Dispatcher job description
Updated March 14, 2024
7 min read
A dispatcher is responsible for monitoring various channels and responding to calls for help and information. Their duties also include following up with appropriate departments regarding clients' issues, using communication devices to direct teams of employees to the appropriate area, and documenting calls.
Find better candidates in less time
Post a job on Zippia and take the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.
Example dispatcher requirements on a job description
Dispatcher requirements can be divided into technical requirements and required soft skills. The lists below show the most common requirements included in dispatcher job postings.
Sample dispatcher requirements
- High school diploma or GED equivalent
- At least two years experience in dispatching
- Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment
- Knowledge of local geography and regulations
- Familiarity with computer systems and software
Sample required dispatcher soft skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to remain calm under pressure
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability to prioritize and manage time efficiently
Dispatcher job description example 1
ManpowerGroup dispatcher job description
1. Answer and screen incoming emergency and non-emergency public safety calls for service to elicit and record pertinent information; dispatch calls for service, critical incidents and emergency calls; coordinate calls for outside emergency and law enforcement agency assistance.
2. Day-to-day assignments performed require regular use of judgment and discretion, essential to set priorities, assess the importance of information, and to react quickly and effectively following established protocols and procedures in most instances. Incumbents are accountable for actions taken.
3. Answer operator calls for the university during business hours; contacting on call counselors, CARE advocate, medical providers, facilities, and administrators during university non-operational hours.
4. Maintain radio contact with public safety personnel on assignment and keep supervisors and officers informed of current situations while monitoring campus alarm and video systems as well as monitoring public safety radio frequencies of surrounding community for any activity that would impact the university’s safety and security.
5. Utilize dispatch, alarms, video, voice recorder and parking computer systems and databases to maintain department files and reports; enter and retrieve data for reports, activity log, citation information, crime and incident information.
6. Coordinate with appropriate Residential Life staff on calls for service regarding student conduct and wellness, providing communication between departments, and ensuring the students involved have access to support and campus resources.
7. Assist campus community or visitors at walkup window with requests for service and general information.
8. Activate mass emergency notification, and campus lockdown or evacuation, when directed or required by Standard Operating Procedure. Act as liaison between Emergency Operation Center and Dispatch when posted at incident Command Center.
9. Process and respond to Records Requests for outside agencies performing background checks on former USD staff and students and maintain computer database of these requests.
10. Process lost and found items turned into public safety by receiving, documenting, and entering the item information into a computer database and responding to inquiries about lost and found items.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. High School Graduate or GED.
2. Two years of experience as a law enforcement dispatcher, telephone operator or equivalent; or two years of full-time clerical experience involving public contact preferred. OR
3. An equivalent combination of related business and police science education and progressively responsible work experience.
Successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and medical exam
2. Day-to-day assignments performed require regular use of judgment and discretion, essential to set priorities, assess the importance of information, and to react quickly and effectively following established protocols and procedures in most instances. Incumbents are accountable for actions taken.
3. Answer operator calls for the university during business hours; contacting on call counselors, CARE advocate, medical providers, facilities, and administrators during university non-operational hours.
4. Maintain radio contact with public safety personnel on assignment and keep supervisors and officers informed of current situations while monitoring campus alarm and video systems as well as monitoring public safety radio frequencies of surrounding community for any activity that would impact the university’s safety and security.
5. Utilize dispatch, alarms, video, voice recorder and parking computer systems and databases to maintain department files and reports; enter and retrieve data for reports, activity log, citation information, crime and incident information.
6. Coordinate with appropriate Residential Life staff on calls for service regarding student conduct and wellness, providing communication between departments, and ensuring the students involved have access to support and campus resources.
7. Assist campus community or visitors at walkup window with requests for service and general information.
8. Activate mass emergency notification, and campus lockdown or evacuation, when directed or required by Standard Operating Procedure. Act as liaison between Emergency Operation Center and Dispatch when posted at incident Command Center.
9. Process and respond to Records Requests for outside agencies performing background checks on former USD staff and students and maintain computer database of these requests.
10. Process lost and found items turned into public safety by receiving, documenting, and entering the item information into a computer database and responding to inquiries about lost and found items.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. High School Graduate or GED.
2. Two years of experience as a law enforcement dispatcher, telephone operator or equivalent; or two years of full-time clerical experience involving public contact preferred. OR
3. An equivalent combination of related business and police science education and progressively responsible work experience.
Successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and medical exam
Post a job for free, promote it for a fee
Dispatcher job description example 2
BrightView dispatcher job description
Looking for an opportunity where success comes naturally? Then you may have found your crew. We're looking for Winter Dispatcher's to join our team.
Here's what you'd do:
• The dispatcher is the first person to talk with our Snow Warriors providing them with all the information they will need out in the field for the storm. Shifts are on-call and range from 6 to 12 hours and are often overnight depending on the storm event. May require longer hours for larger storms. The season starts on the first snow fall.
You'd be responsible for:
Dispatchers are called in before the storm to help us reach out to our employees and determine their availability to work Dispatchersassist in assigning routes for the snow workers Answer phone calls from the employees in the field working the storm Report any problems or potential problems to the account or area managers Updating staffing sheets with employees clock in/out times, bags of salt usedetc. Complete work orders for service requestsand send to Operations for resolution Dispatchers are the first to arrive and are often the last to leave.
You might be a good fit if you have:
18 years of age or older Work well under pressure while maintaining the calm Dispatchers should be able to communicate well and clearly with others Must be able to multi-task, think quickly and able to provide solutions Can handle heavy phone call volume Have good phoneetiquette Must be knowledgeable in Excel and Word Have dependable transportation You must attend training and pass a background check Able to lawfully work in the United States
Here's what to know about working here:
Winter Services is a branch of Brightview Snow Services, positioned as a leader in the Snow & Ice Management Industry. Serving clients throughout NJ, NY, PA and CT, our services include pre-treating surfaces, plowing, deicing and complete removal of snow & ice from sites. We use the latest technology and strategies in the snow and ice removal industry.
At Brightview, we are a tight-knit crew who are as passionate about caring for our clients as we are about each other. Though we are the nation's leading landscape company we maintain a small company feel and supportive environment that makes our team members feel at home.
If you are looking to join a crew of talented go-getters who tackle big projects other companies could only dream of, you might just have found your match.
Think you've found your crew?
BrightView is an Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.
Here's what you'd do:
• The dispatcher is the first person to talk with our Snow Warriors providing them with all the information they will need out in the field for the storm. Shifts are on-call and range from 6 to 12 hours and are often overnight depending on the storm event. May require longer hours for larger storms. The season starts on the first snow fall.
You'd be responsible for:
Dispatchers are called in before the storm to help us reach out to our employees and determine their availability to work Dispatchersassist in assigning routes for the snow workers Answer phone calls from the employees in the field working the storm Report any problems or potential problems to the account or area managers Updating staffing sheets with employees clock in/out times, bags of salt usedetc. Complete work orders for service requestsand send to Operations for resolution Dispatchers are the first to arrive and are often the last to leave.
You might be a good fit if you have:
18 years of age or older Work well under pressure while maintaining the calm Dispatchers should be able to communicate well and clearly with others Must be able to multi-task, think quickly and able to provide solutions Can handle heavy phone call volume Have good phoneetiquette Must be knowledgeable in Excel and Word Have dependable transportation You must attend training and pass a background check Able to lawfully work in the United States
Here's what to know about working here:
Winter Services is a branch of Brightview Snow Services, positioned as a leader in the Snow & Ice Management Industry. Serving clients throughout NJ, NY, PA and CT, our services include pre-treating surfaces, plowing, deicing and complete removal of snow & ice from sites. We use the latest technology and strategies in the snow and ice removal industry.
At Brightview, we are a tight-knit crew who are as passionate about caring for our clients as we are about each other. Though we are the nation's leading landscape company we maintain a small company feel and supportive environment that makes our team members feel at home.
If you are looking to join a crew of talented go-getters who tackle big projects other companies could only dream of, you might just have found your match.
Think you've found your crew?
BrightView is an Equal Employment Opportunity and E-Verify Employer.
Dealing with hard-to-fill positions? Let us help.
Dispatcher job description example 3
American Electric Power dispatcher job description
Responsible for assisting in the safe and reliable operation, dispatching and restoration of facilities for the AEP Distribution System as assigned.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS are listed below:
1) Promote and enforce the Company's Safety and Health programs.
2) Be knowledgeable and adhere to written company and department policy and procedures.
3) Demonstrate the highest standards of ethical behavior and support the Company's Corporate Compliance Policy
4) Effectively operate company communication equipment.
5) Track crew locations and ongoing work on the distribution system.
6) Dispatch service personnel to respond to outage and emergency situations.
7) Authorize the energizing and restoration of distribution facilities.
8) Maintain accurate outage records.
9) Maintain accurate records of abnormal and defective equipment for distribution facilities.
