DISPATCH Monthly

State-by-State Required Dispatcher Training

We're gathering new and updated information from every state on their required training for public safety dispatchers If your state has training requirements any type of initial or annual training, help us out by completing this survey.

E-mail us: the name of your state, the number of hours of initial and on-going training. If your state has no requirement, send us zero for that category. Include any explanatory comments.

Here is the information that we've collected so far. See the footnotes at the bottom of the list.


State

Initial
Training
Hours

On-Going
Training
Hours

Alabama

0

0

Alaska

0

0

Arkansas

0

0

Arizona

80

2

California

120

24

Colorado

0 (1)

0

Connecticut

80

0

District of Columbia

360

40

Florida

208 (6)

0

Georgia

64

0

Idaho

0

0

Illinois

0

0

Indiana

0

0

Iowa

40

8

Kansas

0

0

Kentucky

160

16

Louisiana

320

0

Maine

56

0

Maryland

40

24

Massachusetts

32

8

Michigan

0

0 (2)

Minnesota

40

160

Mississippi

40

16+

Missouri

16/40

16

Montana 40 24
Nebraska

0 (5)

0

Nevada

480

16

New Hampshire

0

0

New Jersey

90

90

New Mexico

120

0

New York

40

0

North Carolina

0 (3)

0

Ohio

40

0

Oklahoma

0

0

Oregon

80

12-16

Pennsylvania

104

24+

South Carolina

80

0

South Dakota

80

0

Tennessee

80

0

Texas

40

10

Utah

24

12

Vermont

0

0

Virginia

280

0

Washington 80 0
West Virginia

40

0

Washington

360

30

Wisconsin

0

0

Wyoming

58

20

 

Footnotes
  • (1) work in progress on establishing standards
  • (2) Public Act 78 of 1999 will provide $400,000-$500,000 annually for training. Details being worked out.
  • (3) 40 hours initial training required for sheriff's dispatchers only
  • (4) 16 hrs within 1 yr of hire and 16 hrs of CDE every 2 years for a single agency type (police, fire, etc.) 911 comm center;
    if you dispatch 2 or more agency types it is 40 hrs within 1 year of hire and 40 hrs of CDE every 2 years following
  • (5) 80 hours of training available from state academy, but not required
  • (6) voluntary, not financed. Download legislative bill (pdf)