Section 515.710  Emergency Medical Dispatcher

a)         EMD Licensure

1)         To apply for licensure as an EMD, the individual shall request that the EMS System submit the following to the Department:

A)        A completed electronic transaction form recommending initial licensure as an EMD; and

B)        Documentation of successful completion of a training course in emergency medical dispatching that meets or exceeds the national curriculum of the United States Department of Transportation for EMS Dispatchers or its equivalent.  (Section 3.70(a) of the Act)

2)         An individual who is certified or recertified by a national certification agency shall be licensed as an EMD if he or she meets the requirements of this Section.

3)         The license shall be valid for a period of four years.

4)         A licensed EMD shall notify the Department within 30 days after any changes in name or address.  Notification may be in person or by mail, phone, fax or electronic mail. Addresses may be changed through the Department's online system. Name and gender changes require legal documents, i.e., marriage license or court documents.

5)         A person may not represent himself or herself, nor may an agency or business represent an agent or employee of that agency or business, as an EMD unless licensed by the Department as an EMD.  (Section 3.70(b)(11) of the Act)

b)         EMD Protocols

1)         The EMD shall use the Department-approved emergency medical dispatch priority reference system (EMDPRS) protocol selected for use by his or her agency and approved by the EMS MD.  Prearrival support instructions shall be provided in a non-discriminatory manner and shall be provided in accordance with the EMDPRS established by the EMS MD of the EMS System in which the EMD operates.  (Section 3.70(a) of the Act)

2)         EMD protocols shall include:

A)        Complaint-related question sets that query the caller in a standardized manner;

B)        Pre-arrival instructions associated with all question sets;

C)        Dispatch determinants consistent with the design and configuration of the EMS System and the severity of the event as determined by the question sets; and

D)        Post-dispatch instructions with all question sets.

3)         If the dispatcher operates under the authority of an Emergency Telephone System Board established under the Emergency Telephone System Act, the protocols shall be established by the Board in consultation with the EMS MD. (Section 3.70(a) of the Act)

4)         The EMD shall provide prearrival instructions in compliance with protocols selected and approved by the System's EMS MD and approved by the Department.  (Section 3.70(b) of the Act)

5)         The Department and the EMS MD shall approve EMDPRS protocols that meet or exceed the requirements of subsection (b)(2) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Emergency Medical Dispatch:  National Standard Curriculum (1996); available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-7954; no later editions or amendments are included.

c)         EMD Relicensure

1)         To apply for relicensure, the EMD shall submit the following to the Department no less than 30 days before the licensure expiration date:

A)        An approval signed by the EMS MD recommending recertification;

B)        Proof of completion of at least 12 hours annually of medical dispatch CE.

2)         The EMD shall file a written or electronic application for renewal with the Department no less than 30 days before the license expiration data.  Incomplete license applications submitted less than 30 days before the expiration of the license may not be processed by the expiration date and will be subject to a late fee.

3)         An EMD whose license has expired may, within 60 days after the license expiration date, complete all relicensure requirements, and submit relicensure fees (see Section 515.460), including a late fee, online or by certified check or money order.  Cash or personal check will not be accepted.  If all relicensure requirements have been met and there are no pending or sustained disciplinary action against the EMD, the Department will relicense the EMD.

4)         An EMD who has not been recommended for relicensure by the EMS MD shall independently submit to the Department an application for recertification.  The EMS MD shall provide the EMD with a copy of the appropriate form to be completed.

d)         EMD Education Program

1)         Department-approved emergency medical dispatch training programs shall be conducted in accordance with the standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Emergency Medical Dispatch:  National Standard Curriculum or equivalent.  (Section 3.70(b)(9) of the Act)

2)         Applications for approval of EMD education programs shall be filed with the Department on forms prescribed by the Department.  The application shall contain, at a minimum, the name of the applicant, agency and address, type of education program, Lead Instructor's name and contact information including e-mail address, and dates of the education program.

