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Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Occupation Detailed Description

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

The main tasks and work activities of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance are to schedule operational activities, coordinate operational activities, relay information between personnel, respond to customer problems or complaints. In general, for the Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance, speaking, active Listening, coordination, monitoring and other 11 skills are required.
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Job Description
EducationThese occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related ExperienceSome previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance jobs. 61.70% of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 6.83% of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
11.27%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
61.70%
Post-Secondary Certificate
6.83%
Some College Courses
0.37%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
10.71%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
9.12%

Tasks and Work Activities of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

  • Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
  • Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules.
  • Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
  • Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.
  • Prepare daily work and run schedules.
  • Receive or prepare work orders.
  • Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
  • Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.
  • Record and maintain files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information.
  • Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications.
  • Advise personnel about traffic problems, such as construction areas, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, or other hazards.
  • Ensure timely and efficient movement of trains, according to train orders and schedules.
  • Order supplies or equipment and issue them to personnel.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Scheduling Work and ActivitiesScheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Schedule operational activities.
  • Coordinate operational activities.
  • Relay information between personnel.
  • Respond to customer problems or complaints.
  • Prepare employee work schedules.
  • Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
  • Operate communications equipment or systems.
  • Track goods or materials.
  • Maintain operational records.
  • Select resources needed to accomplish tasks.
  • Provide information to coworkers.
  • Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
  • Distribute materials to employees or customers.

Skills and Abilities for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Time SharingThe ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  • Automatic call distributor ACDe.g. Call management systems CMS
  • Railway signaling systemse.g. Centralized traffic control units
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Interactive voice recognition equipmente.g. Dispatch servers
  • Vehicular global positioning system GPSe.g. Job dispatch and vehicle tracking systems
  • Notebook computerse.g. Mobile data terminal MDT equipment
  • Two way radiose.g. Mobile radios
  • Special purpose telephonese.g. Multi-line telephone systems
  • Special purpose telephonese.g. Personal banking chamber PBC telephones
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Railway signaling systemse.g. Signal controls
  • Rail switching systemse.g. Switch controls
  • Teletype input devicese.g. Teletypewriters TTY
  • Touch screen monitorse.g. Touch screen monitors
  • Rail switching systemse.g. Tower switching machines
  • Two way radiose.g. Two way radios
  • Digital telephonese.g. Voice over internet protocol VoIP systems
  • TransportationKnowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • GeographyKnowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Personnel and Human ResourcesKnowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.