Operations/dispatch vs fire dispatcher

The differences between operations/dispatches and fire dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operations/dispatch has an average salary of $39,483, which is higher than the $37,441 average annual salary of a fire dispatcher.

The top three skills for an operations/dispatch include patrol, data entry and computer aided dispatch. The most important skills for a fire dispatcher are BLM, computer applications, and computer aided dispatch.

Operations/dispatch vs fire dispatcher overview

	Operations/Dispatch	Fire Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$39,483	$37,441
Hourly rate	$18.98	$18.00
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	60,313	7,959
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does an operations/dispatch do?

An operations dispatcher is a communication liaison between delivery drivers, customers, and an operations center of a delivery service or distributorship. You should effectively communicate with drivers for timely and efficient deliveries and inform customers of expected times of delivery. Operations dispatchers develop the most efficient delivery routes and keep in touch with drivers throughout a delivery run, monitor any abrupt changes on the routes such as constructions, and work with management to alter set routes to accommodate customer needs.

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.

Operations/dispatch vs fire dispatcher salary

Operations/dispatches and fire dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operations/Dispatch	Fire Dispatcher
Average salary	$39,483	$37,441
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $54,000	Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Grants Pass, OR
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Oregon
Best paying company	AECOM	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between operations/dispatch and fire dispatcher education

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

	Operations/Dispatch	Fire Dispatcher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Operations/dispatch vs fire dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between operations/dispatches' and fire dispatchers' demographics:

	Operations/Dispatch	Fire Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%	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 operations/dispatch and fire dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Operations/dispatch example responsibilities.

Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
Assist A/R with basic accounting issues.
Certify by ACJIC as a NCIC operator.
Call taker job are taking customers calls.
Cross-Train as both call taker and dispatcher.
Dispatch calls to the appropriate agency - police, fire, ems.

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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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Operations/dispatch vs fire dispatcher skills

Common operations/dispatch skills

Patrol, 11%
Data Entry, 7%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 7%
Quality Customer Service, 6%
Two-Way Radio, 6%
Emergency Situations, 6%

Common fire dispatcher skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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