Why Designated Infection Control Officer Training Is Critical for EMS Agencies:
Infection control is not a box to check in emergency medical services. It is a daily operational requirement that protects crews, patients, and the communities EMS agencies serve. Every shift brings unpredictable environments, unknown patient histories, exposure to body fluids, and high contact surfaces inside ambulances and equipment bags. A single missed step in cleaning or PPE use can ripple into employee illness, staffing shortages, patient risk, and compliance problems.
This is exactly why Designated Infection Control Officer training matters. A DICO is not simply the person who reminds everyone to wipe down a stretcher. The role is a leadership function tied to prevention, education, documentation, exposure management, and policy execution. When the DICO is trained properly, the agency gains a consistent system that reduces risk and keeps operations aligned with current standards.
Many EMS professionals already rely on continuing education to sharpen clinical skills and maintain credentials. Agencies can integrate infection control leadership into that same education approach through structured online options such as the training available in the EMS continuing education catalog. When infection control leadership is treated like clinical readiness, crews are better prepared for real-world calls where protocols must work under pressure.
Infection risks in the field are different from hospital risks
Hospitals have controlled environments, dedicated infection prevention teams, and standardized isolation spaces. EMS crews operate in homes, public spaces, shelters, roadside scenes, and long term care facilities where conditions are inconsistent. Patients may be coughing in close quarters, bleeding during extrication, or vomiting in confined spaces. The ambulance becomes both a treatment room and a transport vessel, and its surfaces can become a transmission pathway if cleaning protocols break down.
EMS agencies also face the challenge of time. Crews must turn units around quickly for the next call, which creates pressure to shortcut decontamination. A trained DICO builds realistic workflows, ensures supplies are stocked, and sets clear expectations that fit the pace of EMS without sacrificing safety.
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes the importance of standard precautions, hand hygiene, respiratory protection, and proper environmental cleaning. Translating that guidance into field operations is where the DICO becomes essential.
What a Designated Infection Control Officer actually does
A Designated Infection Control Officer provides structure and accountability. In practical terms, the DICO typically oversees infection prevention policies, conducts training, tracks exposures, and coordinates follow-up after incidents. That includes ensuring the agency has clear procedures for bloodborne and airborne exposures, PPE selection, cleaning products and dwell times, equipment decontamination, and documentation.
The DICO also supports compliance with workplace safety rules. OSHA’s expectations for occupational exposure control and bloodborne pathogen protections are central to EMS risk management, and a trained infection control officer is positioned to keep those requirements current in policy and practice. OSHA’s standards and related resources are available through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
For agencies building a training plan, infection control leadership pairs well with broader education structures. Many organizations use targeted coursework tied to registry requirements and agency competency goals. Providers pursuing ongoing credential needs can access training that aligns with renewal pathways through the NREMT focused continuing education section, while agencies can coordinate role-specific education to keep leadership and frontline practice aligned.
Why training is the difference between a title and a functional system
Naming a DICO without training often leads to inconsistent protocols and avoidable confusion. Training creates a shared language and a playbook that stands up in real operations. It also gives the infection control officer the confidence and credibility to lead across ranks, shifts, and stations.
Here are the most important reasons Designated Infection Control Officer training is critical for EMS agencies.
Consistency across crews, shifts, and stations
Inconsistent infection control is one of the fastest ways to increase exposure risk. Training enables the DICO to implement standardized practices for PPE, cleaning, and post-exposure response. That standardization reduces the variability that comes from different habits across different crews.
Consistency also improves onboarding. New employees learn one clear method, rather than inheriting informal practices from whoever they ride with first. The DICO can build practical checklists, cleaning workflows, and refresher training that reinforces the same standards repeatedly.
Reduced occupational exposures and improved reporting
Exposure incidents happen in EMS, but unmanaged exposures create bigger problems. A trained DICO builds a system that encourages timely reporting, ensures documentation is complete, and coordinates the right follow up steps.
Training also strengthens the agency’s ability to interpret what counts as an exposure, what actions are required, and how to keep employee information and medical steps appropriately handled. This is especially important for bloodborne pathogen scenarios where timing matters.
Stronger patient safety and reduced cross-contamination
Infection control is also patient safety. When ambulances, equipment, and hands are not cleaned properly, pathogens can move from one patient encounter to the next. A trained DICO can implement evidence based cleaning protocols, confirm product compatibility with surfaces, and ensure crews understand contact time and proper disinfection technique.
CDC guidance stresses environmental cleaning and equipment decontamination as part of preventing transmission. Converting that guidance into practical training and audit processes is a major value of the DICO role.
Better regulatory alignment and reduced liability risk
EMS agencies operate under multiple oversight pressures, including workplace safety expectations and local public health requirements. When policies are out of date or training is inconsistent, agencies become more vulnerable to audit findings, legal exposure, and reputational damage.
A trained DICO knows how to keep policies aligned with national standards, and how to create documentation practices that demonstrate due diligence. In many agencies, infection control documentation becomes a key piece of risk management.
Preparedness for outbreaks and high-consequence pathogens
Outbreaks stress the system. PPE supply issues, changing guidance, and increased call volume can create confusion. A trained DICO is a stabilizing force during these moments. This role can coordinate policy updates, communicate changes clearly to staff, and ensure the agency maintains a consistent approach without chaos.
Preparedness also includes training drills and scenario planning. When crews have practiced procedures for isolation precautions and cleaning workflows under time pressure, response becomes faster and safer in real events.
Training should be part of continuing education, not a one-time event
Infection control evolves. New evidence emerges, products change, and guidance updates. That means the DICO role benefits from continuing education and periodic refreshers rather than a single training experience.
Many agencies already deliver structured education plans for providers. Adding infection control leadership into that plan is a natural fit. Agencies can also expand learning beyond infection control into other operational priorities through the Specialty course library, which supports role based education across multiple competencies.
For agency-wide rollouts, cost and scale matter. Group programs can make it easier to train consistently across the organization. Options for structured access at the agency level can be reviewed through department training rates, which many agencies use to keep training organized and trackable.
What should be included in an effective DICO training focus
A strong DICO education plan typically covers practical and administrative components, including PPE decision making, decontamination procedures, exposure documentation, policy design, and staff education. It should also address coordination with receiving facilities and public health partners, and guidance interpretation so the agency can update practices without delay.
A dedicated pathway for this role can be found through the Designated Infection Control Officer training page, which is built for the responsibilities and realities EMS agencies face.
To keep training grounded in real standards, outbound references from authoritative organizations remain valuable. In addition to CDC and OSHA, the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians offers context on certification and education expectations, and the National Fire Protection Association provides standards that many EMS organizations track for operational and safety alignment.
How CE Solutions can support stronger infection control leadership
CE Solutions provides education pathways that strengthen infection control readiness and support agencies building consistent training systems. Through flexible online delivery, structured course access, and department-level options, agencies can maintain continuity across shifts while keeping learning measurable and repeatable.
For organizations formalizing the infection control officer role, CE Solutions offers a clear route to role-specific education and ongoing training integration through the continuing education platform and the Designated Infection Control Officer coursework referenced above. This supports agencies that want infection control leadership that is trained, current, and operationally effective.
