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EDQ-IEFD-IEMD-IEPD-IETC-I
Instructor Outlook 1
2013 IAED All Rights Reserved.
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Contact:Bonni.Stockman@
emergencydispatch.org
NAE 131115
IAED Boards of CurriculumEMD CurrICuluM BoarD ChaIr
Vicki Maguire
EFD CurrICuluM BoarD ChaIr Michael Thompson
EPD CurrICuluM BoarD ChaIr Jaci Fox
ED-Q CurrICuluM BoarD ChaIr Brian Dale
ETC CurrICuluM BoarD ChaIr Susi Marsan
CCM CurrICuluM BoarD ChaIr Jay Fitch
aDMInIsTraTor oF InsTruCTor sErvICEs Bonni Stockman
EDITor Pam Stewart
assIsTanT EDITor Cynthia Murray
DEsIgn & layouT Julie Green
VOLUME 10 NUMBER 4 2013
Gone Too SoonA tribute to lessons learnedBy Marie Leroux, member
of the Board of Certification and Council of Standards
CONTENTSgone Too soon ..............................1By Marie
LerouxThe Three Ps in our Courses
...........................................2By Bonni StockmanFrom
the Desk of the Course Coordinator .......................3By Dawn
McBrideInstructor spotlight .......................3By Fred
Hurtadoreports from the Curriculum BoardsMedical Board of
Curriculum report .........................4By Vicki MaguireThe
Fire Protocol and the Multi-Discipline Incident Part 2
............................................... 5By Mike
Thompson
The First hour of the EPD Course ...........................6By
Jaci Foxhello ETC Instructors! .................. 7By Susi
Marsan
Anik Girard began an EMS career as a Paramedic over 25 years
ago. Quickly getting involved in a communication centre in Quebec.
Groupe
Alerte Sant covers a large territory on the southern shore of
the St-Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada and in those days, it was
more like a primitive shack than todays high-tech control room.
Anik quickly adapted to the nonvisual medical environment and
demonstrated the excellent multi-tasking abilities so neces-sary to
her new profession. She became a member of the IAED in 2001 after
completing her EMD certifica-tion class, which utilized an overhead
projector to illuminate transparencies on an ambulance sheet on the
wall in the back of the coffee shop of the dungeon.
In spite of an absence of luxury and tech-nology, Anik was
passionate about Emer-gency Medical Dispatch. She became a regular
at the IAED Navigator conference. She was excited about learning
from the conference sessions, she enjoyed the min-gling and the
traveling, and she loved shar-ing her passion with other dispatch
experts through networking.
Anik was very instrumental in the MPDS implementation at her
agency in 2001. She became the QA manager and built a team
of QA personnel to manage a high-call- volume communication
centre. She and her staff tirelessly worked their way to
ac-creditation and remain an Accredited Cen-tre of Excellence
today, over a decade later.
In 2007, Anik was certified as an MPDS instructor and began
teaching not only at
her agency, but also in other Quebec EMS systems. Anik was very
keen on quality in general, and she enabled quality in many ways,
including her involvement with the translation and editing of the
French version of the MPDS. Her hawk eye and lan-guage expertise
fostered many valuable improvements that
helped to make the French version of the MPDS the high quality
product that continues to improve and save lives in Quebec
today.
In addition to her EMD teaching, quality improvement, and
protocol skills, in her last 1825 days fighting her battle with
cancer, Anik also taught us courage, resilience, and even humor. On
one of her last days with us, with a bunch of friends gathered by
her side, a paramedic asked, in typical EMS fashion, Hey Anik, you
dont have a cath-eter? To which she quickly responded, I sure do.
Roxanne is standing on it!
Thats really who she was. We thank you, Anik. Thank you for all
the lessons you have taught us. Thank you for enriching the
qual-ity of our lives.
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2 Instructor Outlook
2013 IAED
Do you ever find yourself feeling like a salmon, like you are
swimming up-stream while everyone else is walking or running
haphazardly? Our courses can some-times feel like this, but
appropriate preparation can cultivate a strong foundation for both
course instructors and members. To accomplish this co-hesive order,
our initial efforts should be focused on our personal prepara-tion
for the course. Then we will be ready to shift our focus to the
prepa-ration and success of the members.
