How Does a 911 Dispatcher Spend a Workday?

Answering Emergency Calls

A 911 dispatcher's main function is to answer and process emergency calls. While this is perhaps one of the most important and urgent parts of the job, it only makes up maybe about one-fourth of the workday. The dispatcher's role is to answer the call, determine the problem and send appropriate assistance. On average, this takes less than 60 seconds per call.

Answering Non-Emergency Calls

About another fourth of a 911 dispatcher's work day is spent answering non-emergency calls. These can include calls placed on 911 lines that aren't actual emergencies, like questions about road conditions and citizen calls to non-emergency lines. Most of the time, these calls take only a short time each, but there always a few that take between 10 and 15 minutes while the dispatcher tries to search for information for the caller.

Responding to Radio Calls

About half of a 911 dispatcher's day is spent actually dispatching for police and/or fire and emergency medical personnel. A major part of a dispatcher's duty is to keep track of officers, send them to calls, respond to their requests for information and enter data provided by the officers. Most of this work is done over the radio, but officers often come in to the dispatch center for assistance as well.