Setting a High Bar

One of the most important concepts in the American Legal System is “standard of care.” But what exactly is it, and why does it matter to what we do in emergency dispatch?

The legal concept of standard of care means acting in the way that a reasonable person would act under the same or similar circumstances. It matters because it defines the level of prudence and caution a person must exercise to avoid being found negligent for an injury that their action (or inaction) caused to another person.

In a professional context, the applicable standard of care ensures that individuals performing specialized functions adhere to best practices and maintain levels of skill and competence consistent with their industry counterparts in similar roles. As it relates specifically to emergency dispatch communication centers, the standard of care is essential in safeguarding both the public and first responders by facilitating effective, swift, and accurate communication and support during emergencies.

The standard of care in emergency dispatch revolves around procedural policies and operational protocols that emergency dispatchers must follow to provide appropriate assistance. This includes the obligation of emergency dispatchers to be trained and certified in the discipline for which they are taking calls, to collect and relay precise information without assumption or bias, to deploy appropriate services, and to give Dispatch Life Support Instructions whenever possible and appropriate.

However, at its core, the standard of care in emergency dispatch requires the use of, and adherence to, structured calltaking protocols.

Now, if you’re wondering how structured calltaking protocols came to form the basis of the standard of care in emergency dispatch, you need to read this 1993 article by Robert L. Martin, Executive Director of the then-named NAEMD^™. You’ll see how, in just a few years, the formation of what is today known as the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch^®, with the support of the EMS industry and beyond, defined precisely what every person is legally required to receive whenever, wherever, and however they contact 911.