I am a 911 Dispatcher, ask me anything.

[Anonymous]

Do you have strict policies about when you can go for a coffee or bathroom break or lunch so that the phones are always covered by enough dispatchers?

[Anonymous]

It pays in the range of $15 to $21 an hour depending on which jurisdiction and your experience.
You dont need exp, they will train you, however, someone with exp will most likely get hired over you.
I like it but its not for everyone. I personally like shift work, not everyone does.
Theres a lot of bordom involved as well as the few mins of excitement here and there.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever saved someone's life, or atleast really helped to?

[Anonymous]

There are no strict policies regarding breaks. You just have to use common sense.

When you are on the radio dealing with the Police Officers you are not supposed to take a break. However you rotate between the radio and the phones. When you are on phones you just need to check there are enough people in the room and you can take a few mins out.
Where I worked in VA we didnt get official breaks, just took time as needed and we ate while working. A lot of food went cold.
Where I work now we get an hour paid lunch break.

[Anonymous]

Is it extremely stressful having to say thei exact right thing at the right time? Sometimes the words come out different than intended in real life but in your situation you could get sued or get someone hurt. Are you frustrated if something bad is happening and the police can't get there fast enough, that seems like an obvious question. You must be so patient.

[Anonymous]

I do Police not Fire/Rescue so have never saved a life per say on the phone. I definitely feel though I have helped a lot of people though in getting them the assistance they need when they are in a situation and don't know what to do.

[Anonymous]

12:34 yes that is frustrating. I have had domestic calls or burglary calls where someone is hiding and on the phone with me, It feels like an eternity to that person and it is hard to keep telling them the Officer is coming as quickly as he can.
You do have to be patient
Its easier to be patient with those people though than the ones that abuse the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do Police not Fire/Rescue.

What is the difference, don't all the calls go to the same operators or do they get transferred once the issue is realized?

[Anonymous]

Do you have to take a personality test to get the job? Seems like you need a certain type of person to be a dispatcher.

[Anonymous]

Dude. Say hi to BM for me.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone ever died on the phone with you?

[Anonymous]

Do you ever get snippy with a caller, or talk down to them? Is that acceptable among 911 operators?

I ask because I once called 911 about my baby, and ONE OF the things I said was that he was crying and his cries were really unusual and sounded like he was struggling to breathe. The 911 operator responded (in an "oh please, get over it" tone of voice) "You're calling 911 because your baby woke up crying?"

[Anonymous]

If I can't air my grievances over poor drive-thru service with 911, can I finally do it here?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever been called in to testify in court about a call you received?

[Anonymous]

Depending on the jurisdiction the 911 call will usually go to Fire/rescue first. if its a Police issue only then they transfer to our 911 lines. Sometimes cell calls will come in direct to Police though. If its an issue such as a car accident. Fire Rescue will take all the info, put it in their computer and then send the info by computer to the Police, so we dont always speak directly to the caller.
You do need to take a personality test and in some places a psych evalution. VA required a polygraph, MD does not.

No one has ever died on the phone with me.

yes we get snippy, Its very hard not to sometimes. We are not allowed to and if the person complains to a supervisor then the tape gets pulled, listened to, and we can get into trouble. Usually a write up, sometimes if serious a suspension.