Fire dispatcher vs dispatcher

The differences between fire dispatchers and 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 $35,328 average annual salary of a dispatcher.

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

Fire dispatcher vs dispatcher overview

	Fire Dispatcher	Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$37,441	$35,328
Hourly rate	$18.00	$16.98
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	7,959	5,818
Job satisfaction	-	4.25
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	39	43
Years of experience	-	2

What does a fire dispatcher do?

Fire dispatchers or call operators are the people you hear when you call 911 or any emergency number. They evaluate your calls to determine whether or not you need the assistance of a firefighter. Dispatchers play an important role in an emergency or non-emergency response. Fire dispatchers provide life-saving medical instructions, send ambulances and firetrucks, and, if needed, police. And yet, despite all the hysterics, these dispatchers must remain calm and collected to get and provide valuable information. A dispatcher must have good communication skills, a high moral character and integrity, emotional self-control, and empathy.

What does a dispatcher do?

Dispatchers are generally responsible for coordinating with the customers regarding the delivery status of the products and providing precise logistics and the fastest transportation routes to the professional drivers to ensure smooth and timely deliveries. A dispatcher is required to monitor the driver's location, strictly track road situations at all times to provide real-time updates for the customers, and advise the driver for alternative routes. Dispatchers also need to address possible customer complaints and process scheduling accurately to avoid inconsistencies in the delivery time.

Fire dispatcher vs dispatcher salary

Fire dispatchers and dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fire Dispatcher	Dispatcher
Average salary	$37,441	$35,328
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Grants Pass, OR	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Alaska
Best paying company	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz	Mt. San Antonio College
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between fire dispatcher and dispatcher education

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

	Fire Dispatcher	Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fire dispatcher vs dispatcher demographics

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

	Fire Dispatcher	Dispatcher
Average age	39	43
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 38.1% Female, 61.9%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.8% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	17%	7%

Differences between fire dispatcher and dispatcher duties and responsibilities

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.

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Dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage accounts payable (A/P) and accounts receivable (A/R) using QuickBooks.
Manage dot hrs for drivers as far as what tasks can be done in a certain amount of time.
Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
Dispatch police fire and ems.
Dispatch district security patrol officers to assist district employees, students and residents with emergency situations.
Earn CDL with passenger endorsement.

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Fire dispatcher vs dispatcher skills

Common fire dispatcher skills

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

Common dispatcher skills

Customer Service, 34%
Data Entry, 8%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 4%
Non-Emergency Calls, 4%
Emergency Situations, 3%
EMS, 3%

Fire Dispatcher vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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