3)         Applications for approval, including a copy of the course schedule and syllabus, shall be submitted at least 60 days in advance of the first scheduled class.  A description of the text book being used and passing score for the course shall be included with the application. The application shall be made on a form provided by the Department and will include, but not be limited to, the following:

A)        Name of applicant, agency and address:

B)        Lead Instructor's name, license number, address and contact information, including e-mail address;

C)        Name and signature of the EMS MD and the EMS System Coordinator;

D)        Type of education program;

E)        Dates, times and location of the education program (submit course schedule);

F)         Goals, objectives and course outline;

G)        Methods, materials and text books;

H)        Content and time consistent with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Emergency Medical Dispatch: National Standard Curriculum and additional course curricula required by the Department.  Initial or modified course syllabi shall be approved by the Department;

I)         Description of evaluation instruments (student, clinical units, faculty and programs); and

J)         Requirements for successful completion, when applicable.

4)         All education, training, and CE courses for EMD shall be coordinated by at least one approved EMS Lead Instructor.  (Section 3.65(b)(5) of the Act)  The EMS LI shall be approved by the Department based on the requirements of Section 515.700.

5)         EMD training programs shall be conducted by instructors licensed by the Department as an EMD, EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT or Paramedic who:

A)        are, at a minimum, licensed as emergency medical dispatchers;

B)        have completed a Department-approved course on methods of instruction;

C)        have previous experience in a medical dispatch agency; and

D)        have demonstrated experience as an EMS instructor.  (Section 3.70(b)(14) of the Act)

6)         Any change in the EMD education program's EMS LI shall require that an amendment to the application be filed with the Department.

7)         Questions for all quizzes and tests to be given during the EMD education program shall be approved by the EMS LI and available for review by the Department upon the Department's request.

8)         All approved programs shall maintain course and student records for seven years. The records shall be made available to the Department for review upon request.

e)         Emergency Medical Dispatch Agency Certification

1)         To apply for certification as an emergency medical dispatch agency, the person, organization or government agency that operates an emergency medical dispatch agency shall submit the following to the Department:

A)        A completed emergency medical dispatch agency certification form that includes name and address;

B)        Documentation of the use on every request for medical assistance of an emergency medical dispatch priority reference system (EMDPRS) that complies with this Section and is approved by the EMS MD (Section 3.70(b)(10) of the Act); and

C)        Documentation of the establishment of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program under the approval and supervision of the EMS MD.  (Section 3.70(b)(10) of the Act)  The CQI program shall include, at a minimum, the following:

i)          A quality assistance review process used by the agency to identify EMD compliance with the protocol;

ii)         Random case review;

iii)        Regular feedback of performance results to all EMDs;

iv)        Availability of CQI reports to the Department upon request; and

v)         Compliance with the confidentiality provisions of the Medical Studies Act.

2)         A person, organization, or government agency shall not represent itself as an emergency medical dispatch agency unless the person, organization, or government agency is certified by the Department as an emergency medical dispatch agency.  (Section 3.70(b)(12) of the Act)

f)         Emergency Medical Dispatch Agency Recertification

To apply for recertification, the emergency medical dispatch agency shall submit an application to the Department at least 30 days prior to the certification expiration date.  The application shall document continued compliance with subsection (e).

g)         Revocation or Suspension of EMD or Emergency Medical Dispatch Agency Certification

1)         The EMS MD shall report to the Department whenever an action has taken place that may require the revocation or suspension of a license issued by the Department.  (Section 3.70(b)(4) of the Act)

2)         Revocation or suspension of an EMD license or emergency medical dispatch agency certification shall be in accordance with Section 515.165.

h)         Waiver of Emergency Medical Dispatch Requirements

1)         The Department may modify or waive emergency medical dispatch requirements based on:

A)        The scope and frequency of dispatch activities and the dispatcher's access to training; or

B)        Whether the previously attended dispatcher training program merits automatic relicensure for the dispatcher.  (Section 3.70(b)(15) of the Act)

2)         The following are exempt from the requirements of this Section:

A)        Agencies whose public safety dispatchers only transfer calls to another answering point that is responsible for dispatching of fire or EMS Personnel;

B)        Dispatchers for volunteer or rural ambulance companies providing only one level of care, whose dispatchers are employed by the ambulance service and are not performing call triage, answering 911 calls or providing pre-arrival instructions.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 16159, effective November 1, 2024)