Make critical decisions quickly and consistently

Start the chain of response on firm footing

You are the first link in a complex chain of response. What you do and say, and how quickly you act, can literally save lives. Few people can handle the stress of Emergency Dispatch like you can.

The Priority Dispatch System is a crucial decision-support tool, helping you dispatch emergency services with speed and accuracy. More than a simple script to follow, this protocol-based system is designed to help you consistently get the most important details from every caller without getting bogged down by repeating questions or running into dead ends. With thousands of Emergency Dispatchers using the Priority Dispatch System to field millions of calls every year, is the most-used protocol-based system in the world.

The most widely used protocol-based system in the world

Protocols Used by Thousands of Emergency Communications Centers

Protocols are a systemized series of key questions, determinant codes, and Post-Dispatch and Pre-Arrival Instructions to aid your decision-making on each call. The Priority Dispatch System’s Police, Fire, Medical, and Nurse Triage protocols are the most tested, proven method of effective Emergency Dispatch in the world.

Dynamic, Rapid Decision-Making Tools

It may seem like a structured Emergency Dispatch system would slow you down, but The Priority Dispatch System has been shown to speed up the decision-making process. The structure gives you the power to make dynamic decisions – what services to send, where to send them, and what they need to do when they arrive – by cutting out irrelevant, time-consuming questions or starting each call from scratch.

Intuitive Diagnostic Tools for Dispatch Life Support

You are the scene commander until First Responders arrive. The Priority Dispatch System has built-in diagnostic tools to help you identify and walk callers through some of the most common – and not-so-common – emergencies that require immediate action.

Fully Supported to Help You Succeed

Whether you’re just beginning to use the Priority Dispatch System, or fielding your thousandth call, we’re here to help you grow in your role and improve your skills. With training, certification, continuing education, and more, we want to help you do the best job possible and advance your career.

See How We Make Emergency Dispatch Better

Questions Emergency Dispatchers Typically Ask Us:

How often is the software updated? How does an agency update its Emergency Dispatchers on any changes?

The ProQA software and the protocols within are updated quarterly. Each release comes with detailed release notes, videos, and training requirements. In addition, major new protocol releases come with their own update guide. We notify all users via email with each release.

What software training is needed or required for Emergency Dispatchers?

We require Emergency Dispatchers to get certified (as well as recertified) in each discipline they dispatch. These certifications are based on standards set by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and ensure each Emergency Dispatcher meets universal best practice standards to deliver a high standard of care and reduce their agency’s liability risk.

The system is too rigid. Why can’t we change the questions?

The protocols developed by the IAED have been tested over millions of calls to offer the most efficient, safe response possible. That said, the Priority Dispatch System is the most user-changed system available. We welcome your experience and expertise to make the protocols better. Agencies can submit Proposals for Change to refine or update protocols. All Proposals for Change undergo a thorough review by the IAED and, if approved, get implemented system-wide.

Does the software dictate how we respond? We want to make our own decisions.

Every Emergency Communications Center we work with is unique. From sprawling metropolitan areas to spread-out rural communities, each jurisdiction has different resources at their disposal. We work with you during implementation to define each response configuration – who or what gets sent when – based on what will best serve your community.

With so many questions, won’t it increase our time to dispatch?

The majority of calls handled by Emergency Dispatchers using ProQA arrive at the correct dispatch code in less than a minute. Emergency Dispatchers continue to collect relevant information while updating responders in real-time as they make their way to the scene. The questions in each protocol are designed to efficiently gather the most important information, minimizing time-wasting fishing that often happens with freelance dispatching.

Won’t scripted Emergency Dispatch stop me from thinking for myself and using my own experience?

There’s a reason we like to say ProQA is a decision support tool. You still decide who, what, when, and how to dispatch. The system simply makes it easier to make efficient, effective decisions, bringing much-needed consistency to every call, on every shift.

Ready to Learn More?

Reach out to us to find out more or to help make the case to your boss.