If you think back to your field re-sponder days, assessing a
classroom is similar to arriving on a scene. You must assess the
following aspects in preparation for the course:
available technologyDoes your clicker need new batteries? Are
the Instructor slides opening correctly?
course location informationIs there construction in the area?
Are there other obstacles such as weather or traffic patterns? Are
there landmarks you can mention in your class examples?
member informationAre the members mainly seasoned or new
calltakers?
the agencys general attitude and moraleIs there opposition to
overcome?
Based on the information you ob-tain in this initial size-up,
you will need to rely on your repertoire of knowledge and
experience to adapt
your course to meet the dynamics of the group.
By being proactive in your assess-ment and preparation, you will
find that you are able to naturally set the right tone for the
course and focus on the progress of your individual mem-bers. Once
you have established a good foundation for learning, your next
objective becomes preparing the members for their role as
calltakers using the protocol compliantly.
To successfully prepare your mem-bers, you may want to consider
Pikes Second Law of Adult Learning, which states: Adults learn best
when struc-tured activities help them to arrive to the conclusion
on their own, rather than through giving them information to
remember. In other words, the best teaching is in the doing.
So how do we best provide these structured activities? After
talking with several instructors and reviewing countless
evaluations, I found that a key principle was scenario practice.
Although managing course time is often a concern, foregoing
protocol practice has consequences of its own. Unless we
instructors allow members to use the protocols with both
observation and correction, they will not be prepared to navigate
the protocol independently, which ultimately undermines their
compe-tence and confidence.
As an instructor, this is your oppor-tunity to mold the culture
of protocol practice by encouraging the members to trust in their
training and prepara-
The Three Ps in Our CoursesPart Two: PreparationBy Bonni
Stockman, Administrator of Instructor Services
tion. The skill of scenario practice elevates members ability to
respond when seconds count.
Author Pearl S. Buck said, Every great mistake has a halfway
moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps
remedied. But you can-not identify that halfway moment if you
havent crossed it at some point.
Creating a learning environment that allows members to practice
using the protocols and even fail a few times allows them to more
deeply under-stand the process and develop a matchless skill set.
It has been proven in emergency situations that a persons reactions
are either instinctive or de-veloped through training and frequent
practice. This is where preparation makes all the difference.
Scenarios provide calltakers that first critical, hands-on
practice navi-gating through the protocols before the added
pressure of having a real life on the line. As a result of this
prac-tical experience, calltakers are pre-pared to return to their
communica-tion centers and continue the learning process. As their
instructor, you must instill in your members the need to just keep
practicing the protocoleven beyond the courseuntil it be-comes
second nature to them.
Instructors who continue to strive for excellence will always
challenge them-selves, refine their skills, and be prepared to
successfully meet any challenge in the IAED courses. Your
preparation as an instructor will lead to success in the course and
likewise in the communication centers. The time you allot to
practicing the scenarios prepares the calltakers to confidently use
the protocol and recall their train-ing when the phone rings. When
their time comes to be the trusted voice of reason, they will rely
on the prepara-tion and practice you provided.
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Instructor Outlook 3
2013 IAED
Instructor Spotlight
By Fred Hurtado, EMD Instructor
I was a member of the L.A. City Fire Department in 1988. I was
also in my fourth term as president of the United Paramedics of Los
Angeles, the union that represented LAFD paramedics. After nine
years of struggle that cul-minated in Dr. Clawson and me appearing
on 60 Minutes to discuss LAFDs medical dispatch shortcom-ings, the
mayor and city council had literally forced the LAFD to imple-ment
the MPDS. The upper manage-ment of the LAFD and the firefighter
dispatchers werent very happy about it. Dr. Clawson was commuting
to Los Angles periodically to oversee the MPDS implementation.
Dr. Clawson himself was teaching EMD classes at that time, and,
during one of his visits to Los Angeles, he asked me if I wanted to
go to Seattle-Tacoma to team-teach an EMD class with him. I counted
in to what proved to be an interesting experi-
ence. The King County dispatchers were adamantly opposed to the
MPDS because it didnt take into ac-count the dispatchers experience
and judgment. I couldnt believe that these dispatchers were arguing
emergency medicine with an emer-gency physician. During the class,
Dr. Clawson was called back to Los Angeles and I was left to teach
the rest of the class. I had no idea what I was doing.