Requirements
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Education requirements are listed below:
Associate degree in electrical or electronic technology, a Bachelor of Science in any field, or equivalent education and/or experience.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Physical demand level is Sedentary
Successful completion of the System Operator/Power Dispatching Selection System (SO/PD) is required for this position. A review of Employment Test Prep information may be helpful. A link to these materials may be found at aep.com/careers/positions.
Rotating shift work required. Must maintain a high availability for call-out response. Due to call-out responsibility, applicants must live within or be willing to relocate to within 30 minutes of the reporting location. Must satisfactorily complete required training and testing to progress to the next level within the Distribution Dispatcher Associate classification within 2 years and to the Distribution Dispatcher classification within 4 years or vacate the position. Promotion and/or equity adjustments within the classification will be made in salary upon successful completion of the required training and testing. Must be able to work under pressure during periods of critical system conditions and deal with diverse situations simultaneously. Critical decisions must be made affecting reliability and priority of service to customers. Failure to issue correct instructions could affect personnel safety, welfare of the general public, equipment damage, loss of revenue and adverse publicity.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:Rotating shift work required. Must maintain a high availability for call-out response. Due to call-out responsibility, applicants must live within or be willing to relocate to within 30 minutes of the reporting location. Must satisfactorily complete required training and testing to progress to the next level within the Distribution Dispatcher Associate classification within 2 years and to the Distribution Dispatcher classification within 4 years or vacate the position. Promotion and/or equity adjustments within the classification will be made in salary upon successful completion of the required training and testing. Must be able to work under pressure during periods of critical system conditions and deal with diverse situations simultaneously. Critical decisions must be made affecting reliability and priority of service to customers. Failure to issue correct instructions could affect personnel safety, welfare of the general public, equipment damage, loss of revenue and adverse publicity.
Physical demand level is Sedentary
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS are listed below:
1) Promote and enforce the Company's Safety and Health programs.
2) Be knowledgeable and adhere to written company and department policy and procedures.
3) Demonstrate the highest standards of ethical behavior and support the Company's Corporate Compliance Policy
4) Effectively operate company communication equipment.
5) Track crew locations and ongoing work on the distribution system.
6) Dispatch service personnel to respond to outage and emergency situations.
7) Authorize the energizing and restoration of distribution facilities.
8) Maintain accurate outage records.
9) Maintain accurate records of abnormal and defective equipment for distribution facilities.
Requirements
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
Education requirements are listed below:
Associate degree in electrical or electronic technology, a Bachelor of Science in any field, or equivalent education and/or experience.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Physical demand level is Sedentary
Successful completion of the System Operator/Power Dispatching Selection System (SO/PD) is required for this position. A review of Employment Test Prep information may be helpful. A link to these materials may be found at aep.com/careers/positions.
Rotating shift work required. Must maintain a high availability for call-out response. Due to call-out responsibility, applicants must live within or be willing to relocate to within 30 minutes of the reporting location. Must satisfactorily complete required training and testing to progress to the next level within the Distribution Dispatcher Associate classification within 2 years and to the Distribution Dispatcher classification within 4 years or vacate the position. Promotion and/or equity adjustments within the classification will be made in salary upon successful completion of the required training and testing. Must be able to work under pressure during periods of critical system conditions and deal with diverse situations simultaneously. Critical decisions must be made affecting reliability and priority of service to customers. Failure to issue correct instructions could affect personnel safety, welfare of the general public, equipment damage, loss of revenue and adverse publicity.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:Rotating shift work required. Must maintain a high availability for call-out response. Due to call-out responsibility, applicants must live within or be willing to relocate to within 30 minutes of the reporting location. Must satisfactorily complete required training and testing to progress to the next level within the Distribution Dispatcher Associate classification within 2 years and to the Distribution Dispatcher classification within 4 years or vacate the position. Promotion and/or equity adjustments within the classification will be made in salary upon successful completion of the required training and testing. Must be able to work under pressure during periods of critical system conditions and deal with diverse situations simultaneously. Critical decisions must be made affecting reliability and priority of service to customers. Failure to issue correct instructions could affect personnel safety, welfare of the general public, equipment damage, loss of revenue and adverse publicity.
Physical demand level is Sedentary
Start connecting with qualified job seekers
Resources for employers posting dispatcher jobs
Average cost of hiring
Recruitment statistics
How to write a job description
Examples of work conditions
Dispatcher job description FAQs
Ready to start hiring?
Updated March 14, 2024
Updated March 14, 2024