The Meaning Of Dispatcher Training

By Ina Hunt


The principal role of emergency dispatchers is to send out emergency messages to response units such as the police, firefighters, ambulance services and any other departments tasked with responding to the various emergency situations. They are generally based in 911 call centers. Dispatchers may specialize in particular emergency areas such as the fire department or ambulance services. The area of specialization one chooses greatly influences the kind of dispatcher training one gets.To train dispatch personnel remains extremely important as far as acquisition of management and communication skills is concerned.

Research reveals that it takes up to six solid months of the job training for emergency dispatchers to develop the required skills in this field. Ambulance services, 911 call centers, fire and police departments normally come up with minimum hours to train, probationary periods and shifts that relate to emergency dispatchers.

The basic areas of emphasis for a beginner are; a study of the technological equipment utilized in dispatch work, a look into the procedures followed in the job and management skills required for good performance. Besides community colleges, similar programmes may be also offered in police academies. However all centers strive to adhere to the 40 hour certification program that is basically the standard in the industry.

There are no major academic requirements to through the program. A simple high school diploma or even a general education diploma is sufficient to guarantee one an opportunity in this field. In fact there are no degrees that have been designed, at the moment, to offer this program both in the universities and colleges in the US.

Institutions offering these programs major in topic like; crisis intervention, stress management, criminal law, call taking techniques and emergency medical dispatching. Other programs may require the trainee to participate in some community emergency activities to ascertain preparedness or even riding with emergency personnel who are trained. This acts as an opportunity for the trainee to gather a few tips regarding the nature and requirements of the job.

Employers may require applicants to have experience in activities such as taking calls and dispatching, even in non emergency situations. Prospective emergency dispatchers may meet this requirement by working for at least a year in customer service call centers or even in freight truck dispatching centers.

The most common method used in training is on the job training though classroom instruction used. Recruits may be required to put a little more effort by working more shifts at different times so as to familiarize themselves with possible variables that might be encountered. In most cases, this is accompanied by probation of twelve months.

NAED offers several certification courses and exams in the field of emergency dispatching such as emergency telecommunications, emergency priority dispatching and emergency medical dispatching. However, to get a medical dispatching certification, a CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification is the first prerequisite. To enroll a program in ED-Q certification, one will be required to have certifications in all the above programs. It addresses systems that are used in police, fire and medical dispatching.

Aircraft training is perhaps the most demanding of all . Classroom training may take 240 hours. One also must demonstrate many forms of prowess such as great thinking, speaking and understanding.




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