What does a public safety telecommunicator do?
Public safety telecommunicator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real public safety telecommunicator resumes:
- 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.
- Certify by APCO as a nationally recognize emergency dispatcher.
Public safety telecommunicator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Public Safety Telecommunicators are proficient in Computer Aided Dispatch, CAD, and Criminal Justice. They’re also known for soft skills such as Ability to multitask, Communication skills, and Empathy.
We break down the percentage of Public Safety Telecommunicators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Computer Aided Dispatch, 17%
Operate numerous computer systems while maintaining location of emergency personnel by monitoring the radio transmissions and the Computer Aided Dispatch System
- CAD, 10%
Entered all information into a cad computer-aided dispatch system.
- Criminal Justice, 8%
Certified in operating and monitoring National and State criminal justice systems.
- Emergency Situations, 8%
Dispatched police officers and fire personnel to emergency situations for related services.
- Patrol, 8%
Patrol and monitor the central business, medical, arts, garden and French Quarter districts of New Orleans.
- Data Entry, 6%
General data entry; includes setting up new customer accounts, entering contact information and medical history, and other pertinent information
"computer aided dispatch," "cad," and "criminal justice" are among the most common skills that public safety telecommunicators use at work. You can find even more public safety telecommunicator responsibilities below, including:
Ability to multitask. One of the key soft skills for a public safety telecommunicator to have is ability to multitask. You can see how this relates to what public safety telecommunicators do because "public safety telecommunicators must stay calm in order to simultaneously answer calls, collect vital information, coordinate responders, monitor multiple displays, and use a variety of equipment." Additionally, a public safety telecommunicator resume shows how public safety telecommunicators use ability to multitask: "responded to emergency situations documenting citations"
Communication skills. Many public safety telecommunicator duties rely on communication skills. "public safety telecommunicators work with law enforcement, emergency response teams, and civilians," so a public safety telecommunicator will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways public safety telecommunicator responsibilities rely on communication skills: "operate various types of telecommunications equipment and software programs. "
Empathy. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of public safety telecommunicators is empathy. This skill is critical to many everyday public safety telecommunicator duties, as "public safety telecommunicators must be willing to help a range of callers with varying needs." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "train new hires in telecommunications sensitivity training for hearing impaired * utilization of computer aided dispatch system. "
Listening skills. A big part of what public safety telecommunicators do relies on "listening skills." You can see how essential it is to public safety telecommunicator responsibilities because "public safety telecommunicators must listen carefully to collect relevant details, even though some callers might have trouble speaking because of anxiety or stress." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical public safety telecommunicator tasks: "communicated with supervisors and coworkers to safely and quickly respond to emergency situations. "
Typing skills. Another crucial skill for a public safety telecommunicator to carry out their responsibilities is "typing skills." A big part of what public safety telecommunicators relies on this skill, since "public safety telecommunicators enter the details of calls into computers; typing speed and accuracy are essential when responding to emergencies." How this skill relates to public safety telecommunicator duties can be seen in an example from a public safety telecommunicator resume snippet: "used multitasking skills; answering phones, redirecting calls, typing reports, radio communications and public relations. "
The three companies that hire the most public safety telecommunicators are:
- Novant Health4 public safety telecommunicators jobs
- Edward Hospital & Health Services2 public safety telecommunicators jobs
- Elmhurst Memorial Hospital2 public safety telecommunicators jobs
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Compare different public safety telecommunicators
Public safety telecommunicator vs. Operations/dispatch
An operations dispatcher is a communication liaison between delivery drivers, customers, and an operations center of a delivery service or distributorship. You should effectively communicate with drivers for timely and efficient deliveries and inform customers of expected times of delivery. Operations dispatchers develop the most efficient delivery routes and keep in touch with drivers throughout a delivery run, monitor any abrupt changes on the routes such as constructions, and work with management to alter set routes to accommodate customer needs.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between public safety telecommunicators and operations/dispatch. For instance, public safety telecommunicator responsibilities require skills such as "criminal justice," "public safety agencies," "radio systems," and "driver license." Whereas a operations/dispatch is skilled in "quality customer service," "two-way radio," "non-emergency calls," and "dispatch system." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Operations/dispatches earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $43,789. On the other hand, public safety telecommunicators are paid more in the government industry with an average salary of $38,763.The education levels that operations/dispatches earn slightly differ from public safety telecommunicators. In particular, operations/dispatches are 3.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a public safety telecommunicator. Additionally, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public safety telecommunicator vs. Emergency services dispatcher
A call taker works at a call or dispatch center, where they are primarily in charge of answering calls, identifying the callers' needs, and coordinating services to assist them right away. Although their responsibilities depend on their company or industry of employment, it usually involves answering inquiries, processing requests, arranging appointments or reservations, and handling issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. When it comes to employment, a call taker may work for 911 dispatch centers, taxi companies, towing services, and private hotlines.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that public safety telecommunicator responsibilities requires skills like "criminal justice," "public safety agencies," "radio systems," and "two way radios." But an emergency services dispatcher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "ems," "customer service," "service calls," and "dispatch system."
Emergency services dispatchers may earn a lower salary than public safety telecommunicators, but emergency services dispatchers earn the most pay in the insurance industry with an average salary of $41,148. On the other hand, public safety telecommunicators receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,763.emergency services dispatchers earn similar levels of education than public safety telecommunicators in general. They're 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public safety telecommunicator vs. Call taker
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, public safety telecommunicators are more likely to have skills like "radio systems," "two way radios," "radio traffic," and "driver license." But a call taker is more likely to have skills like "taker," "customer service," "ems," and "gps."
Call takers earn the best pay in the government industry, where they command an average salary of $42,836. Public safety telecommunicators earn the highest pay from the government industry, with an average salary of $38,763.call takers typically earn similar educational levels compared to public safety telecommunicators. Specifically, they're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public safety telecommunicator vs. Medical dispatcher
Types of public safety telecommunicator
Updated January 8, 2025
