IAED ETC study guide
IAED ETC · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The IAED Emergency Telecommunicator Certification (ETC) is a professional credential for emergency calltakers and dispatchers who work inside protocol-driven communications centers. It is aimed at new telecommunicators preparing for their first certification, at experienced dispatchers who want a recognized benchmark of competence, and at agencies that standardize training across their center. Candidates typically come from public safety answering points, ambulance communications centers, and combined fire/EMS/police dispatch operations. The exam is delivered as multiple choice and samples four broad areas of practice: emergency calltaking and protocol systems, call prioritization and dispatch precision, emergency medical dispatch including DD-CPR, and recertification and continuing dispatch education. The IAED ETC study guide has 4 sections and about 1,345 words.
01Emergency Calltaking and Protocol Systems
This domain tests how a telecommunicator converts an unstructured 9-1-1 conversation into a structured, protocol-driven call. The exam expects you to know the architecture of the Academy's protocol system and to apply Case Entry, Key Questions, and Dispatch Life Support in the correct order.
347 words, about 2 min02Call Prioritization and Dispatch Precision
This domain tests whether you can assign the right determinant and send the right resource. Prioritization is not a guess: it is the output of the protocol's Key Questions, translated into a determinant code and a local response configuration.
350 words, about 2 min03Emergency Medical Dispatch and DD-CPR
This domain tests Dispatcher-Directed CPR (DD-CPR) and the Dispatch Life Support instructions that keep a patient alive until responders arrive. The central skill is recognizing cardiac arrest from a phone description and starting compressions without delay.
339 words, about 2 min04Recertification and Continuing Dispatch Education (CDE)
This domain tests how you keep an IAED certification current. Certification is not a one-time event: it runs on a two-year cycle, and renewal depends on documented continuing education and professional conduct.
309 words, about 2 min