That was my first experience as an EMD instructor. Some of the
dis-patchers in that class were subse-quently instrumental in the
creation of the APCO Criteria Based EMD program (the Anti-MPDS). I
left the LAFD in 1990, and I subsequently joined Dr. Clawson at
what was then Medical Priority Consultants (MPC). During my two
years at MPC, I taught hundreds of EMD classes throughout the U.S.
and Canada. I was privi-leged to help introduce the MPDS in the
United Kingdom. The MPDS pro-tocols were in their earliest versions
at that time and so were the tools for teaching the class. The
audios were on cassette tapes and the visuals
were on photo slides. Hauling the protocols and the teaching
tools wasnt very much fun.
In 1992, I left MPC to oversee the implementation of the
Statewide Trauma Care System in Connecticut. After the trauma care
system was in place, I became the Regulations and Standards Chief
and the Assistant Director of Connecticuts Office of EMS (OEMS).
When the political ad-ministration in Connecticut changed and the
management and regulatory oversight of EMS in Connecticut start-ed
moving in directions that I didnt agree with, I decided that 25
years in the public sector was enough. I started my own consulting
company (EMS System Solutions), renewed my EMD instructor
credential, and contracted with Priority Dispatch to teach EMD
classes.
The protocols, the EMD course, and the teaching tools have
improved with every iteration. Logistically, in-tegrating the
course audio-visuals into a PowerPoint presentation was a major
step forward. I enjoy the travel
From the Desk of the Course CoordinatorBy Dawn McBride, PDC
Course Coordinator
For those of you who have met and know Fred Hurtado, I think
youd agree that hes a character who is one of a kind, and Ive come
to have a great appreciation for him. I recall when I first took
over the course coordinator position, within my first week he sent
me an e-mail introduc-ing himself and included a link to his online
yahoo calendar. Along with the link was a request to fill up that
calendar with as many courses as I could possibly squeeze in.
So I did. And I continue to do so. Fred is one of the few road
warriors who has been with PDC from the very beginning. Hes been
through the gamut of travel-inspired dramas. There have been
numerous occa-sions on which I have received a call from Fred and
he proceeds to relay the unfortunate series of events that is
preventing a smooth day of traveling. As I involuntarily start
traveling vicar-iously through the day with him, I can feel my
heart start to pound with the absolute knowledge that the
mechanical issues preventing the planes departure will inevitably
wreak havoc with the rest of my entire universe. If his plane
doesnt leave soon, hell miss his connecting
flight and he will be hours behind schedule, which means the car
rental counter will be closed by the time he arrives, so hell have
to hitchhike to his hotel, which probably wont hold his room that
late, so hell end up sleeping at a KOA and risk getting shanked in
the night!
As I grab a paper bag in preparation for my imminent
hyperventilation, Fred, the consummate professional, calmly informs
me that hes made all the necessary adjustments to his travel and
disconnects with his signature signoff, Onward through the fog my
dear.
[email protected]
Instructor spotlight ConTInuED on PagE 4
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4 Instructor Outlook
2013 IAED
Reports from the Curriculum BoardsMedical Board of Curriculum
ReportBy Vicki Maguire, EMD Board of Curriculum Chair
Where has this year gone? I cant believe that we are in the last
couple of months of the year and once again approaching the holiday
season. Instead of focusing on version 13, this article will
feature some other curricu-lum-related issues.
If you have taught an EMD course in the last couple of months,
you may have noticed that we are now receiv-ing the new Edition 3
of the Universal Course Manual. This edition includes some nice
modifications, one of the most significant being the combination of
Telecommunications Essentials and Caller Management into one
chapter. Because we have not yet received the newest Instructor CD,
please be aware that the students new manuals do not split into two
different chapters like the Instructor slides. I have found that it
works well to just explain to the students that they have the most
updated manual and that the slides will still cover all the key
ele-
ments. As a result, I have not had any issues with students
being able to fol-low the flow of the slides.
Occasionally I have had a student ask me about the Stress
Management chapter that we dont lecture on. So, as part of my
introduction to the univer-sal chapters, I have started explaining
that Stress Management is not typi-cally part of the instructor-led
lecture due to time constraints but that the students should read
this important chapter at their leisure as they should also read
the Principles of EMD text-book cover to cover. However, be aware
that we plan to include Stress Management slides on the Instructor
CD when version 13 is released and make it available for those who
have time to lecture on it.
