Public Safety Dispatcher Uniforms

There is no standard for public safety dispatcher uniforms--some agencies require uniforms even if the dispatcher has no public contact, and other allow any type of appropriate casual wear. Some agencies provide the uniforms under a quartermaster system, while others pay an periodic uniform allowance. As for the uniforms, they can be a formal, pleated shirt and dress pants, or as casual as a polo shirt and brand-name khaki pants. If a formal uniform is specified, it usually calls for a badge and patch. When a polo shirt is worn, it usually has an embroidered patch.

Besides style, there's an almost endless variation of fashion:

• Ties: bowtie or long
• Sweaters: vests or long-sleeve
• Shirts: short or long-sleeve
• Jackets: dress or outdoor style
• Shoes: color and style (plain toe, decorated)
• Pins
• Patches on one or both sleeves, or on left or right-front of shirt: shape (round, triangular, square, semi-oval), colors, wording, illustration [sample logos, patches]

-- Comm Center Patch Examples --
Check the Massachusetts Communications Officers Association Web site for the largest collection of dispatcher and comm center patches we've ever seen! We also have our own collection of information on pins and logo merchandise.
Albuquerque Alta Vista search results Arlington County (Va.) Aspen-Pitkin (Colo.) Baltimore Berkshire County (Mass.) 911 Boston FD patch Brown County (SD) Cabell County 911(WV) Canadian agency patches Centre County (Penn.) patch Cherokee County (NC) Clemson University Contra Costa (Calif.) Consolidated Fire Coral Springs (Fla.) patch Cumberland County (NJ) DUCOMM (Ill.) comm center Escondido (Calif.) Police Fairfax County (Virg.) Gall's catalog generic patches [#1] [#2] Hackensack (NJ) Havelock (NC) Howard County (Md.) Communications [#2] Inter. Municipal Signal Assoc. Isabella County (Mich.) Jefferson County (Mo.) [patch #1, patch #2] Johnson County (Kan.) Emergency Comm's Kanawha County (WV) Lancaster County (Penn.) Lavergne (Tenn.) patch and info	Massillon (Ohio) New York City Fire Department North Carolina Highway Patrol North Las Vegas FD Maryland EMD patch NAEMD patch New York City PD Communications Division Orange County (Calif.) Pittsfield (Mass.) Police Regional Emergency Dispatch (Ohio) Rehoboth Beach (Del.) River Oaks (Tex.) Salt Lake City Police Comm Center Sitka (Alas.) embroidery on polo shirt Skagit WA patch Somerset County (Md.) South Bay Regional Training Academy Stillwater (Okla.) Central Communications University of Alaska-Fairbanks Vermont Public Safety - vintage Washington County (Md.) West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center (Ill.) Winthrop Harbor (Ill.) Wyomissing (Penn.)

• Badges: shape (star, shield), color (silver or gold-metal), wording, illustration. These can be metal or embroidered. [West Mercia Constabulary]
• Belt: color, basketweave or plain leather, silver or brass finish
• Belt accessories: key clip, MACE or pepper spray holder, flashlight holder, handcuff holder
• Other accessories: rank insignia, assignment insignia, badge number pin, award pins, seniority--years of service stripes or pin

We've assembled illustrations of several color combinations that we've seen or been told about. There are many other color combinations, especially if a casual uniform is worn. Give us your feedback via e-mail on additional uniform elements and colors.

Formal Uniform

light blue / dark blue

maroon / black

green / black

white/dark blue

dark blue/khaki

Casual Uniform

red/black

dark blue/khaki

Also visit these commercial sites:

Galls, uniforms and other law enforcement, fire and EMS gear, good on-line catalog
Blauer, uniform manufacturer
Emerco, Canadian company, EMS & dispatch hats, pin, T-shirts
In The Line of Duty Web site, listing of on-line patch and badge collections
Schweizer Emblem Co. - custom embroidery, photo emblems, reflective emblems
WearGuard - work clothes, including uniform sets