DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

43-5031 Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers

Occupational Description:

Operate radio, telephone, or computer equipment at emergency response centers. Receive reports from the public of crimes, disturbances, fires, and medical or police emergencies. Relay information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May maintain contact with caller until responders arrive.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
Wages Updated to Third Quarter, 2012
					Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	Mean SE*	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
EDR 6E- Southwest Central	30	1	$20.27/hr	$0.39/hr	$15.72/hr	$17.54/hr	$20.36/hr	$22.93/hr	$25.52/hr
Minnesota	1,650	153	$21.30/hr	$0.45/hr	$14.37/hr	$17.40/hr	$21.29/hr	$25.19/hr	$28.70/hr
U S	97,100	971	$18.42/hr	$0.07/hr	$11.16/hr	$13.89/hr	$17.66/hr	$22.18/hr	$27.36/hr
*SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate.

Leading Industries for Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers
Industry	OES Employment	OES Median Wage
Public Administration	30	$20.36/hr

Other Regional Data For Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers
Geography (click title for details)	OES		Projections
Geography (click title for details)	Employment	Median Wage	% Change -
EDR 11 - 7 County Twin Cities	910	$22.89/hr	N/A
EDR 10 - Southeast	210	$20.33/hr	N/A
EDR 7W- Central	80	$21.79/hr	N/A
EDR 9 - South Central	60	$19.49/hr	N/A
EDR 4 - West Central	40	$18.32/hr	N/A
EDR 8 - Southwest	30	$19.03/hr	N/A
EDR 7E- East Central	30	$21.72/hr	N/A
EDR 6E- Southwest Central	30	$20.36/hr	N/A
EDR 6W- Upper Minnesota Valley	20	N/A	N/A
EDR 1 - Northwest	20	$17.54/hr	N/A

Related Occupations
Occupation (click title for details)	OES		Projections
Occupation (click title for details)	Employment	Median Wage	% Change -
Counter and Rental Clerks	80	$9.24/hr	N/A
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	50	$19.86/hr	N/A
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs	40	$21.25/hr	N/A
Bill and Account Collectors	30	$16.15/hr	N/A

Tasks for Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers

Receives incoming calls by telephone or alarm system.
Operates telecommunication equipment to relay information and messages to and from emergency site, and between law enforcement agencies.
Monitors alarm system to detect fires, illegal entry into establishments, or other emergencies.
Determines response needed to emergency.
Provides instructions to caller, utilizing knowledge of emergency medical care.
Questions caller, observes alarm register, and scans map, to determine if emergency is within service area.
Tests and adjusts communication and alarm systems, and reports malfunctions to maintenance units.
Records details of calls, dispatches, and messages and maintains logs and files, using computer.
Scans status charts and computer screen to determine emergency units available for response.
Questions caller to determine nature of problem and type and number of personnel and equipment needed.
Contacts officers to verify assignment locations.
Coordinates emergency requests, and dispatches response units to emergency, using radio or alarm system.