There are two levels of emergency medical dispatch staff.
Emergency medical dispatch support officers
Emergency medical dispatch support officers (EMDSOs) answer both non-urgent and emergency triple zero (000) phone calls, assess a patients conditions and provide step-by-step instructions in life-saving procedures.
EMDSOs are educated in the management of triple zero (000) calls, non-urgent ambulance bookings and the provision of first-aid over the phone.
They complete a HLT31015 Certificate III in Ambulance Communications (Call-taking). This course takes six weeks, after which EMDSOs are mentored by experienced staff. There are usually two or three intakes each year.
Emergency Medical Dispatcher
EMDSOs can progress to emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) once they have experience in taking calls. EMDs organise the dispatching of ambulances and other SA Ambulance Service resources around the state. They also liaise with SAAS MedSTAR, the state retrieval service, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service to ensure the right resource is dispatched for each incident.
For more information call our Customer Service Centre on 1300 13 62 72 or email healthSAASenquiries@sa.gov.au.
For all SA Ambulance Service vacant positions please visit the SA Health Careers site.