginning panel of those instructions. If you want to go to a specific panel, you must first click once to highlight the appropriate PAI Protocol, then double-click on the applicable panel in the second drop-down menu at the bottom of the screen to be directed there.

PPDS functionality

In the Police Priority Dispatch System^™ (PPDS^®), the Target Tool functions similarly, becoming available after sending a Determinant Code and populating a quick-access PAI menu. 

Obviously, that menu is quite different for PPDS, including the following: Sinking Vehicle/Vehicle in Floodwater (Caller Inside), Hostage/Bomb/Suspicious Package, Caller in Danger, Person Trapped in Vehicle Trunk, Active Assailant (Shooter), Tourniquet, and Case Exit (Disconnect Protocols, Bleeding Control, Burn Treatment).

One distinction to be aware of is the role of designated defaults built into the ProQA toolbar. For instance, tools such as the Person or Vehicle Description Essential Tool will always open for collecting Suspect information first. Similarly, the Police Target Tool’s default setting is PAI Protocol C: Caller in Danger because it’s the most frequently accessed option.

“These instructions may be needed before the Key Question prompts the Caller in Danger question,” said Dave Warner, IAED Police Protocol, Academics, and Standards Expert. “The EPD may also need to interrupt giving PDIs or Case Exit Instructions and refer to these Caller in Danger instructions to address changing scene dynamics provided by the caller.”

An EPD may also utilize the Target Tool for Bleeding Control or possibly Burn Treatment PAIs (on Protocol X), although they are also provided as DLS Links for most Chief Complaints where these instructions would be needed.

FPDS functionality

The Target Tool is not used a lot within the Fire Priority Dispatch System^™ (FPDS^®) because potential instructions are intentionally provided very early in the sequence of each Chief Complaint Protocol.

However, the Target Tool provides quick access to the following PAI Protocols: Water Rescue, Building Evacuation and Health/Life Safety, Backcountry Hazards, USAR/Vehicle and Other Hazards, Chemical Suicide, Tunnel Fire, Wildland Fire Hazards, Medical Assessment and Treatment, Active Assailant (Shooter), Tourniquet, Vehicle on Fire (Caller Inside), and Case Exit.

According to Mike Thompson, IAED Fire Protocol, Academics, and Standards Expert, Emergency Fire Dispatchers (EFDs) most often utilize the medical instructions (particularly Bleeding Control) prior to the DLS Link where these instructions are typically accessed.

Conclusion

When handling an evolving circumstance, you can stay in control by using the Target Tool to quickly access and provide critical instructions that are not expected in your current or upcoming protocol pathway. This tool enhances the Emergency Dispatcher’s ability to respond to unique variables while projecting a sense of preparation, professionalism, and confidence to the caller.

Using the Target Tool requires a firm understanding of the PAI and PDI panels available and the appropriate moments to utilize them effectively. As dynamics at the scene change or are revealed in greater detail, you can still provide help as the first, first responder.