Chief Complaint selection is one of the most important skills for an emergency dispatcher to develop—and one of the most critical moments in any emergency call for help. Selecting the correct Chief Complaint at the opening of the call helps ensure that the correct information will be gathered, the most appropriate response sent, and the most life-critical instructions provided. For many emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs), the selection of Protocol 26 – Sick Person (Specific Diagnosis) is among the most challenging. This is due to the complexity of the protocol, since this requires...

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The manner in which calls are handled at the emergency telecommunication center has a significant role in effective management of assistance on the scene. The main information needed to start a response is the location of the incident, which usually means the complete address. The Genova 118 Center has recently modified its standard greeting from "Genova 118" (STD1) to "Genova 118, where do I send the ambulance?" (STD2). To verify whether the new standard reduces the time needed to acquire a complete address during an emergency call...

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