Public Safety Dispatchers handle 911 calls and dispatch emergency responders. The job requires multi-tasking and handling multiple situations simultaneously. Dispatchers must be able to type quickly, use computer systems, memorize codes and procedures, and communicate clearly. Shifts include nights, weekends and holidays. Benefits include paid time off, retirement plans and health insurance. Training includes on-the-job training lasting 20-24 weeks.
2. • 911 is generally not how it appears in movies
or television shows.
3.
4.
5. What is does a 911 public safety
dispatcher do?
– We have interviewed people who later turned
down the job because they had no idea of what
types of calls they would be handling
6. 911 Public Safety dispatcher
“911, what is the address of your
emergency?”
7. 911 Public Safety dispatcher
“Dispatch, I need a wrecker and another unit to assist me.”
9. 911 Public Safety dispatcher
• Radio dispatchers use computer controlled radios to give
information from the CAD to field units.
10. Skills needed
• Able to sit for long periods of time without breaks.
• Able to multi-task and handle multiple events simultaneously.
• Able to watch computer screens for long periods.
11. Skills needed
• Because everything is computer driven in the
dispatch environment, you must:
– Have basic keyboard and computer skills in order to use
CAD, email and basic office software.
– Be able to type at least 40 words a minute without errors
– Be able to spell correctly
– Be able to receive information through the phone, radio,
from a person in the room or over the computer and
respond quickly (often all the same time)
12. Skills needed
• Be able to handle information coming in from several
different sources, often simultaneously.
13. Skills needed
• The ability to learn, memorize and retrieve a
broad range of information quickly.
• You must be able to remember what calls you
did an hour ago or what information you may
have learned a year ago.
14. Skills needed
Must be able to memorize:
Ten Codes
CAD computer commands
Street location and information
Policies and procedures
Radio call signs and officer information
15. Basic requirements
• High school diploma or GED
• 18 years of age or older
• Typing skills
• Able to speak and understand English fluently
• Able to spell and communicate at a high school level.
16. You can’t be a dispatcher if:
• You have any felony conviction
• Misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence or
driving under the influence
17. You can’t be a dispatcher if:
• You have misdemeanor convictions for
possession or use of drugs
• If you have ever used another’s prescription
drugs
• History of any drug abuse
• History of alcohol abuse
18. You can’t be a dispatcher if:You can’t be a dispatcher if:
• You can’t see the screens well enough toYou can’t see the screens well enough to
discern informationdiscern information
19. You can’t be a dispatcher ifYou can’t be a dispatcher if
• You are unable to hear sufficiently wellYou are unable to hear sufficiently well
enough to wear a headset and understandenough to wear a headset and understand
what is being said over the radio or telephonewhat is being said over the radio or telephone
20. What to expect as a dispatcherWhat to expect as a dispatcher
• Shift work!Shift work!
– Our current work schedule has three 12 hourOur current work schedule has three 12 hour
shifts and one 6 hour shift for a total of 42 hours ashifts and one 6 hour shift for a total of 42 hours a
week.week.
– Most shifts are either 7am to 7pm or 7p to 7a andMost shifts are either 7am to 7pm or 7p to 7a and
everyone works a half day on Tuesday.everyone works a half day on Tuesday.
– We also have two 10 am to Midnight shifts.We also have two 10 am to Midnight shifts.
– Employees also cover two to three on call days aEmployees also cover two to three on call days a
month to be short notice coverage for sick calls.month to be short notice coverage for sick calls.
21. What to expect as a dispatcherWhat to expect as a dispatcher
• Here are our current shifts:Here are our current shifts:
22. What to expect as a dispatcherWhat to expect as a dispatcher
• We work holidays!We work holidays!
– All dispatchers - newer and long term, work manyAll dispatchers - newer and long term, work many
holidays. You cannot expect to be off onholidays. You cannot expect to be off on
Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend,Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend,
Thanksgiving, Christmas or New YearsThanksgiving, Christmas or New Years
– If you are scheduled to work a holiday, you canIf you are scheduled to work a holiday, you can
only take off if someone is willing to trade or workonly take off if someone is willing to trade or work
overtime for you.overtime for you.
24. WagesWages
• Beginning Full-time pay: $16.64 / hour
– ($34,611 annual)
• Upon completion of training: $17.21 / hour
– ($35,805 annual)
• Overtime is available and encouraged
– (Paid at one and one-half rate per hour)
25. BenefitsBenefits
• Medical InsuranceMedical Insurance
• Dental InsuranceDental Insurance
• Life InsuranceLife Insurance
• Vision insurance coverage is available at extraVision insurance coverage is available at extra
cost to the employeecost to the employee
• Additional supplement insurances available atAdditional supplement insurances available at
cost to the employeecost to the employee
26. BenefitsBenefits
• Retirement program through the Utah StateRetirement program through the Utah State
Retirement system.Retirement system.
• 401(a) defined benefits contribution in lieu of401(a) defined benefits contribution in lieu of
Social Security (match based on employee’sSocial Security (match based on employee’s
contribution.)contribution.)
27. Leave BenefitsLeave Benefits
• Eleven 8 hour paid holidays per yearEleven 8 hour paid holidays per year
• Four hours of vacation per pay period (afterFour hours of vacation per pay period (after
successful completion of training.) Vacationsuccessful completion of training.) Vacation
rates increase with long-term employment.rates increase with long-term employment.
• One 8 hour personal day earned every July 1One 8 hour personal day earned every July 1stst
• Four hours of sick leave per pay period.Four hours of sick leave per pay period.
