Requirements To Undergo A Dispatcher Training Course

By Ina Hunt


Firefighters, ambulance operators and the police receive emergency calls from emergency dispatchers who normally work in 911 call centers. These people may work in general or specific emergency areas such as the police and firefighting departments. Dispatcher training is thus largely dependent on the emergency departments that they intend to specialize in. To get the requisite skills, such as management and communication skills, required in this field of work, prospective dispatchers have go to through educational programs that provide certification courses.

To develop the skills required to perform effectively in the field, emergency dispatchers may have to undergo up to six months of job training. The various emergency departments such as the police departments and ambulance services that offer these programs determine minimum training hours, shifts and probationary periods that a trainee dispatcher has to go through. This is particularly important because prospective employers insist on these activities that offer experience to the trainee when they are hiring.

Emergency dispatchers beginning the program may be offered a 40 hour certificate that majors in the study of technologies that are in application in this field and basically the procedures and management skills necessary to do the job. These programs and courses may be offered at police academies or even in some community colleges. Most of these programs strive to follow the 40 hour certification program which is considered the standard in the industry.

The basic formal education required to go through this program is a general education diploma or a high school diploma . Therefore to become an emergency dispatcher requires no college degree. In fact, there is no degree program that has been designed to train dispatchers in any university or college in the US at the moment.

The major fields of study under these certificate programs include criminal law, emergency medical dispatching, and communications, call taking techniques, crisis intervention and stress management. The training may go a notch higher to involve riding with emergency personnel who is experienced with a view of learning the tips required in the job and gaining experience. It might also entail participation in community emergency preparedness activities.

In cases where employers require employees with training in call taking or dispatching, one might opt to work with freight truck dispatchers or customer service centers for at least twelve months.

Although classroom instruction, on the job training is the most common of all and according to many the most effective. Newly recruited trainees may be required to work many and different shifts so as to familiarize themselves with the variables they are likely to encounter in the job. Probation of at least twelve months may be part of the deal.

Certification courses and exams that are offered by NAED in emergency dispatching include emergency priority dispatching, emergency telecommunications and emergency medical dispatching. However some certifications such as medical dispatching certification may have prerequisites such a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification. To start a program in ED-Q certification, one will first be required to have the above certifications.

Training in aircraft dispatch is much more demanding. The initial course takes up to 240 hours of pure classroom. This can be taken on full time or part time basis. One must also demonstrate a great ability to think, write, speak and understand.




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