Becoming a Dispatcher

I am a college student interested in becoming a dispatcher for an agency in either Pasco or Hillsborough county.

Do I need to get any training before I apply?

Does anyone know of any part-time openings?

We have part time and full time available. We pay more also...and we hire anyone and everyone.

We have part time and full time available. We pay more also...and we hire anyone and everyone.

But, if all that sounds good, now for alitle truth, becareful where you go, if its TPD, certain rules only apply to certain people on each shift, each shift has its own rules, and they all change pending on who is doing what. But don't worrk, if you kiss enough a$$, they will give you a promotion to a supervisor.. Happy picking, I would stop by the places you want to go, and take alittle tour around the buildings first, see how people are acting towards one another.. Also check to see if it looks busy or not. You can learn alot by just alittle visit.

Do I detect some hostility in your post ? You must not a member of the "Peter Pan Flight Club"

Dont be fooled by some of the disgruntled people at TPD. There are issues within our Communications Section like the rest of the agencies. TPD is a good agency to work for. The pay is good, you can work as much overtime as you can stand (not mandatory). Depending on what shift you are assigned to (yes either evenings or mids days its for the senior people), will depend on how busy you are. So consider this. You start at over $13 an hour, you have benefits (not all great, I dont think there is an insurance company that is good anymore), you become part of an extended family ( yes that is what we are) there is potential for advancement. Well I could go on and on, as you can tell I like my job. If you are looking for an Agency that has no controversary you wont find one. But if you are looking for a good job, yes TPD is one. Good luck in your search.

I applied at TPD and have testing scheduled. What is on the test? Where is the testing?

The test the city gives is an easy test, retention, map reading skills and a simple typing test.

i heard that there is a minimum of 60 wpm on the typing portion of the test, is that true?

and is there even a point of me going through all of this if i dont know Tampa that well yet?

That is not true. The typing test requires your to type 30 WMP and you do not have to know the city to be able to read a map. Its basic map reading. North, South, East and West. The process can take a while though. But that is the city and their red tape. But yes you should apply.

The process is slow but its worth it. Hang in there and keep calling them.
They are slow as snails downtown so we have to wait. Be patient and dont give up.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r26/laurenoulette/givemehead.gif

to "officer" why don't you bend over and do it yourself! I'm sure no one would want to touch it but you.

8) hi everyone...hope you all had a good new year do u miss me yet??? well i hope to see alot of you soon for overtime if not ...then ill just c u soon.

We have part time and full time available. We pay more also...and we hire anyone and everyone.

what if you have a bad driving record...dui?

MCSO, sorry about the new girl you're attempting to bring on board. You have your hands full. :lol:

MCSO, sorry about the new girl you're attempting to bring on board. You have your hands full. :lol:
Who would that be? and why? c'mon we need details.........

big, blonde, bimbo...kinda rude, "im too hot for my own good"? Ring any bells? :twisted:

hmmmmmm, no, not sure. How new is she?

Um, probably about two or three weeks? May be outside the door in that room, but I dont konw if she could handle the stress out there...unless some people just lie about their employment :lol:

Hi to everyone from the Panhandle. Just checking out the posts and finding that the attitude of dispatchers are the same everywhere it seems. It has been my experience that 1 or 2 unhappy people can make everyone miserable.
As a supervisor, I am trying my hardest to find out what I can do to help the moral in my center. Any suggestions? OK, any realistic suggestions that may help? I've tried everything. I try to recognize everyone that does a good job. I work shifts to let people get their leave time off. I do the chow run for them. I even spend my own money to bring in food on holidays. I am extremely open minded and fair (or at least all but 2 people think so) I go head to head with my boss to get better equipment for them. Sorry, it sounds like I am patting myself on the back but that is not my intentions here. I really want to make things better and I thought that other dispatchers could help me with this. What more can I do:? I've asked them, nobody knows. Suggestions anyone?

