Emergency Dispatcher Job Description

The Emergency Dispatcher receives complaints from public concerning crimes and police emergencies. Then the Emergency Dispatcher broadcasts orders to police patrol units in vicinity of complaint to investigate. They operate radio, telephone, or computer equipment to receive reports of fires and medical emergencies and relay information or orders to proper officials.

Tasks for Emergency Dispatcher

• The Emergency Dispatcher questions callers to determine their locations, and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
• The Emergency Dispatcher receives incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information and after hour’s calls for departments within a city.
• The Emergency Dispatcher determines response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
• The Emergency Dispatcher records details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
• The Emergency Dispatchers enters, updates, and retrieves information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles.
• The Emergency Dispatchers maintains access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.
• The Emergency Dispatchers relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notifications.
• The Emergency Dispatcher scans status charts and computer screens, and contacts emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
• The Emergency Dispatcher observes alarms registers and scan maps to determine whether a specific emergency units available for dispatch.
• The Emergency Dispatcher maintains files of information relating to emergency calls such as personnel rosters, and emergency call-out and pager files.

The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property and institutions. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. The Emergency Dispatcher needs the knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of human behavior and performance, individual differences in ability, personality, and interests, learning and motivation, psychological research methods, and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. The Emergency Dispatcher needs knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

The Emergency Dispatcher must give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. The Emergency Dispatcher must be able to talk to others to convey information effectively. They also must be able to adjust actions in relation to others’ actions. The Emergency Dispatcher must be capable of using sound logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. The Emergency Dispatcher must actively look for ways to help people. They need to be aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

The Emergency Dispatcher monitors their performance to make improvements on how they can improve their job functions. The Emergency Dispatcher understands written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. The Emergency Dispatcher should understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem solving and decision making. The Emergency Dispatcher must be able to identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

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