Recently I received an email from an instructor asking about two
specific areas of the curriculum, which leads me to believe other
instructors may have the same questions. The first question deals
with Protocol 28: Stroke (CVA)/Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and
how we define the time that is used for the STROKE Treatment Time
Window. This question came up because of the stroke victim
Medical
Scenario (in the group breakout) that requires a time to be
defined in order for students to select the most appropriate
Dispatch Determinant Code and suffix. To address this issue, I
suggest that when teaching the STROKE Treatment Time Window
Additional Information section, each instructor may specify a time
(I always use 3 hours) for the students to use for any stroke
scenarios in class. This elimi-nates related questions when the
stu-dents begin practicing the scenarios on their own.
As a side note, when teaching Proto-col 28 and the Stroke
Diagnostic Tool, I always explain that there has to be a suffix
attached to every Determinant Code on Protocol 28. To illustrate
this point, I have found it is very helpful to do a few mini
scenarios with the students, changing the signs, symp-toms, and
time elements. Taking the time to practice while teaching this
protocol really pays off in helping the students understand how the
suffixes and Stroke Diagnostic Tool workjust a suggestion.
The other curriculum question refers to Medical Scenario 7 in
Chapter 3 of the EMD Course Manual, which deals with Protocol 19:
Heart Problems/ A.I.C.D. There is a significant error in this
scenario that confuses the students
associated with teaching EMD classes, and the frequent flyer
miles and hotel points are a major perk. I routinely teach between
4050 EMD classes a year.
Ive taught classes with as few as two students and as many as
40. Ive missed flights due to cancellations, Ive had baggage
delayed or lost, and Ive had to drive to courses in all kinds of
inclement weather ranging from blizzards to hurricanes. I actu-
ally drove from Houston to Browns-ville, TX in the middle of a
hurricane! Recently, on the way back to the St Louis airport to fly
home, I hit a coy-ote with the rental car. Having said all that, I
love teaching EMD courses.
I have a tremendous respect for the difference that EMDs make in
the effectiveness of EMS systems. Ive said many times that dispatch
is the most important step in the chain of patient care. It has
been my privilege
over nearly thirty years to watch EMD evolve from a good idea to
an evidence-based science. Im also of the opinion that in the next
ten years we will make more progress in EMD than we made in the
first thirty. As long as Im physically able and hav-ing fun, Im
going to continue to teach lots of EMD courses. I think thats how I
can have the most impact in improving the effectiveness of EMS
systems.
Instructor spotlight ConTInuED from PagE 3
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Instructor Outlook 5
2013 IAED
The Fire Protocol ConTInuED on PagE 6
and causes a lot of time-consuming discussion when the scenario
is utilized. (If you are not aware of the error, it deals with an
incorrect Dispatch Determinant Code due to the pulse check.) The
easiest way to avoid this unnecessarily confusing discus-sion is to
tell the students to omit this scenario when they are doing the
group breakouts because of the error. As another option, I use this
scenario to first demonstrate how the scenarios work and how the
students will rotate through the different roles during the
breakout. Then I tell them to skip this scenario because they have
all seen the details. It will be fixed for the next edition of the
EMD Course Manual.
The last area I want to discuss is the importance of taking time
to explain all the details and nuances of the Case En-try Protocol
in order to establish a good foundation prior to moving on to the
other 33 Chief Complaint Protocols.
Greg and his curriculum design team have done a wonderful job in
provid-ing the tools in the Instructor CD to visually show how the
Case Entry flows, especially when it comes to the ECHO-related
calls. We instructors need to remember to discuss those Case Entry
details that often get lost, neglected, or blurred in the
presenta-tion. A great example of this is the dif-ference between
the two ECHO-related symbolsSend and go to PDIs and Send, go to
PDIs, and return to ques-tioningand what they direct the EMD to do.
If you add in the ?-E-? director on Case Entry Question 6 to the
mix, you can see the confusion this can cause for students. Think
about how long it took you to first under-stand this process, and I
think you will agree that just showing the slides to the students
is NOT enough to help them understand what these symbols are meant
to do.
