DispatchersDispatchers schedule and dispatch workers, equipment, or service vehicles for the conveyance of materials or passengers. They keep records, logs, and schedules of the calls they receive, the transportation vehicles they monitor and control, and the actions they take. They maintain information on each call and then prepare a detailed report on all activities occurring during their shifts. Many dispatchers employ computer-aided dispatch systems to accomplish these tasks. The work of dispatchers varies greatly, depending on the industry in which they work. Regardless of where they work, all dispatchers are assigned a specific territory and have responsibility for all communications within that area. Many work in teams, especially those dispatchers in large communications centers or companies. One person usually handles all dispatching calls to the response units or company drivers, while the other members of the team usually receive the incoming calls and deal with the public. Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, also called public safety dispatchers, monitor the location of emergency services personnel from any one or all of the jurisdiction�s emergency services departments. These workers dispatch the appropriate type and number of units in response to calls for assistance. Dispatchers, or call takers, often are the first people the public contacts when emergency assistance is required. If certified for emergency medical services, the dispatcher may provide medical instruction to those on the scene of the emergency until the medical staff arrives. Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers work in a variety of settings: a police station, a fire station, a hospital, or, increasingly, a centralized communications center. In many areas, the police department serves as the communications center. In these situations, all emergency calls go to the police department, where a dispatcher handles the police calls and screens the others before transferring them to the appropriate service. When handling calls, dispatchers question each caller carefully to determine the type, seriousness, and location of the emergency. The information obtained is posted either electronically by computer or, with decreasing frequency, by hand. It is communicated immediately to uniformed or supervisory personnel, who quickly decide on the priority of the incident, the kind and number of units needed, and the location of the closest and most suitable units available. Typically, a team answers calls and relays the information to be dispatched. Responsibility then shifts to the dispatchers, who send response units to the scene and monitor the activity of the public safety personnel answering the dispatched message. During the course of the shift, dispatchers may rotate these functions. When appropriate, dispatchers stay in close contact with other service providers—for example, a police dispatcher would monitor the response of the fire department when there is a major fire. In a medical emergency, dispatchers keep in close touch not only with the dispatched units, but also with the caller. They may give extensive first-aid instructions before the emergency personnel arrive, while the caller is waiting for the ambulance. Dispatchers continuously give updates on the patient�s condition to the ambulance personnel and often serve as a link between the medical staff in a hospital and the emergency medical technicians in the ambulance. (A separate statement on emergency medical technicians and paramedics appears elsewhere in the Handbook.) Other dispatchers coordinate deliveries, service calls, and related activities for a variety of firms. Truck dispatchers, who work for local and long-distance trucking companies, coordinate the movement of trucks and freight between cities. They direct the pickup and delivery activities of drivers, receive customers� requests for the pickup and delivery of freight, consolidate freight orders into truckloads for specific destinations, assign drivers and trucks, and draw up routes and pickup and delivery schedules. Bus dispatchers make sure that local and long-distance buses stay on schedule. They handle all problems that may disrupt service, and they dispatch other buses or arrange for repairs in order to restore service and schedules. Train dispatchers ensure the timely and efficient movement of trains according to orders and schedules. They must be aware of track switch positions, track maintenance areas, and the location of other trains running on the track. Taxicab dispatchers, or starters, dispatch taxis in response to requests for service and keep logs on all road service calls. Tow-truck dispatchers take calls for emergency road service. They relay the nature of the problem to a nearby service station or a tow-truck service and see to it that the road service is completed. Gas and water service dispatchers monitor gaslines and water mains and send out service trucks and crews to take care of emergencies. Related news articles Wyandotte votes on firefighter, dispatcher pacts - 16 Oct 2006 DetNews.com,The city wrapped up negotiations with the International Association of Firefighters Local 356 and the Police and Fire Dispatcher Bargaining Unit this month. ... Train being checked for gas leak after residents smell chlorine - 16 Oct 2006 Sunbury Daily Item,That train is now stopped and a Dauphin County fire department is reportedly going to check it to be see if it’s leaking gas, a dispatcher said. ... Defense in Corr homicide case questions if chase was proper - 16 Oct 2006 Utica Observer Dispatch,�? Laurie Marshall, the New Hartford dispatcher who took first an abandoned 911 call from the store, then received Ross’s call. ... Medical training helps dispatchers save lives - 16 Oct 2006 University Daily Kansan,KU Public Safety Office dispatcher Carol Supancic works Thursday afternoon at the public safety office. Supancic has worked as a dispatcher for 16 years. ... Fire sweeps through San Jose home - Oct 15, 2006 San Jose Mercury News,SAN JOSE - A San Jose home was seriously damaged by a two-alarm fire early Sunday morning, a San Jose Fire Department dispatcher said. ... Overdose increases E911's troubles - Oct 14, 2006 Biloxi Sun Herald,..."On this particular case, the dispatcher had advised the ambulance crews to standby until the police were on the scene to secure the scene," he said. ... Judge: Family of slain woman cannot sue police, dispatcher - Oct 12, 2006 Newsday,CAMDEN, NJ (AP) _ The city government, police department and a 911 operator will not be held liable for failing to prevent the murder of a commuter, a judge ... Overdose increase E911's troubles - Oct 13, 2006 Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal,...“On this particular case, the dispatcher had advised the ambulance crews to standby until the police were on the scene to secure the scene,�? he said. ... Chesapeake dispatcher charged with embezzlement - Oct 9, 2006 Virginian Pilot,Pilot. CHESAPEAKE - A police dispatcher has been charged with embezzling $20,000 from parent-teacher associations at two schools. ... LAFD Dispatcher Guides Woman To Safety During Major Emergency Fire - Oct 4, 2006 LAFD News & Information,During the initial 911 call for help, and prior to the arrival of Firefighters, the LAFD Dispatcher, drawing upon years of field experience, was able to ... Ticonderoga Dispatcher Pleads - Oct 6, 2006 North Country Gazette,Michael Alteri, 33, also of Ticonderoga, the other former dispatcher, has opted to go to trial on charges of misdemeanor endangerment, third degree sexual ... First female police chief started as dispatcher in LaPorte station - Oct 5, 2006 Gary Post Tribune,...to me to be a police officer in my hometown so it's very much a surprise," said Smith, who first joined the department in 1988 as a civilian dispatcher. ... Ti dispatcher trial coming up soon - Oct 6, 2006 Plattsburgh Press Republican,The other former dispatcher, Michael Alteri, 33, of Ticonderoga will go on trial at the same time, charged with misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child ... 911 tape reveals how dispatcher, three animal shelter employees ... - Oct 2, 2006 WSLS.com,...by Scott Leamon / WSLS NewsChannel 10. An extraordinary turn of events played out last Wednesday when three animal shelter employees helped save a baby. ... Dispatcher Tells Commissioners About Prank Call - Oct 4, 2006 Warsaw Times Union,BY TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer. Two months ago, if a driver in trouble called 911 on a cell phone and was unaware of their ... At 84, dispatcher head of fire family - Oct 5, 2006 Rockford Register Star,By Elizabeth Davies. “Somebody’s got to do the dispatching,�? he says. “If I’m in here dispatching, that lets the younger ... More information on Dispatchers from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Dispatchers occupation Number of Dispatchers in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Dispatchers Working conditions for Dispatchers Significant points for Dispatchers Training requirements for Dispatchers Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |