Offline use
Offline EMS protocol access: what works without a signal
New searches in Protocol Guide need an internet connection, and so does voice transcription. Pro accounts can save individual protocols to read offline, but that does not download your whole county library. If you work or study somewhere with weak coverage, save the protocols you use most before you lose signal, and keep your agency's own book on your phone as well.
This post covers what needs a connection, what works without one, and how to plan around dead zones without leaning on a tool for something it was not built to do.
What needs a connection
Protocol Guide searches a library of published protocol documents that lives on our servers. That shapes what works offline and what does not.
- Search. Every new search, typed or spoken, goes to the server. No connection, no new results.
- AI summaries. Summaries are generated on request, so they need a connection too.
- Voice search. Your speech is transcribed online. A dead zone means no voice search.
The free plan has unlimited protocol search, but all of it is online search. Free accounts do not save protocols for offline reading.
What works offline
Pro accounts can save protocols to read offline. Open a result, save it, and the saved copy stays available when your phone has no signal. Saved protocols are individual documents, not a mirror of your county's book, so the habit that matters is saving ahead of time.
Two details are worth knowing.
- A saved protocol is a reading copy. It is the text as it stood when you saved it. Check the source document for the current edition before you rely on it, especially after your agency announces a revision.
- The web app installs to your home screen. Open protocol-guide.com/home in your phone's browser and add it to your home screen. That gives you a one-tap launcher. It does not turn search into an offline feature.
A simple plan for dead zones
If you cover a rural district, work in a building with poor reception, or study on a commute through tunnels, a short routine helps.
- List the protocols you look up most. Ten or fifteen is typical: the ones you review before certification tests, or the ones that changed recently.
- Save them on good Wi-Fi. Do it at home or at the station, not in the rig.
- Keep the agency's own book too. Many agencies publish their protocols as PDFs. Download the current edition to your phone or tablet. That copy is the official one, and it works with no connection at all.
- Note the edition. Write the revision date next to what you saved, so you can tell later whether a newer one exists.
- Refresh after updates. When your agency announces a revision, save the new version again and stop using the old copy. The checklist in how to tell whether a protocol is current covers this in more detail.
What to save first
If you can only save a handful, pick by how likely you are to need them offline.
- Protocols your agency revised recently. Recent changes are the easiest to misremember, so a reading copy helps.
- Protocols tied to an upcoming skills check or certification exam. A short list for the week of the exam beats a long list you never open.
- Protocols with many steps or numbers. Tables, sequences, and criteria are easier to reread than to recall.
- Anything your preceptor or training officer flags. If they say "know this one cold," save it.
Review the list every few months. Remove what you no longer need, and add what your training has moved on to. A short, current list is more useful than a long, stale one.
Where this fits, and where it does not
Protocol Guide is an educational study and reference tool. The places it earns its keep are the station, the classroom, the commute, and the kitchen table before a skills check. It is not medical direction, not clinical decision support, and not meant for bedside patient care. On a call, your agency's current protocols and your online medical direction decide what you do.
That is also why saved protocols are framed as reading copies. A study aid should be easy to carry. It should not pretend to be the authoritative book.
Free and Pro, side by side
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol search | Unlimited, online | Unlimited, online |
| AI summaries | 5 per day | Unlimited |
| Voice search | 10 per day | Unlimited |
| Saved protocols for offline reading | No | Yes |
| Counties | 1 | Any |
Pro is $9.99 per month or $89 per year, with a 7-day free trial for first-time subscribers. The pricing page has the current details. You can start on the free plan with no card and decide later whether offline saving matters for your work.
Frequently asked questions
Does Protocol Guide work offline?
Search does not. New searches and voice transcription need a connection. Pro accounts can save protocols to read offline.
Can I download my whole county's protocols?
No. Saving works one protocol at a time, and it does not download a full county library. If you need the complete book offline, download your agency's own PDF from the agency website.
Does the free plan include offline reading?
No. Saving protocols for offline reading is a Pro feature. Free search needs a connection.
What happens to a saved protocol when my agency updates it?
A saved protocol is a reading copy from the day you saved it. Check its source document for the current edition before you rely on it.
Does voice search work without a signal?
No. Voice transcription needs a connection, so voice search is unavailable offline.