Police communications operator vs fire dispatcher

The differences between police communications operators and fire dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police communications operator has an average salary of $39,636, which is higher than the $37,441 average annual salary of a fire dispatcher.

The top three skills for a police communications operator include computer aided dispatch, dispatch system and two-way radio. The most important skills for a fire dispatcher are BLM, computer applications, and computer aided dispatch.

Police communications operator vs fire dispatcher overview

	Police Communications Operator	Fire Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$39,636	$37,441
Hourly rate	$19.06	$18.00
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	42,992	7,959
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Police communications operator vs fire dispatcher salary

Police communications operators and fire dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Police Communications Operator	Fire Dispatcher
Average salary	$39,636	$37,441
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $55,000	Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Wheat Ridge, CO	Grants Pass, OR
Highest paying state	Oregon	Oregon
Best paying company	Georgetown University	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between police communications operator and fire dispatcher education

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

	Police Communications Operator	Fire Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Police communications operator vs fire dispatcher demographics

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

	Police Communications Operator	Fire Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	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 police communications operator and fire dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Police communications operator example responsibilities.

Manage busy company switchboard, operating PBX or private branch exchange systems to facilitate connections.
Screen, train, test, and certify operators to gain access to LLETS and/or NCIC.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.
Perform monthly inventory and destruction of COMSEC material while maintaining strict accountability standards.
Control COMSEC for company level operations and follow all destruction and pickup regulations.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.

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.

Police communications operator vs fire dispatcher skills

Common police communications operator skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 17%
Dispatch System, 6%
Two-Way Radio, 6%
CAD, 6%
Computer System, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%

Common fire dispatcher skills

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

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Police Communications Operator
Police Communications Operator vs Fire Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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