Dispatchers schedule and dispatch workers, equipment, or service vehicles for the conveyance of materials or passengers. They keep records, logs, and schedules of the calls they receive, the transportation vehicles they monitor and control, and the actions they take. They maintain information on each call and then prepare a detailed report on all activities occurring during their shifts. Many dispatchers employ computer-aided dispatch systems to accomplish these tasks. The work of dispatchers varies greatly, depending on the industry in which they work.
Regardless of where they work, all dispatchers are assigned a specific territory and have responsibility for all communications within that area. Many work in teams, especially those dispatchers in large communications centers or companies. One person usually handles all dispatching calls to the response units or company drivers, while the other members of the team usually receive the incoming calls and deal with the public.
Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, also called public safety dispatchers, monitor the location of emergency services personnel from any one or all of the jurisdiction's emergency services departments. These workers dispatch the appropriate type and number of units in response to calls for assistance. Dispatchers, or call takers, often are the first people the public contacts when emergency assistance is required. If certified for emergency medical services, the dispatcher may provide medical instruction to those on the scene of the emergency until the medical staff arrives.
Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers work in a variety of settings: a police station, a fire station, a hospital, or, increasingly, a centralized communications center. In many areas, the police department serves as the communications center. In these situations, all emergency calls go to the police department, where a dispatcher handles the police calls and screens the others before transferring them to the appropriate service.
When handling calls, dispatchers question each caller carefully to determine the type, seriousness, and location of the emergency. The information obtained is posted either electronically by computer or, with decreasing frequency, by hand. It is communicated immediately to uniformed or supervisory personnel, who quickly decide on the priority of the incident, the kind and number of units needed, and the location of the closest and most suitable units available. Typically, a team answers calls and relays the information to be dispatched. Responsibility then shifts to the dispatchers, who send response units to the scene and monitor the activity of the public safety personnel answering the dispatched message. During the course of the shift, dispatchers may rotate these functions.
When appropriate, dispatchers stay in close contact with other service providers—for example, a police dispatcher would monitor the response of the fire department when there is a major fire. In a medical emergency, dispatchers keep in close touch not only with the dispatched units, but also with the caller. They may give extensive first-aid instructions before the emergency personnel arrive, while the caller is waiting for the ambulance. Dispatchers continuously give updates on the patient's condition to the ambulance personnel and often serve as a link between the medical staff in a hospital and the emergency medical technicians in the ambulance. (A separate statement on emergency medical technicians and paramedics appears elsewhere in the Handbook.)
Other dispatchers coordinate deliveries, service calls, and related activities for a variety of firms. Truck dispatchers, who work for local and long-distance trucking companies, coordinate the movement of trucks and freight between cities. They direct the pickup and delivery activities of drivers, receive customers' requests for the pickup and delivery of freight, consolidate freight orders into truckloads for specific destinations, assign drivers and trucks, and draw up routes and pickup and delivery schedules. Bus dispatchers make sure that local and long-distance buses stay on schedule. They handle all problems that may disrupt service, and they dispatch other buses or arrange for repairs in order to restore service and schedules. Train dispatchers ensure the timely and efficient movement of trains according to orders and schedules. They must be aware of track switch positions, track maintenance areas, and the location of other trains running on the track. Taxicab dispatchers, or starters, dispatch taxis in response to requests for service and keep logs on all road service calls. They relay the nature of the problem to a nearby service station or a tow-truck service and see to it that the road service is completed. Gas and water service dispatchers monitor gaslines and water mains and send out service trucks and crews to take care of emergencies.
.Employment of dispatchers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012. In addition to those positions resulting from job growth, many openings will arise from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
Population growth and economic expansion are expected to spur employment growth for all types of dispatchers. The growing and aging population will increase demand for emergency services and stimulate employment growth of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers. Many districts are consolidating their communications centers into a shared areawide facility. Individuals with computer skills and experience will have a greater opportunity for employment as public-safety dispatchers.
Employment of some dispatchers is more adversely affected by economic downturns than that of other dispatchers. For example, when economic activity falls, demand for transportation services declines. As a result, taxicab, train, and truck dispatchers may experience layoffs or a shortened workweek, and jobseekers may have some difficulty finding entry-level jobs. Employment of tow-truck dispatchers, by contrast, is seldom affected by general economic conditions, because of the emergency nature of their business.
.Other occupations that involve directing and controlling the movement of vehicles, freight, and personnel, as well as distributing information and messages, include air traffic controllers, communications equipment operators, customer service representatives, and reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks.
For further information on training and certification for police, fire, and emergency dispatchers, contact either of the following organizations:
Information on job opportunities for police, fire, and emergency dispatchers is available from personnel offices of State and local governments or police departments. Information about work opportunities for other types of dispatchers is available from local employers and State employment service offices.
