ABOUT CODE 3
With over 35 years of collective medical and healthcare field expertise and direction, we at Code 3 Consultants would like an opportunity to be your comprehensive medical team.
Working with Code 3 Consultants gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the many benefits we offer.
Please read our services page to understand just how hard we work to provide our associates with the direction and peace of mind needed by fast response teams. Those teams can work productively without needing to worry, because we stand by to protect you while you protect others!
Whether your facility has one or one hundred EMS vehicles operating daily, we at Code 3 Consultants encompass and cover the entire state of Texas. From Amarillo to Brownsville, El Paso to Texarkanas we are there!
David White Is the Emergency Program Director for C3C holds numerous certifications from the Emergency Management Institute, National Fire Academy, Texas Department of health, Bureau of Radiation Control, and Columbia College of Medicine. He has assisted in investigations of worker's compensation fraud, advised the National Crime Insurance Bureau and insurance associations. He is also a memeber of the Local Emergency Planning Commitee.
Dr. Douglas Sharp Is a Board Certified Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon. He is a designated Civil Surgeon by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Department of Homeland Security.
E M D I N F O
Emergency Medical Dispatch consists of three parts:
1) Triaging the in-coming request for medical service to determine the level of response--no response, non-emergency transport, emergency transport. This feature depends heavily on the area's emergency medical facilities, and the availability of alternate, non-emergency transport methods and treatment facilities. Many jurisdictions do not implement this feature of EMD, but it is an important component in reducing abuse or overcrowding of the local emergency medical system, reducing incidents (which helps conserve available resoures for the fire department, ambulance provider, emergency rooms, etc.), and helping to reduce accidents.
2) Providing pre-arrival instructions to the caller, so they can immediately help the victim. The level of telephone assistance can vary from just simple advice (call your doctor), to complete instructions for CPR. This is the most visible component of EMD and, if you're the victim, perhaps the most valuable feature--saving lives. Pre-arrival instructions are most commonly provided on flip cards, arranged so the dispatcher can question the caller and, based on the answers, quickly go the card that contains the correct advice, instructions, etc.
3) The and most critical feature of EMD is quality assurance. Each EMD program must originate with the complete involvement and cooperation of local emergency medical officials. Each aspect of the EMD protocol selected must be reviewed, revised as needed and approved by the local or regional EMS agency. This ensures that the information and procedures being given by the dispatchers is correct, and appropriate for local conditions. In addition, there must be an on-going review of the use of the EMD protocols by the dispatchers, to ensure they're following them correctly, and that the protocols have a positive impact on the victims. This review could involve random selection of several incidents each month for analysis, grading, providing feedback to the dispatcher, and revision of the protocols if necessary.
This concept--an immediate "arrival" of medical help--was born in the late 1970s and had two roots for the "protocols," or methods used. First, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) developed a set of protocols in the late 1970s as part of a program to improve survivability of vehicle crash victims on the nation's highways. A second set of protocols was developed by Dr. Jeff Clawson in 1979 as part of an attempt to reduce the number of Code 3 medical runs and, therefore, the number of fire department-related vehicle accidents. Now, at least three groups or companies market materials based in some part on the DOT materials, while Clawson's materials are marketed by the company he founded, Medical Priority Consultants, Inc.
The main sources of EMD information and training are:
U.S. Department of Transportation
A national standard curriculum originally developed in 1976. It consists of an Instructor's Guide, Trainee Guide, and Manager's Guide, all in Acrobat (pdf) format--surf the entire list of documents to download them.
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) This federal agency now distributes the updated 1996 version of the EMD materials, which consist of a manager's guide, instructor's guide and trainee's guide, all available for download in Acrobat (pdf) format.
Medical Priority Consultants, Inc.
