Public Safety Dispatcher: Job & Testing Resources
The profession of public safety dispatching is exciting, challenging and rewarding. However, it can also be frustrating, stressful and emotional. These seemingly contradictory facets of dispatching make it one of the toughest jobs to master. But for those who do, it's a particularly good way to earn a living and serve your community. updated 
The requirements for public safety dispatching jobs vary greatly by agency and area of the country. But we have summarized the most common requirements in the following sections. We have also included several sample job descriptions, screening methods and applicant procedures from actual agencies to provide a more comprehensive view of today's public safety dispatcher.
Not all police, fire or EMS agencies employ civilian dispatchers. Many agencies still place sworn officers or deputies, firefighters or EMS personnel in the comm center. There is a growing trend towards civilianization, both in recognition of the increased professionalism that the job requires, and as a way of decreasing costs. However, at many agencies, the parent police or fire department continues to maintain their supervisory and management level personnel to administer the communications center.
As with any job, there are state and federal laws that govern the process. You should know what questions a potential employer can ask and those which are forbidden to ask. You should understand your rights at each step of the process and how you stand at each step.
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If you're interested in applying for a position as a public safety dispatcher, purchase our comprehensive, 55-page Job Application Guide that covers everything about the application process, including many on-line resources. |
Job Openings - submitted by agencies in all 50 states
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Calif. POST test |
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Profile Evaluations Inc., |
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U.S. Employment and Testing Administration |
Biddle & Associates |
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| BPAD Group Inc. video applicant testing |
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| I/O Solutions Inc., CD Audio applicant testing |
Personal History Questionnaire for Dispatcher Position (pdf) |
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Select Inc., recruit assessments  |
NENA's HR Resource List (pdf) |
Be sure to check our Career Track, to visit all of our Web pages related to the the profession, or click on the icon to see the next page in the series!
| Job Scope |
In general, a dispatcher may be required to perform one or all of the following tasks:
- take telephone calls from the public, both for emergency and non-emergency incidents, and for administrative units of the agency.
- dispatch units to incidents, both emergency and non-emergency
- track the status of units, vehicles and equipment
- greet citizens who come to the front counter
- process prisoners in the jail or lock-up
- perform clerical work related to incident reports and officer activity.
At some larger agencies, these tasks are performed by separate classifications of employees. At smaller agencies, one job classification might perform all the listed duties.
Some agencies have multi-step classifications for dispatcher. That is, a call-taker is titled Public Safety Dispatcher I, while radio dispatchers are classified as Public Safety Dispatcher II. In some cases, new dispatchers must enter at a level I position, and may only become a level II dispatcher after a certain period of experience and after successfully passing a test.
Supervision at comm centers varies greatly. Many police and fire comm centers are still managed by sworn officers or firefighters. At other centers, civilians provide line supervision. They are promoted after a certain period of experience, or must take a competitive test. These positions can be restricted to current department employees, or may allow dispatchers from other agencies to apply for the job.
The U.S. Department of Labor has a Web site that describes major job titles--check their description of what a "dispatcher" does--an Acrobat version (pdf) of the listing is also available.
You should also check the full job title listing from DOL to see what other jobs might perform similar tasks.
| Applicant Requirements |
Most agencies require an applicant to be at least 18 years old, although some agencies have cadet or trainee dispatcher positions beginning at 16 years old. Most also require that you are a U.S. citizen. Most agencies require the applicant to have a high school education, and some require some college or junior college courses.
Some agencies prefer to hire persons who are already dispatchers at another agency, so-called "laterals." In this case, they will accept only those applicants who are already full-time employees at a public safety agency.
Most agencies have a standard recruitment, application and screening process for dispatchers. To start the process, an applicant fills out the necessary forms indicating the personal information, job history and skills.
| Applicant Screening |
The applications are evaluated and those meeting the qualifications are asked to take written test. Some states have devised standardized tests for public safety dispatchers, while agencies in other states use commercially available tests that help determine an applicants skills.
