911 Operators only please....I would like your advice?

Question

I applied as a 911 operator.....what has been your experience(s)? It sounds really exciting and I know I'm intelligent enough to do it.....good/bad??? How long is training and what does it involve? Did you get paid training? I know what the yearly income is once you become one but......just let me know your experiences or if you have friends who have done this. I want this job!!! It's a GREAT county also....a lot of crime mixed with a lot of beauty and people on vacation......

Answer 1

I've been doing it for 10 years now. You can either do it, or you can't. This is because of the stress involved. Stress comes from the calls, the work load, the shift work, etc... Working in a 911 center is boredom mixed with moments of chaos.... or vice versa. It all depends on where you work

Do a sit-a-long (if you haven't done so already) at the agency you want to work at. Make sure this is something you CAN and WANT to do.

Training is paid and, if done properly by the agency that hires you, will be difficult. Training serves a dual purpose. It prepares you for the job, and it weeds out the people that should not be responsible for peoples lives. To be good at this profession you have to have several skills that many people do not have such as excellent multitasking skills and short term memory recall (2 of many).

Training should last a minimum of about 10-12 weeks. Anything shorter and the training is probably not that good.

Answer 2

Well, I'm not sure what country you're talking about. But I was 911 trained here in the state of Massachusetts. USA. Overall 911 operators are NOT that busy. 911 if used properly is used ONLY for EMERGENCIES. Now I know there are a lot of people who call 911 as they feel they have an emergency. BUT 911 operators answer the phone by saying: 911, what is your emergency? If you do not have an emergency you call is either terminated and or transferred. On an 8 hour tour of duty I have handled a few calls per shift. I worked 12 - 8. I know there will be more calls on other shift, BUT it won't be steady calls that keep you busy all day. So Don't expect what you are expecting right now. If it happens good for you, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Answer 3

First off, I want to wish you luck on the endeavor of becoming a dispatcher. I was a dispatcher for 5 years at a neighboring agency before I came to work at my current agency as an officer. I learned a whole lot about the job, however I also had a lot of experiences that I wish I had not encountered. I have had people shoot themselves in the head while I am trying to talk them out of it. I had an officer struck by a car while working traffic control at a wreck scene (no major injuries thank GOD), parents that found their children dead when they woke up, children that found their parents dead. There is a lot more to say, but I am gonna try to stay short with this. There are a lot of emotional and troubling things that happen to you as a dispatcher. Make sure that you are prepared to handle them. Also make sure that you can seperate from work and family life.
As far as the training goes, I had to go through 8 weeks of supervised training, and then I continued to learn the duration of my time as a dispatcher. The training is learning the basics of the job (How to handle calls for service, how to send out medics and police, how to try to calm people down that are excited). Once you learn the basics, you apply them to each call, although each call is different. You may talk to someone that just got shot and is perfectly calm, and the next caller may be someone that found their house broken into and is absolutely hysterical.
I hope none of that scares you away from the profession. I wish you the best of luck. Go into it with your head held high, don't get discouraged by mistakes, and make every attempt to be the best.

Answer 4

It all depends on the agency you are working for. Some are really busy and some are mostly dead, and every agency pays a different wage. In NJ we need three certifications to work in emergency communications: BTC (basic comm), EMD (medical comm), and NJOETS (state cert). Usually you attend a certification program (some agencies pay for this) which I believe was about a month long (don't quote me, it's been awhile). A lot of classroom instruction with some role-play exercises to get you used to the 911 format. The majority of your education will be on the job, though. It's a lot of sitting in front of a computer screen listening to people complaining or in a crisis. Very few people call the police department in a good mood I'm afraid. If you can stay calm under pressure, and can be polite to people who are screaming obscenities at you, this is a good job for you.

Answer 5

yes training is paid.
my yearly salary is no where near where they said it would be because i work a butt load of over time. plus you get holiday pay, shift dif, comp time, etc.
plus i can work county events and get hr per hr comp time to use in lieu of vacation hours.
the benes are the best! i get paid sick and personal time
you will hear the stupidest things and the most serious of calls

i have been working here 5 years
my first week on the job i took a veh roll over with ejection on 95!
i've also taken a call for a husband shot by an upset coworker at his front door
a woman run over so many times on the road she looked like animal road kill
a downy ball being taken from a laundry machine
and a lady stabbing her fiance then saying he accidently fell on to it

you hear it all!

the drunks and crazies give you good laughs

the agressive driver complaints make you want to scream just get over to the right lane ! you know you were going tooo slow !!!! ahhh lol

i love my job, i have the best stories! shift work takes getting used to. and byo meals cus eating out all the time gets expensive

Answer 6

You get paid for answering silly questions most of the time. Be prepared for the serious callers and disregard pranksters.