Explore every episode of the podcast Tell Me Exactly

In this episode of Tell Me Exactly, Meridith sits down with Bryon Schultz to break down the PFC process from start to finish. Learn who can submit a PFC, how submissions are reviewed and implemented, what makes a strong proposal, and how agencies can play an active role in protocol evolution. Whether you're new to the process or looking to make a bigger impact, this episode delivers the practical guidance you need to get started.

Submit a Proposal for Change Here.

What happens when Emergency Dispatchers become protocol experts? Jasper County Emergency Services has developed a unique Protocol Specialist model to support their dispatchers across medical, fire, and police protocols. In this episode, Ellen Biesemeyer and Brandon McClintock discuss how the program works, the benefits they've seen, and lessons learned for other centers looking to implement a similar approach.

From drivers to clinicians and transport to healthcare, Brian Dale and Louise Todd unpack the 40-year evolution of Ambulance Services in the UK and reveal how the profession transformed from a municipal transportation fleet into a university-educated clinical workforce at the heart of modern healthcare.

Dana Heckman and Jessica Cales from Colorado Springs graciously share their experiences with active shooter incidences with and without the Active Assailant Protocol in place. They highlight the importance of the protocol, the Active Assailant Protocol training, and helping Emergency Dispatchers be prepared for whatever happens in the moment.

Schedule an in-person or remote instructor-led Active Assailant training for your agency here.

Meridith is joined by Allen Siorek and Sean Cloney to spill on all things RCO—what it is, why it was created, and how agencies can get the most value out of their RCOs.

Find Your RCO Here!

Join us for a very special conversation with DR. Andre Jones to hear about his experience working for the National Ambulance Service in Qatar. We talk with Dr. Jones about how EMS services in Qatar have adapted to regional conflict and managed one of the largest global events of our time, and how EMS services were managed during the World Cup.

For this very special episode, our hosts, Meridith and Bobby, join forces for the first time ever to look back on two years of Tell Me Exactly. From their favorite episodes to what they’ve learned through the years to their hopes for the future of Tell Me Exactly, Meridith and Bobby get into it all.

Show Notes:

How "Tell Me Exactly What Happened" Came to Be with Dr. Clawson

QA: The Concept of Reasonableness with Brian Dale

How to Create an Effective Policy for Gone-on-Arrivals with Brian Dale

Everything About Medical Industry Standards with Brett Patterson and Darren Judd

Everything About Fire Industry Standards with Mike Thompson and Jay Dornseif

Everything About Police Industry Standards with Dave Warner, Jason Barbour, and Mark Von Behren

In this very special episode, we sit down with the President of Priority Dispatch, Chris Murdock, to get an inside look at his journey through the organization, where we are heading, and discuss a few exciting things we have on the horizon.

Guest host Bobby Benton sits down with Jason Barbour to talk about how the Police Priority Dispatch System has evolved from version 1 to now. From the difference between police protocols and medical to the most important updates he's seen in EPD over the years, you don't want to miss Jason's insights into the Emergency Police Dispatch System.

We're back again with more overflow questions from our last Ask Me Anything Webinar. This time, Fire experts Gary Galasso and Ken Crumpler join Meridith to answer more of your burning questions about EFD.

Jose Rodriguez and Allen Siorek join Meridith to lay out everything you need to know about Dispatch Steering Committees (DSC) and Dispatch Review Committees (DRC). What they are? How they differ? And how to use them most effectively are all answered here.

There were so many great questions we didn't have time to get to during our Ask Me Anything Webinar, so today Meredith asks EMD Protocol Experts Gary Galasso and Darren Judd to answer a few more of your burning questions.

References:

Scene Safety In An Opioid Epidemic by Mike McEvoy

Meridith brings on Darren Judd and Mark Von Behren to discuss the dos and don'ts of managing workflows between medical and police protocols during high-acuity events.

Meridith invites Leslie Janzen and Robin Chamberlain on the show to give a look at what happens during a QPR implementation, tips and tricks to help make it smooth, and pitfalls to avoid getting it off track.