These tests do not test specific dispatching knowledge. Instead, they focus on certain key skills that agencies find help insure success as a dispatcher. These include excellent short and long-term memory, the ability to perform several tasks at once, ability to work accurately and quickly, ability to make quick decisions based on pre-determined criteria, ability to speak clearly and concisely, ability to deal with stress, ability to handle difficult customer situations, and the ability to work closely with other employees.
In addition to these work skills, each agency may apply certain technical requirements, such as ability to type at 35 words per minute or greater. Since computers are commonly employed in comm centers, the agency may have certain freedom-of-movement requirements--shoulders, arms, hands and fingers.
Besides the written test, some agencies conduct a hands-on or practical test of the applicant's skills. These include the ability to talk, listen and write simultaneously, ability to transcribe accurately, and the ability to focus on one task to the exclusion of others.
Successful applicants are then ranked on some type of number or letter scale, indicating how well they performed on the test. The police, fire, EMS or communications agency then selects applicants from the list for further screening and eventual hiring. Usually, this selection procedure is governed by a strict set of union or personnel department rules.
In one method, all applicants are grouped into categories numbered from one to three. The hiring agency can then select applicants from any category.
| Agency Screening |
Once the agency selects its first choices, the applicants are invited to an interview with the agency head or comm center manager. The interview is a last check on the applicant's ability to think quickly, respond appropriately and to fill in any gaps in the application information.
Those passing the interview are then scheduled for a background check, which is usually conducted by a police officer or veteran dispatcher. The check involves probing the applicant's financial, job, criminal and personal history. Copies of the applicant's credit history, driver's license record, school transcripts, any criminal history and previous job evaluations are obtained if available. If there are questionable areas of conduct or performance, the applicant is usually interviewed again about those areas.
Some agencies subject the applicant to a polygraph examination during this phase of the screening process. This can be performed by a commercial company or the agency itself. It focuses on deception, prior criminal conduct and the prior or current involvement with illegal substances.
| Post Job Offer |
After successfully passing the agency screening, the applicant receives a job offer from the agency. If the applicant accepts, the agency will schedule them for a medical evaluation to determine their fitness for the job and to determine any prior medical problems. At most agencies, a medical condition isn't necessarily disqualifying. However, the job requirements (does the dispatcher also perform jail duties?) dictate what conditions are acceptable. Lastly, applicants may be required to take a psychological test or interview prior to being formally accepted.
| Training |
If an applicant passes the medical exam, they are scheduled for training. The length of time and complexity of training varies greatly. At some agencies, training lasts one week and consists entirely of on-the-job work with a veteran dispatcher. At other agencies, the academy is 6-8 weeks long, alternated with side-by-side training with a veteran dispatcher.
A dispatcher trainee's probationary period can range from 3 months to one year. During this time, the trainee receives frequent evaluations and can be dismissed for good cause. After probation, the dispatcher can generally be dismissed only for misconduct or incompetence.
Some states have a standardized training course for anyone who wants to be a dispatcher. In most cases, the agency sends the trainee to the course during employment. However, since many of these courses are given by community colleges, they are open to anyone who wants to become a dispatcher or who is considering the field. Check with your local college district to see if they give such classes.
| Pay & Benefits |
Pay rates for dispatcher vary greatly. Call-takers might start at $14,000 a year at some areas, while line supervisors earn can earn up to $40,000 in some cities. Civilian managers of public safety communications centers can earn up to $60,000 at larger agencies.
Many agencies pay some portion of the employee's retirement contributions or offer other tax-deferred savings plans.
Most jurisdictions give employees certain holidays off. However, public safety dispatchers generally do not receive holidays off. Instead, they receive some pay compensation (time and one-half) for working on a holiday.
Most jurisdictions give their employees vacation, usually based on the longevity of employment. It's common for a starting employee to earn one or two weeks vacation at the end of one-year's employment, and up to five weeks after 15 or 20 years of employment.
