Any dispatchers here?

[Tacit Blue]

Considering going into Fire/Public Safety dispatch. I know this doesn't really pretrain to LEO's. More or less fire/ems dispatch position. I have a solid medical background. I injured my back on the job (ambulance), so I don't think I'll be attending a fire academy or doing any major lifting.

The pay seems pretty good and benefits with CALPERS.

I know the cons long hours siting at a desk infront of a screen and instructing people who dont know CPR or first aid skills.

[micro911]

Our dispatchers are under the county retirement system, not Calpers. I have respect for our dispatchers. They are always busy, and they go through a lot of stress. It is amazing to see how they relay the radio transmission verbatim.

I don't think I can do it.

[1CavScout]

I could never be a dispatcher. Before I was forced to medically retire, they tried to get me to go that route. I would have made the same pay as I was making as an officer, but no way could I do that job. I suggest you go try and sit through some shifts and get a feel for what their jobs are like.

BTW, There was also lot's a personal drama at our dispatch center. One of the guys I worked with was a dispatcher before he became a cop, and he had some crazy stories. Soap opera type stuff.

[sunlupeo]

I was a dispatcher before going on patrol. There is a lot of truth to the drama that exists. Also the reality that on patrol you will handle 10-12 calls on a shift and most of those are nit priority 1 type calls. As a dispatcher you will handle maybe 8 times that many and the stress can build over time. Benefits I had were competitive with the same as the guys on the other end of the radio. I highly recommended going to several sit alongs during different shifts to get a feel for what to expect. Ask hard questions while sitting there.

[Gawernator]

What sort of pay/benefits are they making in the Bay Area?

[Tacit Blue]

Thanks for the responses guys! I'll take your advice and see if I can do a " sit along". Initially I did a double take when I saw the monthly salary which is 4,800-5k. I'm sure that comes at a price. This is not the bay area though.

I've no issues using radios ( sorta a hobby of mine )I'm sure the multi-tasking would be intense. I understand the whole drama about dispatchers too, on the ambulance us EMS guys are used to it. There's been plenty of times when we just laugh and shrug about dispatch giving us bad info. When we get on scene it makes us look bad.

[vgourdik]

Great job go for it!

[WyattandDoc]

Go for it!!! And be great at it. There is nothing better than a dispatcher who knows what they're doing. Some have literally saved lives of cops and firefighters by staying calm, getting the information out, while the cops/firefighters are loosing their minds. Me included.