So, You Want to Be a Dispatcher [2024]

Many applicants for a dispatcher position think, “I can answer the phone. How hard can it be? Isn’t it just taking a few calls and sending the police where they need to go?” The answers to these questions are not as simple as they may appear.

A dispatcher is much more than someone who just answers 911 lines and sends the needed help to the caller. The job requires much more training, skill, and effort than most people realize. Unless an applicant has been introduced to the profession by a friend or family member or has been exposed to the job through the media or a personal call to 911, most look at the starting pay and benefits and apply based solely on the economic rewards. But as with any noble profession, dispatching brings more value to a person than dollars and cents.

This course will identify the necessary skills and qualities of a dispatcher, give a realistic preview of the emergency communications center, and reveal what it takes to be a dispatcher ― and what a dispatcher is not.

But most of all, this course will help you decide whether being a dispatcher is for you and whether you feel qualified and motivated to fill this very important role in saving lives.