Public Safety Telecommunicators

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Office & Administrative
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-5031
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.
• Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
• Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
• Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city.
• Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
• Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
• Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations.
• Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions.
• Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.
• Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles.
• Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
• Answer routine inquiries, and refer calls not requiring dispatches to appropriate departments and agencies.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Word, SAP software, 911 system information databases, Automatic call distributing ACD consoles, Base station radios, Computer aided dispatch software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
• Emergency Medical Technicians
• Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
• Paramedics
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
• Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
• Transit and Railroad Police
• Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Public Safety Telecommunicators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.