Fire dispatcher vs emergency operator

The differences between fire dispatchers and emergency operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency operator has an average salary of $38,458, which is higher than the $37,441 average annual salary of a fire dispatcher.

The top three skills for a fire dispatcher include BLM, computer applications and computer aided dispatch. The most important skills for an emergency operator are emergency situations, emergency operations, and emergency services.

Fire dispatcher vs emergency operator overview

	Fire Dispatcher	Emergency Operator
Yearly salary	$37,441	$38,458
Hourly rate	$18.00	$18.49
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	7,959	52,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Fire dispatcher vs emergency operator salary

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

	Fire Dispatcher	Emergency Operator
Average salary	$37,441	$38,458
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $26,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	Grants Pass, OR	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fire dispatcher and emergency operator education

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

	Fire Dispatcher	Emergency Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Fire dispatcher vs emergency operator demographics

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

	Fire Dispatcher	Emergency Operator
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 36.6% Female, 63.4%	Male, 41.1% Female, 58.9%
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, 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 fire dispatcher and emergency operator 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.

Emergency operator example responsibilities.

Manage busy company switchboard, operating PBX or private branch exchange systems to facilitate connections.
Utilize CCTV system to monitor and record activity in and around the facility.
Answer emergency calls/dispatch police fire and sheriff, enter and cancel stolen property and vehicles, run criminal history
Certify by APCO as a nationally recognize emergency dispatcher.

Fire dispatcher vs emergency operator skills

Common fire dispatcher skills

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

Common emergency operator skills

Emergency Situations, 23%
Emergency Operations, 19%
Emergency Services, 11%
EMS, 8%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 7%
Emergency Response, 6%