As instructors, we need to take the time to pause, explain, and
demon-strate how these different symbols function in the protocol
and ensure that students have a good foundation of these principles
before moving on.
Otherwise, we might not catch the problems. I suggest reviewing
the Case Entry material at the beginning of the second day to see
what the students have retained before utilizing further practice
in the scenarios. Ask them to explain what each symbol does, what
CC means, when they should link to ABC-1, whether they should read
the grayed out areas, what the symbol means, what the best way is
to verify information, and what the ?-E-? means. I have found that
if you take the time to review these concepts before you proceed
with the Chief Complaint Protocols, the students will have better
retention of the details and are much better at navigating the Case
Entry Protocol in the scenarios. Just some food for thoughtI will
get off my soapbox now.
Have a safe and happy holiday season, and hopefully after the
New Year I will have good news about the release of version
13.0.
[email protected]
The Fire Protocol and the Multi-Discipline Incident Part 2
By Mike Thompson, EFD Board of Curriculum Chair
In Part 1 of this article on multi-disci-pline incidents, we
examined the thought process and policies and pro-cedures that
should be in place to successfully handle these incident types. In
Part 2, we will look at the various methods we can utilize to
gather information for and dispatch resources to these incidents,
as well as give any needed instructions to those on the scene.
When it comes to gathering informa-tion and dispatching
resources to these incidents, once you have pre-planned to some
extent what the primary nature of a particular call type will befor
our purposes, Fireand who
the secondary response agency will beMedical (EMS) or Police
(LE)the process becomes as straightforward as opening up the call
in the primary dis-cipline, processing it to a dispatch, and adding
the secondary resources.
In the FPDS v6, adding EMS resources has been simplified by
adding new sick or injured suffixes and determi-nants to various
call types. This wasnt done with all call types because some call
types assume a sick or injured per-son (high level Aircraft
Emergency, Confined Space/Structure Collapse,
Extrication/Entrapped, High Angle and others) and should routinely
get an EMS response with the rest of the FD stuff that goes.
Adding LE resources can be a little more complicated, but you
can cer-tainly make a case for some type of LE resources being
added routinely to certain call types. This can be decided by local
policy once again, and it is done commonly. For instance, some
communities will routinely send a patrol car to a structure fire
(and some other fire call types). If LE is just too busy with other
higher-acuity LE inci-dents to respond to a particular fire call,
they just dont go (well muddle through without them). With LE
resource lists
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6 Instructor Outlook
2013 IAED
The Fire Protocol ConTInuED from PagE 5
Academies of Emergency Dispatch, of the course materials, and of
you as an instructor. This timeframe is crucial for setting a tone
of respect and profes-sionalism and launching a successful
class.
Remember that how you represent yourself and how you present the
course materials directly reflect on the International Academy.
First and fore-most, you need to be ready for the class. Know your
materialsthe man-uals, PowerPoint presentations, card-sets, Chief
Complaint classification forms, etc. Being equipped with the
knowledge to easily navigate through the materials makes a strong
impres-sion with the students. This requires a commitment to keep
current with the curriculum as there have been some recent
enhancements to the teaching materials.
It is also necessary to arrive early to set up the classroom and
start the class on time. Many of the students come in on their days
off, so show them that you value their time by starting the
training promptly. It is also important that you present yourself
(and the Academy) as a professional; therefore, dress for suc-cess.
Wear clothing that is appropriate, clean, and pressed.
As you begin your day, introduce the information in an
affirmative, yet prac-tical way. The students are more likely to
respond positively to the protocols when they understand their
value in increasing the efficiency and profi-ciency of calltaking.
Explain why we use protocols and how they support the highest
possible standard of care and practice in the public safety
com-munications environment. When this is the focus, it becomes
irrelevant as to whether an individual thinks protocol is a good
idea because it is more about how we can best serve our
stakeholders.
As an instructor, you must establish and maintain a general
focus. When students ask questions about the proto-cols, answer
them confidently and with genuine support of what you are
sometimes being as simple as one car or multiple cars and HOT or
COLD, those decisions can typically be made quickly and simply and
are subject to the old rule of you can only send what you have.
