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A dispatcher is a Communication worker who receives and transmits information to coordinate operations of other personnel and vehicles carrying out a service. Emergency organizations including police, fire department, and emergency medical services departments as well as civilian organizations such as motorcycle couriers, taxicab providers, Truck driver, railroads, bus systems, and public utility companies, use dispatchers to relay information, direct personnel, and coordinate their operations.
Emergency dispatchers may use preapproved protocols to talk a caller or bystander through lifesaving medical procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, childbirth, and first aid. They may require certification.
In the United States, about 10% of all dispatchers employed in 2004 were public safety dispatchers. www.bls.gov Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006–07 Edition. URL accessed on April 6, 2006
In the United States, about 26% of all dispatchers employed in 2004 worked for transportation and warehousing industries.
A crew dispatcher is also employed by the railroad to keep track of train crews and their assignments. The crew dispatcher is responsible for assigning train crew to trains based upon scheduled rosters, and also making real-time adjustments as necessary based on rail traffic conditions and delays. The crew dispatcher is normally assisted by a crew caller whose responsibility is to telephone the train and engine crews to advise them of time to report for duty. The crew dispatcher is also responsible for checking that each train and engine crew are properly qualified for their assignments and have had proper rest according to labour regulations.
Dispatchers of all kinds work with multiple communications systems depending on their function. These systems can include but not limited to , , and computer-aided dispatch programs, video surveillance cameras, and ground-to-aircraft messaging systems such as ACARS. As a result of sitting for long periods and using such equipment, dispatchers can develop eye strain and back problems. Many dispatchers must also work irregular hours to provide 24-hour service, which includes night, weekend, and holiday hours.
Public safety dispatchers are usually the first point of contact between emergency services and the public. When receiving incoming calls for help, these dispatchers must ascertain the nature, location, and extent of the emergency. Callers requesting emergency assistance are often in a state of heightened emotional distress, which can make it difficult to obtain the information needed to handle the call appropriately. The working conditions of a public safety dispatcher may be particularly stressful compared to others because handling a call incorrectly may delay or misdirect emergency personnel, which could result in serious injury or even death.
Human error can also produce deadly results for other types of dispatchers. A train dispatcher in Spain was found guilty of negligent homicide for a head-on train collision that occurred in June 2003. Nineteen people died and forty-eight were injured in a crash where the dispatcher allowed a passenger train to leave a station when a freight train was approaching the station on the same line.
Candidates for employment as public safety dispatchers may be required to pass written, oral, or performance tests and are governed by state or local regulations. Public safety dispatchers may also have to obtain certifications and attend additional training before or after they are employed by state or local governments to dispatch for police, fire, or emergency medical services. The level of training required for these dispatchers is typically the most extensive in comparison to other dispatch positions.
A standard certification requirement for public safety dispatchers is Terminal Operator certification for access to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database system. Access to this database system often allows additional access to the state-level system comparable to NCIC which allows public safety dispatchers to access motor vehicle registration and drivers license information as well as wants or warrants by various law enforcement agencies both statewide and national.
In addition to certifications, specialized training is also required or appropriated to public safety dispatchers. As public safety dispatchers are the first contact made between the public and emergency services, public safety dispatchers need to be able to extract a vast array of information out of the caller. Such specialized training for 911 dispatchers can include: suicide intervention, hostage negotiation, bomb threats, tactical dispatching (for SWAT teams), domestic violence and domestic and foreign terrorism countermeasures. Many are also trained as emergency medical dispatchers, able to give first aid instructions to victims or families prior to EMS arrival.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 266,000 people were employed as dispatchers in 2004. In addition, it is expected that a number of current dispatchers will either transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force, which will result in an increase of openings.
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