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Public Safety Telecommunicators

What do they do?

Operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. Take information from the public and other sources regarding crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters. May coordinate and provide information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May access sensitive databases and other information sources as needed. May provide additional instructions to callers based on knowledge of and certification in law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical procedures.

Also known as:

911 Dispatcher, 911 Emergency Dispatcher, 911 Emergency Services Dispatcher, 911 Operator, 911 Telecommunicator, Call Taker, Communications Dispatcher, Communications Officer, Communications Operator, Communications Specialist, Emergency Communications Dispatcher, Emergency Communications Officer (ECO), Emergency Communications Operator (ECO), Emergency Dispatcher, Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD), Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher (ETD), Fire Dispatcher, Police and Fire Dispatcher, Police Communications Dispatcher, Police Communications Operator, Police Dispatcher, Public Safety Dispatcher, Public Safety Telecommunicator, Radio Dispatcher, Telecommunications Officer, Telecommunications Operator, Telecommunications Specialist, Telecommunicator

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 0.4%

    Change

    Ranks #51 in job growth rate
    480

    Job Openings

    Ranks #8 in net job growth

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Some college, no degree  (39%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (23%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (19%)
  • Associate's degree  (15%)
  • Master's degree  (3%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Public Safety Telecommunicators

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Active Listening - Giving 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.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Public Safety and Security - 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.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  • Customer and Personal Service - 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.
  • Geography - 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.
  • Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology - 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.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Provide basic health care services.
  • Discuss goods or services information with customers or patrons.
  • Coordinate operational activities.
  • Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
  • Relay information between personnel.
  • Maintain call records.
  • Operate communications equipment or systems.
  • Interpret blueprints, specifications, or diagrams to inform installation, development or operation activities.
  • Maintain security.
  • Operate vehicles or material-moving equipment.
  • Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.
  • Enter information into databases or software programs.
  • Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.
  • Refer customers to appropriate personnel.
  • Maintain current knowledge related to work activities.
  • Monitor alarm systems.
  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
  • Adjust office equipment to ensure proper operation.
  • Report maintenance or equipment problems to appropriate personnel.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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