When utilizing Fire ProQA and multi-ple disciplines (if CAD
supports it), the Multi-Discipline Launcher is always an option.
ProQA can be configured to launch a second discipline and address
both the information gathering and dispatching parts of the
equation based on the answer to a particular question within the
protocol, e.g., Did you see anyone or anything sus-picious? or Is
anyone injured?
If you dont have access to the Multi-Discipline Launchereither
because you dont have multiple ProQA disci-plines or because CAD
doesnt support ityou still have options. For gather-ing
information, you can always pick up a cardset and do a very
credible job.
Outside of the Multi-Discipline Launcher, when it comes to
physically dispatching resources to these inci-dents (as I have so
cavalierly referred to as adding resources), the mechan-ics of how
that is accomplished largely depends on how your CAD system
functions and how you normally physically dispatch units. In
centers where the dispatch process is voice dispatching units based
on mapping recommendations, it can be as simple as asking or
messaging a PD dispatcher to send a car or cars or an EMS
dis-patcher to send an ambulance or two to the location. In other
systems, the call can be cloned in CAD to an EMS or LE process, and
that process defines what is sent and how (HOT or COLD) based on
predetermined criteria or maybe even a supervisors decision weighed
against what else is going on.
Giving instructions in some of these multi-discipline incidents
often wor-ries people A LOT, but based on what Ive seen and heard,
it is frequently not possible or necessary to provide these
instructions. Many of these incidents
are chaotic and involve a lot of people running around doing
whatever with sometimes multiple scene safety is-sues. So getting
somebody specific to do something specific (and do it safely) can
be a challenge. Sometimes when theres something big and ugly going
on, its just better to wait for the troops to arrive to deal with
it.
However, I can hear what youre say-ing . . . in some
circumstances it will be possible and necessary, and I get that. My
point is that you dont need to stay awake nights worrying about it.
As I previously noted, if the situation warrants it and the
opportunity is there to do it safely, you can always pick up the
cardsets and, once again, do a credible job. Or, if you have the
Multi-Discipline Launcher, that also gives you the means to access
those instruc-tions if needed.
The MVA is a very common multi- discipline incident that comes
to mind during these discussions, and pretty much everything in
this discussion applies to MVA incidents. If you can decide
beforehand how you are going to handle and respond to these
inci-dent types based on what is reported, the rest of the pieces
tend to fall in place. As for the MVA thing, I think well discuss
that in more detail next time.
As always, if you have any comments, concerns, or input, I would
most defi-nitely like to hear it.
Until next time,
[email protected]
The First Hour of the EPD CourseBy Jaci Fox, EPD Board of
Curriculum Chair
The first hour of a course is important for a number of reasons.
During the first hour of the EPD course, the stu-dents form their
first impressions of the EPD concept, of the International
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Instructor Outlook 7
2013 IAED
teaching. However, if you get caught off guard and dont know how
to respond, be honest and reassure the students that you will find
the answer. This creates an atmosphere of respect and maintains
your integrity as an instructor.
It is also beneficial to keep the discus-sion on task (teaching
the protocols), which may include discouraging side bar
communications about unrelated topics, such as problems within
their communication center. You must quickly deter these types of
discussions or they can derail your class and create an atmosphere
where negative and harsh conversation can be contagious. Recovering
from this is difficult and takes time away from the constructive
educational environment that you should facilitate for your
students.
As another related challenge, you must also prepare to face the
potential adversity of the naysayer or class pessimist. It is
critical that you fully appreciate and expect that this
per-sonality could exist in your class, and
you need to plan beforehand of how you will manage this
temperament.
Following are some tips on how to manage these issues:
In all cases, listen and understand to identify areas of
disagreement. Do not engage in the negative behavior. Listen to the
message respectfully, but dont participate in unconstructive
debates. Then do one or more of the following:
Provide the clarity that the students need if they have
misunderstood an EPD concept.
If students complaints have nothing to do with the protocols,
explain that this is not the appropriate venue to devise a solution
for a non-protocol problem. You may explain that this issue may be
in part due to the lack of Standard Operating Procedures at their
agency. This may be a big issue, and reassuring them that this has
been identified as an issue for resolution will help diffuse their
trepidation.
Parking lot their idea if it is not an appropriate time to
devise a solution.
