Requirements To Undergo A Dispatcher Training Course

| Sunday, June 15, 2014
By Ina Hunt


Emergency dispatchers send out emergency calls to firefighters, police and ambulance services. They normally do their job in 911 call centers. Emergency dispatchers may work only in specific emergency areas such as the police department or the fire department. Therefore, the type of dispatcher training offered may be influenced by the emergency department one wishes to work in. It is generally through taking certification courses that aspiring emergency dispatchers are able to develop the requisite management and communication skills.

To develop the skills required to perform effectively in the field, emergency dispatchers may have to undergo up to six months of job training. The various emergency departments such as the police departments and ambulance services that offer these programs determine minimum training hours, shifts and probationary periods that a trainee dispatcher has to go through. This is particularly important because prospective employers insist on these activities that offer experience to the trainee when they are hiring.

Emergency dispatchers beginning the program may be offered a 40 hour certificate that majors in the study of technologies that are in application in this field and basically the procedures and management skills necessary to do the job. These programs and courses may be offered at police academies or even in some community colleges. Most of these programs strive to follow the 40 hour certification program which is considered the standard in the industry.

The basic formal education required to go through this program is a general education diploma or a high school diploma . Therefore to become an emergency dispatcher requires no college degree. In fact, there is no degree program that has been designed to train dispatchers in any university or college in the US at the moment.

Institutions offering these programs major in topic like; crisis intervention, stress management, criminal law, call taking techniques and emergency medical dispatching. Other programs may require the trainee to participate in some community emergency activities to ascertain preparedness or even riding with emergency personnel who are trained. This acts as an opportunity for the trainee to gather a few tips regarding the nature and requirements of the job.

In instances where employers make it a mandatory requirement for one to have experience in dispatching and call taking, the dispatcher may work for at least twelve months in freight truck dispatching centers or customer care service call centers in a bid to meet requirements of the employer.

The most widespread method used in properly training emergency dispatchers is on the job training although some employers may use a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction. Those trainees that have been recruited may be required to work different shifts so as to expose them to all the variables that are likely to be encountered in emergency dispatching. This might be accompanied by probation of at least up to twelve months.

Certification courses and exams that are offered by NAED in emergency dispatching include emergency priority dispatching, emergency telecommunications and emergency medical dispatching. However some certifications such as medical dispatching certification may have prerequisites such a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification. To start a program in ED-Q certification, one will first be required to have the above certifications.

Training in aircraft dispatch is much more demanding. The initial course takes up to 240 hours of pure classroom. This can be taken on full time or part time basis. One must also demonstrate a great ability to think, write, speak and understand.




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