IAED EFD cheat sheet

Fire Protocol Calltaking and Dispatch (EFD)

• EFD calltaking sequence: answer with agency/department identification and your calltaker ID, obtain the address of the emergency first, then callback number, then the nature of the problem - location precedes problem description so units can be sent while questioning continues.

• Address verification rule: confirm city or municipality, nearest cross street, and building/unit identifier; for rural or highway incidents obtain mile marker, direction of travel, and a landmark; never dispatch on an unverified address without confirming it back to the caller.

• Callback number rule: record both the caller's number and an alternate if available; a calltaker must be able to re-contact the caller, so a number is captured before the call is released even when the caller is transferred.

• Chief complaint determines the response determinant: structure fire, vehicle fire, brush/grass fire, alarm activation, smoke investigation, hazardous materials, rescue, and medical each map to distinct dispatch protocols and resource levels.

• Occupancy and life-hazard interrogation: ask type of structure (single-family, multi-unit, commercial, high-rise), number of floors, whether anyone is trapped or unaccounted for, and whether the building has a basement - trapped occupants and confirmed fire escalate the alarm assignment.

• Call classification rule: distinguish confirmed fire (visible flame, smoke showing, heat felt) from unconfirmed (alarm sounding, odor of smoke) and from non-fire (CO alarm, lock-out, service call); classification drives the number and type of apparatus dispatched.

• Pre-arrival instructions are limited to what protocol authorizes: evacuation of the structure, closing doors behind evacuating occupants, staying low under smoke, and not re-entering; calltakers do not coach suppression or rescue tactics.

• Dispatch broadcast content: incident type, full address with cross street, apparatus assigned, response mode (emergency vs. non-emergency), and any known hazards or trapped occupants; the first-arriving unit confirms response and requests additional alarms through the dispatcher.

• Mutual aid and automatic aid: when a first-alarm assignment is unavailable or the incident exceeds local capacity, the dispatcher requests aid per the run card, stating the specific apparatus and staging location needed rather than a general request for help.