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The differences between police 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 $37,402 average annual salary of a police dispatcher.
The top three skills for a police dispatcher include computer aided dispatch, patrol and CAD. The most important skills for a fire dispatcher are BLM, computer applications, and computer aided dispatch.
| Police Dispatcher | Fire Dispatcher | |
| Yearly salary | $37,402 | $37,441 |
| Hourly rate | $17.98 | $18.00 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 6,964 | 7,959 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Police Dispatchers are responsible for assessing incoming calls and deploying police resources using professional judgment. Their duties include answering emergency calls from agencies and the public, gathering information from police systems and call handlers, conducting priority assessments based on vulnerability and risks, and liaising with police officers to determine the logistics of place and time of an incident lodged. They also help facilitate investigations, reassure victims, and maintain accurate incident records.
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.
Police dispatchers and fire dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Police Dispatcher | Fire Dispatcher | |
| Average salary | $37,402 | $37,441 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $48,000 | Between $28,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | Grants Pass, OR |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Oregon |
| Best paying company | City of Seattle | Mayor Ethan Berkowitz |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a police dispatcher and a fire dispatcher in terms of educational background:
| Police Dispatcher | Fire Dispatcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 36% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between police dispatchers' and fire dispatchers' demographics:
| Police Dispatcher | Fire Dispatcher | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4% | 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% |