“What does an emergency dispatcher do?” Emergency dispatchers, also commonly referred to as 911 dispatchers, are publicly employed professionals who take incoming calls in a specific area where an individuals is in distress or experiencing a minor or major emergency. Due to the nature of the job, you must be able to work in highly stressful and tense environments while keeping your composure. You also need to be able to leave work at home so that the events of the day at work do not affect your life at home. Read on, and learn about some of the duties of an Emergency Dispatcher so that you can decide if you should apply for the opening.
Assigning Priority to Specific Emergencies
While 911 is an emergency line, not everyone classifies emergencies the same. To one individual, it may be appropriate to call 911 over a dispute on the road. To another, calling 911 is only appropriate in life-threatening situations. Dispatchers who answer the floods of emergency calls that come in on a daily basis must prioritize calls based on the seriousness of the situation. They will assign codes for law enforcement to review, contact firefighters, and dispatch paramedics when necessary. When an individual calls and they are not experiencing a legitimate emergency, the dispatch may send officers to the caller’s location to handle the violation.
Helping Callers in Extremely Serious or Stressful Situations
It is not out of the ordinary for a caller to be emotional, scared or frantic. After all, many callers who use 911 services are experiencing what they would refer to as one of the worst days of their life. Dispatchers undergo intense training to prepare them to help callers remain calm while the professional stays focused and gives direction. You may have to give the caller instructions on what to do in a calamitous situation to save a life or to prevent a disaster from happening. As you are directing the caller, you will also calmly relay information to officers and other emergency personnel who will report to the site so that they are prepared to deal with the emergency. This job is not for the weak at heart and there are high turnaround rates in this field.
What is the Job Outlook for Emergency Dispatchers?
If you can work in a stressful environment and pass a psychological analysis test that is required once you are offered a job, you may be thinking about applying for this position. It is important to learn about job outlook before you choose any title to pursue. Based on the statistics, outlook in the field is positive and will grow by 8% by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Emergency dispatchers must have a high school diploma and be able to get certified once employed. This is another benefit for individuals who have not earned a college degree. While a degree is not required, it is helpful during interviewing.
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If you want to work as a professional who helps people around the clock, working in emergency dispatch could be the option. By answering calls, staying calm and giving direction, you could be responsible for saving a life. Now that you know the answer to the question “What does an Emergency Dispatcher do?”, you can decide for yourself.