28. Training ProvidedTraining Provided
• We provide on the job training for the jobWe provide on the job training for the job
related skills needed to be a dispatcher.related skills needed to be a dispatcher.
– State dispatch academy at POST (one week)State dispatch academy at POST (one week)
– Emergency medical dispatching (24 hours)Emergency medical dispatching (24 hours)
– Emergency fire dispatching (24 hours)Emergency fire dispatching (24 hours)
– CPR CertificationCPR Certification
– On the job training (about 20 to 24 weeks)On the job training (about 20 to 24 weeks)
– State computer access certificationState computer access certification
Notas do Editor
Most people will never visit a 911 dispatch center so their opinion or interpretation of the occupation comes from what they see in the movies or on television. On the CSI television shows, for example, you see only a glimpse of the dispatch part of the process, in glorified settings, and all crimes are solved in 45 minutes (allowing for commercial interruptions.) We want to give you a clear understanding of the job, its challenges and its rewards, before you continue through the long process of testing and interviewing.
This is a typical console in our dispatch facility. This is in our new facility which is very spacious, with great lighting and views, and state-of-the-art technologies.
This is another view of our spacious and open dispatch center.
We should first explain to you what a public safety or 911 dispatcher does. We receive both 911 calls for service and twenty-four hour calls for non-urgent requests for police, fire, public works and even animal control.
Dispatchers take reports of emergencies and non-emergencies and enter the information into the Computer aided dispatch system so the calls can be relayed to field responders
As a public safety dispatcher, you would be trained to both receive calls and to handle radio transactions with field units.
Our computer aided dispatching software is called Spillman. The call taker would enter in the needed information and save that information to the CAD. The call then appears on the police radio dispatcher’s screen so she can dispatch police units to the call.
Radio dispatchers receive the call from service from the call takers and relay to units over a computerized radio system. Radio dispatchers also receive information from field units and act on that information. Officers often need driver’s license or license plate checks, need back up units or wreckers to respond to scenes or who will even sign out on crimes or situations the officer personally observes while on patrol. Fire dispatchers page out specific units to handle calls and track units for correct response times.
Because we can’t predict when emergencies will come in, breaks will be erratic or of limited time. If there is a major traffic accident or a large fire, breaks may be suspended until things are under control. Breaks have to be approved through a supervisor. You can’t plan to run errands on your lunch break because you may not get a break. Dispatchers often eat at the consoles. Everything we use, the telephone, the CAD, and the radio have computer monitors for their operation. If you are sensitive to computer flicker or get headaches from looking at computer screens for more than a few minutes, this isn’t the career for you.
Computer skills are a must. If you struggle to type 40 words a minute and just barely passed the typing test, dispatching will be a challenge. Because of the need to type quickly, dispatchers often type well over 60 words a minute, if not more.
You must be able to type while listening, be able to hear other information coming in while you are on the phone. If you are someone who gets frustrated when someone talks to you while on the phone, you may have difficulty learning to multi-task. If you can only talk to one person at a time or do only one thing at a time, you could have difficulty in multitasking. Multitasking is truly the ability to move quickly from task to task without forgetting other needed information. In short, it’s like having a conversation with 15 different people and being able to remember where you left off in the conversation with that person.
Dispatching isn’t a field where you can leisurely look up information and then respond as you can. Getting responders en route on emergency calls is a time limited activity. For medicals, it is our goal to have 99% of our medicals entered and paged to field responders in less than 120 seconds. For fires, it is our goal to have 95% of all fire calls paged out to field responders in less than 90 seconds. People who are bleeding or not breathing cannot wait to have help delayed. Fires double in size for every minute they burn. Emergencies are time critical events.
In radio dispatching, ten codes are a quick and efficient way to relay information. We use codes such as Ten-Four which is a way of acknowledging information. We use things like Ten Eighty-eight which means “Man with a Gun” and several other codes. If you cannot memorize and quickly recall such information, you would not be able to understand
If you have the skills, there are basic requirements: you must have a diploma or a GED; you have to be over 18 years old. You must be able to speak and understand English. you have to be able to spell words correctly without spell check; there is no time to stop and use spell check on time critical events.
I can get more details for this part. Some of these are not “if ever” and have time frames. Although we don’t need to list all time frames we wouldn’t want to discourage someone who had certain misdemeanor convictions 15 years ago. We will also want to address what the background packet asks, how it is conducted, pass a hearing test, polygraph, drug screen, emphasize truthfulness to all questions, etc.
Though some adjustments can be made on screen colors, and while we try to make every accommodations we can under ADA, you do have to be able to see the CAD screens in order to enter information or to read back information.
We give hearing tests to prospective employees as well. We use molded earpiece headsets where you have the radio or phone traffic coming in one ear while you would hear incoming information from other dispatchers with your unobstructed ear.
We have to have a certain number of dispatchers on the floor at all times. That varies from six to eight people depending on the time of day or if we’re staffing for holiday coverage. Some holidays, such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day weekend or New Years Eve are busier than normal so we have to schedule in more dispatchers. Getting time off for those holidays are doubtful.
Here is what our current shift schedule looks like:
We work a rotating schedule meaning that every three months we have shift change. Unless you traded your shift rotation, you would either move from Days to Nights, or Nights to Days or take one of the split shifts.
We pay for and provide the necessary baseline training and certifications to be a 911 dispatcher. We also provide continuing training opportunities to maintain all certifications. We hold quarterly inservice training which is mandatory for all employees to attend. It is the employee’s responsibility to attend all trainings and to pass all tests.