(See the introduction to the section on material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing occupations for information on working conditions, training requirements, and earnings.)
It is staffed by a minimum of 5 Dispatchers, 1 Emergency Call Taker, and 1 Dispatch Supervisor. The training time for a dispatcher is 1 year - the training time for an emergency call taker is 6 months. Training teaches emergency call takers and dispatchers how to handle police related calls for service, map reading, radio codes, computer aided dispatch functions, radio procedures and more. system from their patrol cars. We will determine if you need police, fire or medical assistance.
Summary of: http://www.chandlerpd.com/cpd_site/organization/communications.htm
1, when local police and emergency services switched to the new 800 MHz radio system. "Many calls from cell phones are not getting routed to the proper number," Brown said. The most pressing issue, however, is the fact that some emergency calls made from cell phones in Glynn County do not always reach their intended destination, the 911 dispatch center. Instead of routing 911 calls to the new dispatch center through a Bell South switch, several wireless carriers are sending calls to the old, now defunct, emergency number. "It takes about six months to implement Phase I," said Brown.
Summary of: http://mrtmag.com/pubsafety/dispatch/radio_emergency_cell_calls/
Broadcast orders to police patrol units in vicinity of complaint to investigate. Operate radio, telephone, or computer equipment to receive reports of fires and medical emergencies and relay information or orders to proper officials. Question callers to determine their locations, and the nature of their problems in order to determine type of response needed. Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles. Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units in order to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
Summary of: http://www.lunch-money.com/index.aspx?DisplayCode=careerDetailsOverview&soc=43-5031.00
Alberta Occupational ProfileDispatcherProduced JUNE 2003Dispatchers receive requests for service or emergency assistance and relay information to field personnel. Taxi dispatchers send taxi cabs in response to calls for service. They take requests for cabs, inform drivers by radio or telephone and log the calls and addresses given to each driver. Tow truck dispatchers take calls from vehicle owners for emergency service. They take emergency reports from the public, obtain relevant information and dispatch a work crew (or other appropriate agencies if necessary).
Summary of: http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/occinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?aspAction=GetHTMLProfile&format=html&OCCPRO_ID=71002328
Emergency medical dispatchers receive urgent calls to the service and help to mobilise and control Accident and Emergency vehicles. PTS call handlers work in the non-emergency service, organising routine transport to take patients to and from hospital appointments and home after discharge. The job titles, as well as the duties, vary slightly between local ambulance services. In both services, you will have to ensure that the best possible use is made of resources. In the emergency service, standards for response times must also be met.
Summary of: http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/nhs-knowledge_base/data/5249.html
They keep records, logs, and schedules of the calls they receive, the transportation vehicles they monitor and control, and the actions they take. Many dispatchers employ computer-aided dispatch systems to accomplish these tasks. Dispatchers, or call takers, often are the first people the public contacts when emergency assistance is required. If certified for emergency medical services, the dispatcher may provide medical instruction to those on the scene of the emergency until the medical staff arrives. In many areas, the police department serves as the communications center.
Summary of: http://www.collegegrad.com/careers/admin28.shtml
Dispatchers keep records, logs, and schedules of the calls they receive, transportation vehicles they monitor and control, and actions they take. Regardless of where they work, all dispatchers are assigned a specific territory and have responsibility for all communications within this area. Dispatchers, or call takers, often are the first people the public contacts when they call for emergency assistance. If certified for emergency medical services, the dispatcher may provide medical instruction to those on the scene until the medical staff arrives. Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers work in a variety of settings; they may work in a police station, a fire station, a hospital, or a centralized city communications center.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20002001/302.htm
The man was angry and upset, and directed his hostility at Walters. But for Walters and legions of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers across the country, such a call is just another routine part of the day. Whatever the emergency, police, fire and ambulance dispatchers--also called 911 operators and public safety dispatchers--are the people who respond to such crises. Many callers are angry or hostile due to the stress of whatever situation they may be in. Emergency dispatchers in Virginia are first be hired by an agency and then they are enrolled in a training program at an emergency communication center.
Summary of: http://www3.ccps.virginia.edu/career_prospects/briefs/A-D/DispatchersEmergency.shtml
This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty. Job Training Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. Job Zone Examples These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others.
Summary of: http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/43-5031.00
They keep records, logs, and schedules of the calls they receive, the transportation vehicles they monitor and control, and the actions they take. Many dispatchers employ computer-aided dispatch systems to accomplish these tasks. The work of dispatchers varies greatly, depending on the industry in which they work. Dispatchers, or call takers, often are the first people the public contacts when they call for emergency assistance. If certified for emergency medical services, the dispatcher may provide medical instruction to those on the scene of the emergency until the medical staff arrives.
Summary of: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh20022003/ocos138.htm