As an instructor, you may need to have the conversation with the
naysayer during the break. This conversation may sound like this: I
am excited about the direction your center is going, but I sense
that you dont share that excitement. Its okay to not share in the
excitement. As a person, I respect that. But as the instructor, it
is my responsibility to deliver the infor-mation in a positive and
productive way. It may be necessary to remind the more vocal
participants of the ex-pectations associated with respectful
behavior in the course.
Remember that when you teach you are representing the
International Acad-emies of Emergency Dispatch, which is The Leader
in providing the best pro-tocols in the calltaking environment.
It is a privilege to be part of this team. Lets do so in a
positive, professional, and integral fashion, and lets be the best
that we can be!!
Jaci [email protected]
Hello ETC Instructors!
By Susi Marsan, ETC Board of Curriculum Chair
I hope you are all doing well as we are getting ready for the
holidays. So, how many of you have come up with creative ways to
teach?
Well, Nancy Lockhart has! Nancy is the 9-1-1 Operations Manager
for St. Joseph County Fire Dispatch in South Bend, IN. Recently, as
I was getting ready to teach an ETC Class, she shared this awesome
activity with me, and I thought I would share it with all of
you.
While teaching the Communications Cycle in Chapter 3 on pages
3.23.4, she utilizes the following Lego exercise to help teach the
importance of effective communication and what happens when we
communicate ineffectively.
The Lego Exercise
Activity Duration: 10 Minutes
Supplies
2Legoboardspergroup(4membersineachgroup)
Identicalsetsof10Legopieces
Cloth(s)tocoverthepre-builtLegostructures
Preparation
Dependingonthenumberofstudents,divideyourclassintogroupsof4(oryoumaychoosetodothiswithasinglegroupof4participatinginfrontoftheclass).
Beforehand,use10LegopiecestobuildastructureforeachDirectorsboard(onepergroup).Useaclothtocoverthestructuretohideitfromothersview.
Prepare an empty Lego board with 10 identicalLego pieces for
each Builder to be able to
accu-ratelyreplicatetheDirectorsboard(onepergroup).
Plan for groups to participate in either
adjoiningroomsoroppositeendsofthesameroomtoprovidesomedistance.
ETC Instructors ConTInuED on PagE 8
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8 Instructor Outlook
2013 IAED
Group Positions and Roles
Directorviewsthepre-builtLegostructure(underaclothandoutof
theothers
view)andprovidesinstructionstotheMessengeronhowtobuildit.
Messengerclosely relays theDirectors
informa-tiontotheBuilder.
Builderfollows theMessengers instructions
andattemptstoconstructtheidenticalstructureontheemptyLegoboard,using10identicalLegopieces.
Observerwatchestheexchangeofinformationandtakesnotesonwhatwentwell(effectivecommunica-tion)andwhatcouldbeimproved.
Directions
Describe the group positions and roles (Director, Messenger,
Builder, and Observer) and allow the groups to nominate a member of
their group to fill each posi-tion. After the positions are
decided, have each person take their places and attempt to
effectively communicate and follow the instructions to replicate
the original Lego structure. At the end of the exercise, compare
structures to see how closely they match. The observer can give
their feedback at this time.
Some instructors may take more time to do this by hav-ing the
Director build their own elaborate structure before starting the
exercise. However, as our instructors are often pressed for time,
preparing pre-built structures is more efficient and helps
illustrate the teaching point.
I asked Nancy how she came up with this idea, and she replied, I
found the idea on the Internet while looking for team building and
communicat ions exercises for a pre-conference class I
was doing for Indiana NENA. The Internet exercise was longer, so
I just cut it down for time.
She continued by saying, This exercise was fantastic not only to
emphasize the point of feedback in the communi-cation cycle, but
also to help the students break out of their shells and become more
interactive. I think its an exercise that even experienced
dispatchers and especially trainers should participate in.
And I have to admit, I did this exercise while teaching an ETC
Class recently, and they absolutely loved it. So thank you, Nancy,
for sharing. If any of you have creative activities that you use
while teaching ETC, please email them to me at
[email protected] and I will gladly spotlight you in future
articles.
Until next time, happy holidays and happy teaching,
Susi Marsan
Results of no questions
Results after being able to complete the communication
ETC Instructors ConTInuED from PagE 7
