Public safety telecommunicator vs fire dispatcher

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and fire dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety telecommunicator has an average salary of $40,955, which is higher than the $37,441 average annual salary of a fire dispatcher.

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

Public safety telecommunicator vs fire dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Fire Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$40,955	$37,441
Hourly rate	$19.69	$18.00
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	7,959
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs fire dispatcher salary

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Fire Dispatcher
Average salary	$40,955	$37,441
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $28,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Elmhurst, IL	Grants Pass, OR
Highest paying state	Oregon	Oregon
Best paying company	Rowan University	Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between public safety telecommunicator and fire dispatcher education

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Fire Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs fire dispatcher demographics

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Fire Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	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 telecommunicator and fire dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Public safety telecommunicator example responsibilities.

Manage truck and equipment inventory, rental tracking and GPS monitoring.
Certify in CPR and TTY/TDD phone calls.
Assist in patrol of campus during evening hours.
Receive and transmit radio communication to law enforcement agencies and police patrol cars for appropriate action.
Answer emergency calls/dispatch police fire and sheriff, enter and cancel stolen property and vehicles, run criminal history
Handle incoming calls in a busy AAA roadside service call center.

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 telecommunicator vs fire dispatcher skills

Common public safety telecommunicator skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 17%
CAD, 10%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Emergency Situations, 8%
Patrol, 8%
Data Entry, 6%

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 Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Fire Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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