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Public safety dispatcher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, public safety dispatchers don't need a college education. The most common degree for public safety dispatchers is bachelor's degree with 40% graduates, with only 29% public safety dispatcher graduates earning associate degree. Public safety dispatchers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or California State University - San Bernardino. Some good skills to have in this position include computer aided dispatch, customer service and cad.

Popular public safety dispatcher certifications include Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Public Safety Telecommunicator I, or Emergency Medical Dispatcher Certification (EMD). To improve public safety dispatcher qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in public safety dispatcher education paths.

What education do you need to become a public safety dispatcher?

What degree do you need to be a public safety dispatcher?

The most common degree for public safety dispatchers is bachelor's degree, with 40% of public safety dispatchers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 40%
  • Associate, 29%
  • High School Diploma, 17%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a public safety dispatcher?

You should major in criminal justice to become a public safety dispatcher. 30% of public safety dispatchers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a public safety dispatcher include business and general studies.

Best majors for public safety dispatchers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice29.7%
2Business16.1%
3General Studies7.7%
4Liberal Arts5.5%
5Communication5.2%

20 best online courses for public safety dispatchers

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1. Patient Safety

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Preventable patient harms, including medical errors and healthcare-associated complications, are a global public health threat. Moreover, patients frequently do not receive treatments and interventions known to improve their outcomes. These shortcomings typically result not from individual clinicians’ mistakes, but from systemic problems -- communication breakdowns, poor teamwork, and poorly designed care processes, to name a few.\n\nThe Patient Safety & Quality Leadership Specialization covers...

2. Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

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The Center for Humanitarian Emergencies is a partnership between CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch and the Rollins School of Public Health that drives global collaboration, research and evidence based training to improve the lives and well-being of populations impacted by humanitarian emergencies. - Center for Humanitarian Emergencies: http://www.che.emory.edu/ - CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/errb/index.html This course...

3. NEBOSH FIRE SAFETY

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4.4
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Managing Fire Safety in Workplace...

4. Basic Fire Safety Awareness

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4.3
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Basic Fire Safety Awareness - Your Gateway towards Career in Fire Safety...

5. Fire Safety and Prevention Planning

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4.4
(1,467)

Become an expert in understanding Fire Safety and Prevention Planning for your workplaces and organizations...

6. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert

udemy
4.3
(484)

Become an expert in Fire Safety, Fire Hazards Control, Fire Evacuation Plans, and Fire Risk Assessment...

7. High Voltage Electric Vehicle Safety

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4.4
(302)

Electric Vehicle Safety Battery Pack Fire Safety Electric Shock Safety Accidental Safety High Voltage Components...

8. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

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4.1
(263)

The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...

9. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

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4.4
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Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

10. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

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4.5
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A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

11. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

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4.3
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The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

12. NEBOSH health and safety Management System

udemy
4.3
(448)

It Shows the Start point to Build your Health & safety Career and how to Join the field and becoming HSE Specialist...

13. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

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4.6
(4,258)

Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

14. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.

udemy
4.5
(2,235)

How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...

15. Airline Operations: Flight Planning and Flight Dispatch

udemy
4.3
(702)

Airline Operations: Master the essentials of aviation - aircraft operational control and dispatch...

16. Occupational Health & Safety Training

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4.4
(1,198)

Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

17. Refresher course of Safety Management Systems

udemy
4.7
(390)

A quick overview for aviation managers and safety professionals about basic concepts and philosophy of SMS...

18. Fun food safety and sanitation course

udemy
4.6
(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

19. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

udemy
4.6
(465)

A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...

20. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

udemy
4.5
(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

Average public safety dispatcher salary by education level

According to our data, public safety dispatchers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $36,745 annually. Public safety dispatchers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $36,445.
Public safety dispatcher education levelPublic safety dispatcher salary
High School Diploma or Less$35,419
Bachelor's Degree$36,745
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,445

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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