Paramedics as Dispatchers

[MMiz]

The service I worked for in Michigan required that all dispatchers be certified and licensed EMT-Basics and Emergency Medical Dispatchers. In addition, they also equired that personnel had to have 5+ years road experience, and required an education as a Paramedic (even if you didn't achieve or maintain your license). This requirement was true for both the call takers and the actual dispatchers. There was no shortage of applicants, and extraordinarily little turnover.


Is this the norm in general? Do most dispatch jobs require a higher standard of EMS training than the EMTs working the streets?

 

[Nycxice13]

Not in NYC that I know of, they usually just want a CPR certification.

 

[Ridryder911]

We have a non medical 911 dispatchers and they are not required to have any medical training. Most of the EMS dispatchers in our state are not required as well.

R/r 911

 

[Recycled Words]

In NY, all I think they need is CPR certification.

 

[HorseHauler]

Thats interesting MMiz, Any idea on their salary???

 

[firecoins]

In NY I don't even think they are familiar with New York. Just personal experience.

 

[chico.medic]

Our dispatchers are all EMD's, however we are not a PSAP. Our dispatchers scan all of the fire traffic and dispatch units based on the pre-announce, then they notify the appropriate fire agency that they have an ambulance responding, otherwise the fire agency calls the dispatch center to find out why they did not provide a response check back. Occasionally fire will transfer the call to our EMD's so they can provide pre-arrivals.

I know REMSA in Reno, NV requires their dispatchers to be at least an EMT-I.

 

[Chimpie]

At Toyota we trained all of our dispatchers to the First Responder level, same as the responding units.

 

[Nycxice13]

In NY I don't even think they are familiar with New York. Just personal experience.

Sometimes I wonder....

 

[Jon]

My County's 911 center / centeralized dispatch, trains all employees as Calltakers, and I belive they are all APCO and EMD certified. Then, after a year as a calltaker, they can apply to be trained as Police and/or Fire dispatchers.... that way, EVERYONE starts the same, and EVERYONE can answer the phone.

I agree that a medically-trained dispatcher tends to have better knowledge of "what the streets are like" and what callers are talking about as a dispatcher.

An anology, at work, as one of the Dispatcher trainers for our Security Command Center, I've seen that the Security Officer who has worked with us for a while as a PATROL officer tends to have a MUCH better grasp of the dispatcher job duties and operations than an employee who works a lobby desk or was just hired... part of that is that the officer knows what it is like to be in the field. Also, the officer has a better knowledge of our job functions, as well as our buildings.

 

[emt4life]

In my area, the dispatchers are at least EMTB, if not Paramedics. The dispatchers do a lot of pre-arrival directions for the city and surrounding cities, so they have to have some medical training. In the city, the police and Fire tend to keep the same dispatch and they pass medical calls to a seperate EMS dispatcher, often times at a seperate location.

 

[MMiz]

Thats interesting MMiz, Any idea on their salary???

I believe they start at around $35,000 and top out at around $50,000. It's an hourly position, so I'm sure like most in EMS, they make a majority of their money working overtime.

 

[Guardian]

I think it depends on the type of dispatch service you provide. If it's a system that prioritizes, then someone with paramedic level training is ideal. But I've seen everything from no medical training to paramedics and nurses.

 

[mfrjason]

The service I worked for in Michigan required that all dispatchers be certified and licensed EMT-Basics and Emergency Medical Dispatchers. In addition, they also equired that personnel had to have 5+ years road experience, and required an education as a Paramedic (even if you didn't achieve or maintain your license). This requirement was true for both the call takers and the actual dispatchers. There was no shortage of applicants, and extraordinarily little turnover.


Is this the norm in general? Do most dispatch jobs require a higher standard of EMS training than the EMTs working the streets?

Not really Matt. In some states you are required to go thru an EMD class before they even let you onto a terminal,but I guess services do things different ways.