How hard can it be to be a Police Dispatcher

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

to be a police dispatcher?

I have finally taken the first tentative steps toward getting the hell out of retail before next Christmas. I filled out an application to be a police dispatcher, and my interview is (gulp) Tuesday. I have no idea what training is involved, what the work is like…anything except the bare bones minimum job description .

So…has anyone out there worked as a dispatcher? What kind of questions can I expect? What should I ask? It’s a job in a moderate sized suburb of Cleveland…can’t be as crazy as the Big City itself.

I appreciate any advice/help you can give.

#2

You should expect many questions about your background. You should expect a background check. tell them about any police encounters you’ve had, and how they were resolved.

Tell them the truth. Expect a drug test, you might not get one but you might. If you have ANY law enforcement, fire or EMS-related experience, share that directly with the interviewer.

If you do not, that’s cool too.

From what I saw from my EMT days, it can be boring, and it can stress you with the overwhelming volume of work- all on the same shift… that might be a problem…

Good night’s sleep, clear head and good luck !

Cartooniverse

#3

Sorry if this is a hijack, but what is a police dispatcher?

Good luck btw!

#4

And if you get the job and are any good at it, expect to never get another speeding ticket for as long as you live!

Oh, and istara, a police dispatcher is the person who basically runs the radio switchboard for the police. They are the ones that dispatch officers to various locations to deal with situations.

Colin

#5

Thanks for the help…I found a website that has a LOT of information…I was up til 12 am reading it all, and now I’m really scared! A lot of retail skills transfer very easily, but mistakes you make in retail don’t usually cost someone their life…lots to think about.

#6

We prefer that thread titles not be obscure, so I have slightly altered this one from “How hard can it be…” to “How hard can it be to be a Police Dispatcher”

#7

I was on very good terms with the some of the dispatchers for the City of Richmond’s Emergency Services Bureau. They told me that it could be long hours of fairly tedious work (routine calls, or no calls), followed by a frenzy of activity that was the most stressful situation they had ever been involved with. Things always got scariest when a police officer was down.

#8

Really? And I wasn’t even trying to be obscure. Thank you for the information. I’ll try harder in the future.