Ross Rutschman gives insight into how Priority Dispatch operates worldwide, how various agencies across the world implement the IAED's protocols, and the challenges he sees everywhere.

Have you been hearing about Priority Dispatch's regional Compass Events? Here's a look at what they are and how they work from the perspective of the experts who put them on and the attendees who go to them.

Meridith invited Brandon Miller and John Ferraro to talk about their agencies' experience with Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis after having implemented it last year. Built to give Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers tools to better manage extreme mental and behavioral health calls, P-41 is giving dispatchers all over the US tools and language to help suicidal callers through their lowest moments.

Bryon Shultz joins Meridith to discuss the True to Q Facebook Group and the efforts his team makes to help answer questions from users like you every day.

Meridith brings on Gary Galasso to discuss Dispatch Life Support, its history, its scope, and tips for doing it right.

Meredith invites Jonny McMullan and Louise Todd from Priority Dispatch's UK office to talk about mentorship in Emergency Communications, how they're running their mentor program, and what you can do in your center to make mentoring work.

Who needs to be in the room when deciding what response goes to what Determinant Code? What do most centers get wrong? Is there a best way to do it? Meridith brings on Brian Dale to share his decades of experience and give insights to the process.

Guest host Bobby Benton brings Mark Von Behren on to talk about the qualities that make a police dispatcher exceptional, both from a dispatch and a leadership point of view.

Meridith invites Brian Dale on the podcast to talk about reasonableness in QA and why it's such a critical concept as Qs deal with Case Review.

This week we're giving you a taste of the IAED's NAVIGATOR Conference! Meridith joins up with Becca Barrus from Dispatch in Depth and Ricardo Martinez from Within the Trenches to get community takes from Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers like you.

Meridith and Jose use the Principles of Emergency Medical Dispatch and their own years of experience to break down communicating with child callers.

Meridith invites Brian Dale on to discuss what Comm. Centers should do when responders arrive at a scene and can't locate the first-party caller who asked them to come.

Meredith invites Sara Wright, a Project Manager with Priority Dispatch with over 23 years of experience in Emergency Communications, to get some advice on dealing with burnout in 911.

Meridith invites Jose Rodriguez to discuss—and debunk—9 common Emergency Medical Dispatch misconceptions. In this episode, they cover:

5. Phone information from dispatchers cannot help victims and may even be dangerous.

6. More personnel and more units at the scene are always better.

7. It’s dangerous not to maximally respond or notto respond lights-and-siren.

8. Protocol and training is all that’s needed to“do EMD.”

9. We can do this stuff ourselves (home-grow our protocols).

Meridith invites Jose Rodriguez to discuss—and debunk—9 common Emergency Medical Dispatch misconceptions. In this episode, they cover:

1. The caller is too upset to respond accurately.

2. The caller doesn’t know the required information.

3. The dispatcher is too busy to waste time asking questions, giving instructions, or flipping through card files.

4. The medical expertise of the dispatcher is not important.

Guest host Bobby Benton invites Mark Von Behren on the show to discuss what makes Police Dispatch distinct from Medical and Fire.

Meridith invites Luke Barritt, a Project Manager for QPR, to share with our listeners what Quality Performance Review actually does, who it's for, and how it helps agencies across the nation improve and grow.

Meridith invites Alda Garcia, Sales Operation Manager for Priority Dispatch, to tell you exactly how PDC's sales team can help your center meet its goals, create excellence, and fix problems. For more information or to find your Regional Account Manager, visit https://prioritydispatch.net/en/contact-us.

Meridith invited Dr. Jeff Clawson to tell the background of how various parts of the protocols came to be. Join them to hear some history, insights, and just all around great stories about Emergency Dispatch.

Meridith invites some heavy hitters from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (Pam Stewart, Senior Director of Operations, Eric Fayad, Associate Director of Instructor Services, and Bonni Stockman, ETC Course Coordinator) to tell you exactly what the IAED has to offer to train new Emergency Telecommunicators.

Meridith invites Jim Marshall, CEO of the 911 Training Institute, and Darren Judd, a Protocol Expert from Priority Dispatch Corp., to talk about Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis and Emergency Mental Health Dispatch (EMHD) Training.

