I'm thinking of making a career change and am looking into being a police/911 dispatcher. They are in high demand where I live, I like being able to do shift work, and I've always been able to remain calm and level-headed in an emergency (yes, I've been faced with quite a few). I've put in a request to do a "sit-along" with local police department but haven't heard from them yet. Is there anyone out there who can tell me more about getting into this line of work? What do I need to know?
2007-02-07 04:54:53 · 8 answers · asked by Amy K 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I don't know how it is in the agency your wanting to apply for, but the Agency that I work for.... sometimes your the only dispatcher in there by your self, so If your serious about it, hope your able to multi-task and do several things at once, there are times that I get stuck talking on the radio, answering 2 911 calls at the same time, and placing people on hold on our regular business lines. All in all its a cool job being a dispatcher, Just have to be able to multi-task and type at an appropriate speed, In regards to being a police officer, Its a rewarding job, nothing like it! Go back to the police department and see if you can do a ride-a-long, Go to the department and ask them again that you want to do a ride-a-long with an officer or a sit-in with dispatch so you can experience it first hand and not have to hear it from anyone else. Good Luck!
2007-02-07 05:14:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have not been a dispatcher but as a private security guard have worked closely with them as well as private dispatching company's. It would be a very interesting job without question . I've provided a site below for job description purposes . If your interested in this type of work you could familiarize yourself before your job search of the common police codes and ambulance codes which can be found on the net . This would give you a leg up when applying for a job. There are also numerous other dispatching jobs which can be lucrative. I have one friend who works for a private trucking dispatch firm and he gets a percentage of the profits when he sends out a truck for pickups and deliveries and makes a great deal of money doing it . Also many private firms dispatch for various security company's and private ambulance services which may be something to consider also . If possible it may even be helpful to purchase a scanner so you could listen in on dispatchers and learn somewhat by listening in too the various calls . Good luck and again this would be a very interesting job ! You may also see if you can tap into your states local employment bureau online and do a search for dispatching jobs.
2007-02-07 05:16:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Amy, suffice to say there is alot more involved then you're probably aware of in our profession. As you said go do a sit-a-long and make sure the work environment is something you want to be around all the time.
Also, find some forums that have dispatchers on it and ask lots of questions. It's a whole other world and goes well beyond shift work and saying "911".
2007-02-08 20:59:02 · answer #3 · answered by the_mr911 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aside from applying at your local PD/Sheriff's Department and following up on the application (persistence pays off), you need to memorize your local 10-codes. While similar, 10-codes are not always the same for each state and department. I also recommend purchasing a police/fire scanner and listening to it to familiarize yourself with procedure. You may also try to take notes about what is going on, since as a dispatcher you will have to log which officers are where and when. Make sure your typing and phone skills are up to par and keep trying.
2007-02-07 05:30:32 · answer #4 · answered by Rachel M 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
concept: call taking not what but where is your emergency,
the call taker types up a ticket or on a computer screen and takes down pertinent info such as where, who, what, when, how, or any other pertinent info such as discription, and then the dispatcher gives it a priority and sends to the first available patrol car who is send there to take care of the situation. its not always that simple sometimes its real busy and gets very hard.
2007-02-07 13:44:30 · answer #5 · answered by Ankit 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO sorry I cant help you but thats exactly what I was thinking of do myself SO if you find out anything let me know GOOD LUCK.
2007-02-07 05:00:26 · answer #6 · answered by Clarissa b 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
"911-What is your emergency?"
2007-02-07 05:02:44 · answer #7 · answered by Sherri ptown 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
no but my freind is a disbatcher
2007-02-07 04:58:30 · answer #8 · answered by A kid 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