Public Safety Dispatch
Program Description
The Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Certificate introduces the necessary skills and knowledge to work in a public safety communications center in a productive and professional manner. The course also prepares each student for the basic roles, responsibilities, and duties of a public safety dispatcher within the public safety agency.
The Public Safety Dispatcher Course exists to provide students with an initial orientation and basic training. The instructional content and teaching methodologies in this course are present to better train new students in the increasingly complex role and function of the public safety dispatcher. Effective initial training is critical for public safety dispatchers to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities in order to provide quality service to the public and the agencies they serve. Introduces new dispatchers to the basic requirements of their jobs. Certifications include basic telecommunicator and emergency medical dispatcher.
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand and identify the functions and responsibilities of the three (3) components of the Criminal Justice System: Law Enforcement, Judicial and Corrections
- Understand the function of Fire and EMS services
- Apply professionalism and ethics
- Apply interpersonal communication
- Apply and demonstrate telephone technology and procedures
- Understand concepts of missing persons, domestic violence, community policing, and cultural diversity.
- Understand concepts of hate crimes, gang awareness, child abuse, elder abuse, and dependent adult abuse
- Apply law enforcement telecommunication and radio procedures
- Understand referral services
- Apply critical incident management
- Apply wellness management
It would be best if you met with your advisor at least once a semester to discuss:
- Course selection prior to registration
- Adding or dropping courses or taking a course credit/no credit, and how this will affect your academic standing, financial aid, or other issues
- Options for majors, thinking about changing directions, or want to talk to someone to clarify your thoughts about how well a particular major may fit you
- Any problems which affect academic performance, including academic progress and personal strengths and challenges
- Concerns about your study skills or difficulties with your coursework
- Academic probation or jeopardy of dismissal
- Career choices, study abroad, and internships
- College policies and procedures
- Final graduation requirements (at least one semester prior to expected graduation)
If you are exploring a major or a particular career interest but have not yet declared a major, you are also encouraged to talk to an advisor or a faculty member in the department which offers that major.
Degree(s) / Certificates(s)
| Title | Local Bachelor's |
|---|---|
| Basic Public Safety Dispatch - CERT Occupational Certificate | - |
Career Outlook
Successful completion of this program can open doors to various employment opportunities, many of which require further higher education at the university level. Below are examples of related occupations and their annual mean wages in Arizona, based on career and wage data from Pipeline AZ, which utilizes government sources for its reports and forecasts.
Description
Schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business. Duties may include using radio, telephone, or computer to transmit assignments and compiling statistics and reports on work progress.
Duties/Tasks
- Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
- Prepare daily work and run schedules.
- Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.
- Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
- Receive or prepare work orders.
- Record and maintain files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information.
- Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules.
- Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.
- Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
- Ensure timely and efficient movement of trains, according to train orders and schedules.
Salary Information (AZ)
$42,380
$29,490
$38,050
$60,390
$20.37
$14.18
$18.00
$29.03
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma
Description
Operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. Take information from the public and other sources regarding crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters. May coordinate and provide information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May access sensitive databases and other information sources as needed. May provide additional instructions to callers based on knowledge of and certification in law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical procedures.
Duties/Tasks
- Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
- Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
- Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
- Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
- Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city.
- Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles.
- Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
- Observe alarm registers and scan maps to determine whether a specific emergency is in the dispatch service area.
- Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.
- Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.
Salary Information (AZ)
$46,880
$36,610
$47,200
$60,130
$22.54
$17.60
$22.00
$28.91
Typical Education Level
High School Diploma