Emergency dispatcher vs fire dispatcher

The differences between emergency dispatchers and fire dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fire dispatcher has an average salary of $37,441, which is higher than the $36,748 average annual salary of an emergency dispatcher.

The top three skills for an emergency dispatcher include computer aided dispatch, EMS and customer service. The most important skills for a fire dispatcher are BLM, computer applications, and computer aided dispatch.

Emergency dispatcher vs fire dispatcher overview

	Emergency Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$36,748	$37,441
Hourly rate	$17.67	$18.00
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	29,409	7,959
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Emergency dispatcher vs fire dispatcher salary

Emergency dispatchers and fire dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Average salary	$36,748	$37,441
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Allentown, PA	Grants Pass, OR
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Oregon
Best paying company	Clean Harbors	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between emergency dispatcher and fire dispatcher education

There are a few differences between an emergency dispatcher and a fire dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Emergency dispatcher vs fire dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between emergency dispatchers' and fire dispatchers' demographics:

	Emergency Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2%	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 0.9% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 0.9% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	17%	17%

Differences between emergency dispatcher and fire dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Emergency dispatcher example responsibilities.

Perform (EMD) emergency medical dispatch procedures until the police, fire fighters or paramedics arrive.
Receive emergency and non emergency calls via telephone, TDD or radio.
Assist with over the phone medical instruction, CPR instruction, and traumatic emergencies.
Coordinate response of ambulances and public safety units to emergency sites or in-progress crime situations.
Coordinate response of ambulances, fire, and police units to emergencies and in-progress crime situations.
Assist with leading callers through various procedures such as CPR while waiting for units to arrive on scene.

Fire dispatcher example responsibilities.

Certify as APCO Telecommunicator and APCO EMD.
Dispatch police, fire, and ems to location for resident assistance.
Dispatch fire and ems as needed as well as the fire marshals.
Check for wanted/warrants using NCIC, ALACOP, and computer generate warrant lists.
Perform warrant checks when request through the ACIC and NCIC criminal information centers.
Save an infant by telling the mother how to give CPR to the non-responsive infant.

Emergency dispatcher vs fire dispatcher skills

Common emergency dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 12%
EMS, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
CAD, 6%
Public Safety Agencies, 6%
Non-Emergency Telephone Calls, 6%

Common fire dispatcher skills

BLM, 20%
Computer Applications, 16%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 6%
Firefighting, 5%
EMS, 5%
CAD, 4%