Florida 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) Practice Exam

Can PSTs provide emergency medical care beyond basic life support?

1. Yes

2. No

The correct answer is: No

Public Safety Telecommunicators (PSTs) are trained to provide essential support during emergencies, particularly through effective communication and coordination of response efforts. Their primary role involves gathering information from callers, dispatching appropriate resources, and providing pre-arrival instructions for basic life-saving measures, such as CPR or the Heimlich maneuver, when necessary. However, the scope of practice for PSTs is typically limited to basic life support (BLS) and does not extend to advanced medical care. Advanced medical care requires specialized training and certification often held by professionals such as paramedics or emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Therefore, PSTs do not provide emergency medical care beyond basic life support, as their training is designed specifically to support public safety through communication rather than direct patient care. This fundamental distinction underscores the reasons for the answer.