To get access to the IAED's Caller in Crisis Training, check out courses.prioritydispatch.net.

For further EMHD training, check out the 911 Training Institute at www.911training.net.

President of Priority Dispatch, Brian Dale, joins Meridith to speak on a topic that he's particularly passionate about: Change Management. When your center goes through change, how do you handle it? Change is always just around the corner—check this episode for tips and tricks gathered from a career of over 30 years.

Guest host Bobby Benton invites Protocol Expert Darren Judd to discuss how Advanced SEND streamlines dispatch processes for officers on the scene. They give examples and go into details regarding a change to the SEND process that deals with the concept of Excited Delirium.

Meridith invites Gary Galasso and Chris Bradford to help her explain what the Emergency Rule is, when it should go into effect, when it shouldn't be used, and tips and tricks for making sure it's being used properly.

Get more information on the Emergency Rule and Special Circumstances here: https://www.emergencydispatch.org/in-the-news/official-statements/82e0bde4-d0b9-4374-949f-e4b4957dcef7

Download the Emergency Rule Template here: https://prioritydispatch.widen.net/content/mbdhxh0sa2/original/C-004-Policy---13-Emergency-Rule-Edited.docx?u=7cbckq&download=true

Guest host Bobby Benton discusses Dispatching Cold Calls for Law Enforcement with Priority Dispatch Corp.'s Chief of Implementations, Jason Barbour, and Police Protocol expert, Mark Von Behren. They go over best practices for defining and dispatching cold calls and give examples from agencies around the US.

Meridith invites Gary Galasso and Chris Bradford to discuss agency accreditation—and what to do after your center achieves ACE (Accredited Center of Excellence) status with the IAED.

Guest host Bobby Benton invites Mark Von Behren to tell you exactly what you need to know about utilizing OMEGA Determinants (non-emergency response modes) in Police Dispatch.

Meridith invites Hailee Beatty and Denali McKinney to explain the right way to use vouchers to schedule courses with Priority Dispatch Corp. Courses cover everything from becoming an Emergency Telecommunicator, training as an Emergency Dispatcher for Medical, Fire, or Police, to software-specific courses that cover ProQA, AQUA, and more.

To see a catalog of all courses offered by Priority Dispatch, check out https://courses.prioritydispatch.net.

Meredith invites Allen Siorek and Jason Barbour to discuss getting your Emergency Communications Center staff to buy in and get on board with your direction as a leader. They talk about experiences they've had, best practices, and what doesn't work.

Guest host Bobby Benton invites Dave Warner, Jason Barbour, and Mark Von Behren (all seasoned and retired law enforcement officers with decades of experience) to explain what we mean when we refer to industry standards in Emergency Police Dispatching. They discuss the various standards-setting organizations active today, then discuss what those standards mean for Emergency Communications Centers today.

Meridith invites Mike Thompson and Jay Dornseif to explain what we mean when we refer to industry standards in Emergency Fire Services. They discuss the history of industry standards and the various bodies that set them, then discuss what those standards mean for Emergency Communications Centers today.

Meridith invites Brett Patterson and Darren Judd to explain what we mean when we refer to industry standards in Emergency Medical Dispatch. They discuss the history of industry standards and the various bodies that set them, then discuss what those standards mean for Emergency Communications Centers today.

What do you do when one of your staff just isn't getting it? What if it's the whole Comm Center? There are plenty of reasons why your center might have gotten off the protocol path – the question is, how do you get back on it?

Join Meridith, Gary Galasso, and Jose Rodriguez for an in-depth look at the issue and some tried and true suggestions to get through it.

Tell Me Exactly is a Priority Dispatch Corp. podcast developed by our team of Protocol Experts. We cover Emergency Communications Center management, industry best practices, and tell you exactly what you need to know to be your best self in public safety.

Our very first episode features Dr. Jeff J. Clawson, CEO of Priority Dispatch Corp. Dr. Clawson has been at the forefront of emergency dispatch since its very beginning. Here, he explains where the term "Tell Me Exactly What Happened" came from and why it's important to the dispatch process.