Public safety dispatcher vs fire dispatcher

The differences between public safety 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 $35,063 average annual salary of a public safety dispatcher.

The top three skills for a public safety dispatcher include computer aided dispatch, customer service and CAD. The most important skills for a fire dispatcher are BLM, computer applications, and computer aided dispatch.

Public safety dispatcher vs fire dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$35,063	$37,441
Hourly rate	$16.86	$18.00
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	25,700	7,959
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does a public safety dispatcher do?

A public safety dispatcher is primarily responsible for handling emergency or non-emergency calls from the public. They are in charge of identifying the caller's needs calmly and proactively, dispatching law enforcement officers or emergency responders at the scene in a timely and efficient manner. They must operate communications equipment, manage schedules, and quickly adapt to any situation as the calls can be unpredictable and critical. Furthermore, as a public safety dispatcher, it is essential to maintain records of all calls and interactions, adhering to the organization's policies and regulations at all times.

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.

Public safety dispatcher vs fire dispatcher salary

Public safety dispatchers and fire dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Average salary	$35,063	$37,441
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	Grants Pass, OR
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Oregon
Best paying company	City of San Jos	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between public safety dispatcher and fire dispatcher education

There are a few differences between a public safety dispatcher and a fire dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety dispatcher vs fire dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between public safety dispatchers' and fire dispatchers' demographics:

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Fire Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4%	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%

Differences between public safety dispatcher and fire dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Public safety dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage the response and allocation of police, fire, ems personnel when call for service.
Provide a and CPR instructions.
Conduct layperson CPR instruction to local communities.
Train entry dispatchers on Fire/EMS call taking and dispatching.
Provide determinant dispatch codes base on EMD and EFD standards.
Job duties are the answering, processing and dispatching of police, fire and ems services.

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.

Public safety dispatcher vs fire dispatcher skills

Common public safety dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Customer Service, 6%
CAD, 6%
Patrol, 5%
Dispatch System, 4%
NCIC, 3%

Common fire dispatcher skills

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

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Public Safety Dispatcher vs Fire Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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