911 dispatcher. What are some of the ups and downs of the job?

Question

Am I going into the right profession? I am getting nervous now......I heard about the stress, the turnover, lack of breaks....help...

Answer 1

well im not exactly sure about a emergency dispatcher but i do dispatching and it does have a highlevel of stress and i couldnt imagine actually having someones life rest on your decisions as how quickly and efficiently you can dispatch a call. The ups at my job are getting your job done with you actually making decisions. the downs is not being able to take a break when its busy plus like i said the stress sucks too.

Answer 2

I was a 911 dispatcher for 3 years.  I loved that job!  But I left to go into law enforcement.  Depending on what kinda area your working in, it can get pretty hectic but if you're meant for it, it will all be worth it.  The stress...eh.  If you don't let it get to you you'll be ok...just think of it as just another phone call...you don't know those people and you don't know every side of their story.  Take care of your officers, firemen and medicals (if you handle all types of calls) these people depend on you.  If you don't know where they are when something goes wrong, nobody does.  Good luck! Good dispatchers make a BIG difference.

Answer 3

mainly that u will be holding a bunch of lives in Ur hands every day

not that i am telling u to give up on that job..NO

i am just telling u to be careful

Answer 4

mi step mom doz tat

shes works alll night n sleeps alll day i nvr c her :(

but its 4 $

"i wouldnt"

Answer 5

My fiance is a former police officer and knows a bit about it. So I asked him what he thought about me applying to be a 911 dispatcher awhile back and he told me that it's well worth it, but there's a whole lot of stress involved. Also, they give you a polygraph test. Im not saying that you will, but if you lie, they'll know. :c good luck with it! :D

Answer 6

ups: feeling really good about helping save lives and calming people down

downs: stupid, immature prank callers...

good luck and i'm sure you will be fine :)

just don't forget your line"911 what's your emergency?"

Answer 7

I've never been a 911 dispatcher, but this is what I would think:

PROS: help save lives, can be rewarding, makes you money

CONS: stressful, emotionally demanding, (as you've said) lack of breaks. limited room for growth

Personally, I don't see being a "911 dispatcher" to be a very... opportunistic profession.  I'm sure there are people that have been doing it their whole lives, but I can't see any room for growth in it.  Try, but if it's not your forte, then leave.  It might take a while to find just the right profession for you.

Answer 8

This is a huge question.

It can be very rewarding, but it also has it's drawbacks.

If you have a family, are you ready to work nights, weekends, holidays?  Are you able to work alot of overtime, including on your days off?  If you work at a busy agency do you realize you will not get all of your breaks?  

And of course there is the stress, you save lives and help field units save lives.  Can you stay calm while a mother is screaming at you over the phone that her baby is not breathing, and then calmy give her CPR instructions until the ambulance gets there?  

What will you do if one of your good friends who is an officer you dispatch for starts calling for help over the radio because he's been shot.  Can you stay calm and get him the help he needs?

These are all questions you need to think about and talk over with your family.

But you also get to do some cool things like help deliver babies, catch the bad guy, and fulfill those adrenaline rushes you crave.

I would suggest you request to do a sit-a-long at a 911 center during one of their busy times and make sure this is something you CAN and WANT to do.