Developed by Dr. Jeff Clawson in 1979 while he worked at the Salt Lake City (UT) Fire Department. He then formed this company in 1987 to market an expanded set of protocols for a fee (now at Version 11). [Web site]
National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch
Organization founded in 1988 that manages and administers the EMD protocols originated by Dr. Clawson. [Web site]
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Introduced in 1990 and available for a fee. [Web site]
PowerPhone
A private company that provides EMD training and protocols. [Web site]
National Communications Institute (NCI)
A private company that provides EMD training and protocols. [Web site]
American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)
This standards-setting body has several related to EMD, available for a $30 each:
F1560-94 Standard Practice for Emergency Medical Dispatch Management
F1258-95 Standard Practice for Emergency Medical Dispatch
F1552-94 Standard Practice for Training Instructor Qualification and Certification Eligibility of Emergency Medical Dispatchers
State of California's EMS Authority
Web page on EMD, including guidelines and plan
Jones & Bartlett publishers
Web site that supports their textbook on EMD
2000 Conference of the National Academy of EMD
The Communications Committee of the National Association of State EMS Directors (NASEMSD) voted to recommend endorsement of the Model Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Legislation proposed by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch (NAEMD). Check their Web site for more information. 11-21-2001
Front Range Community College (Colo.)
offers an EMD course for public safety dispatchers. 5-28-2002
The EMS subcommittee of ITSA America
the intelligent transportation trade group, issued a 25-page report with recommendations on improving EMS services, and which focused mainly on communications. [Acrobat, pdf format, 850k] 10-7-2002
Page, Wolfberg & Wirth
specializes in medical and emergency medical legal matters. They have lots of resources on privacy, billing and other issues. Also check this on-line article written by one of their attorneys on the 2002 federal medical privacy legislation. 12-16-2002
CONTACT US
For general inquiries:
Administration@Code3Consultants.com
12100 Overbrook Lane #15A Houston, TX 77077 Phone: 832-477-0583
Fax: 281-497-1008
Mr. David White, E.P.D., Administration
davidwhite@Code3Consultants.com
Dr. Douglas R. Sharp, Chief Medical Officer
douglassharp@Code3Consultants.com
Email:email youremail@email.com
S E R V I C E S
(1.) A Medical Control Officer/ Medical Director who will work with you and not against you, always understanding your needs and interests in the ever changing field of Fire, EMS, and First Responder Organizations.
(2.) A reduction of your normal monthly operating expenses and costs.
(3.) An opportunity for application for Federal Grants, with proper requirements, education, and certification. Also Continuing Medical Education.
(4.) Your advocate, in the extreme event an administrative infraction has occurred including fines and suspensions.
(5.) Peer Review and Cost Containment for Insurance Associations.
(6.) Immigration Physicals and Immunizations for local, state and travel overseas.
(7) A unique opportunity to obtain your medical supplies at a greatly reduced Rate and Price as well as Protocols, Standing Medical Orders and Standard Operating Prodedures.
(8) Medical Review for usual and customary practises for those services that prevail in the community.
(9) Medical Control Officer for paramedics, registered nurses, or physicians assistants working in/ or offshore for the petroleum or pipeline industries.
(10) Medical Advisor for Industrial Organizations.
N E W S
News: 1 JUNE 2005
Standing Orders now issued to our EMS clients to administer immunizations by appropriate qualified personnel. They may also conduct Tuberculosis skin tests and administer propholaxis in the event that any EMS personnel were exposed during the course of their employment.
If you and your response team are in the state of Texas and your Licensure is almost due for renewal now is the time to act. We will actively reduce your normal operating expenses and costs while giving you the personnal support you deserve.
L I N K S
Links: Code 3 Consultants recommends the following listed sites.
We are currenly adding direct links for our affiliates.
If you are interested please send an email to: administration@code3consultants.com
911 Internet Resource List
9-1-1 MAGAZINE
911 INSIGHTS
Dispatch Monthly
EMD Bookstore
TechSys Hosting
EMD Protocol Reference
EMS EXPO 2004
Overture
MEDIC PLANET
EMS Model
Emergency Medical Services Delivery Model
This is an advanced model for delivering health care using a county-wide emergency medical system. It was designed and proposed by Alameda County (Calif.), and is currently being implemented with the assistance of private providers, fire departments, hospitals and other health care agencies