Hi to everyone from the Panhandle. Just checking out the posts and finding that the attitude of dispatchers are the same everywhere it seems. It has been my experience that 1 or 2 unhappy people can make everyone miserable.
As a supervisor, I am trying my hardest to find out what I can do to help the moral in my center. Any suggestions? OK, any realistic suggestions that may help? I've tried everything. I try to recognize everyone that does a good job. I work shifts to let people get their leave time off. I do the chow run for them. I even spend my own money to bring in food on holidays. I am extremely open minded and fair (or at least all but 2 people think so) I go head to head with my boss to get better equipment for them. Sorry, it sounds like I am patting myself on the back but that is not my intentions here. I really want to make things better and I thought that other dispatchers could help me with this. What more can I do:? I've asked them, nobody knows. Suggestions anyone?

There are many factors in why it is so hard to keep moral up in a dispatch center.
1.Consider the pay.... most feel, minus the gun they tackle more stress than a police officer and have to handle more tasks, many of those tasks are because the officer can't do it. When you consider the difference in pay it hardly seems fair. Do whatever you can to get the biggest pay raise you can for your people!
2. Flex Shifts - if you have the option to adjust schedules without admin interference, work with the schedule. Some people like 8 hr shifts, some 10, some 12. There are all types of schedules. Monthly rotations, two month rotation. Many county agencies love the 12 hr shift rotation with every other weekend off. But some people do not like 12 hrs and would prefer 8 hours, make a position that rotates 8 hour shifts.
3. Change the uniforms - why do you need to wear all that garb? Is it comfortable?.......no. Do most people want to wear it? Do people see you all day? let them wear what they want within reason. Buy polo shirts, wear jeans. Make their lives easier.
4. Pay or give comp time for training
5. Give them their time off when they ask for it. They are entitled to their vacation time too. Make sure they get a break or a lunch.
6. Most hate being forced to work OT. Do whatever you have to so it is all volunteer.

The dispatchers deserve more respect than many agencies give them.

Just some ideas. And remember you shouldn't have to kiss anyone's azz to work because you do your fair share too.

Thanks for the response to my questions about moral. I appreciate it but, I have no control over pay, my people were all just given between 10 and 15 % raises. That was a big factor and we are getting more and better applicants because of it but the people there just don't seem to care that they got the raise.
On the subject of leave time. In the past year only 2 people had been denied leave time and it was only 1 day each. I have worked for them and had to do my job also to make sure that they got the time off.
They no longer have to wear uniforms at all. They are provided for the ones that want them but they are also allowed to wear jeans anytime they want. Even with their uniform shirt (Polo shirts)
As far as shifts go. We work four ten hour shifts off. (Except for a couple of them that have hardships with child care and they are allowed to work 5, eight hour shifts. We are on permanent shifts but our days off rotate every 2 months giving everyone a chance to have weekends off. (Work weekends for 2 months - get them off for 2 months) We even manipulate the shifts to give everyone the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays off every other year. I can not change the shifts without admin. approval.
No one is forced to work OT it is voluntary only. We also have part time people that fill in on vacancies and for leave time.
At my dept. any time a dispatcher does anything work related, including training, they are given comp time. Even for some volunteer work they do such as committes.
I do agree that everyone in the communications division does more work than the officers and have more stress than the officers. I have had Capts tell me that he can't do their job and even if he could he wouldn't do their job for his pay.
I try to recognize as many as possible for a job well done. Today we presented a letter to the committie to nominate 1 dispatcher for Employee fo the Month and another for a letter of recognition for all of his hard work.
I have asked all of the dispatchers that when they have a particularly difficult call and one of their co-workers handles something especially well to let a supervisor so we can recognize them but so far, not 1 has bothered. We mostly find them when making recordings for court or for an investigator.
I tried to boost moral by building a wall of honor for them. I took and printed pictures of everyone in the center. Bought frames and made collages with the pics. I presented them with an engraved plaque of A Dispatchers Prayer that is hanging on the wall also. A friend is making a scrap book of pictures also. This is being done with my money but they don't really need to know that.
I have almost decided that they are miserable and won't be happy until everyone around them are too. Actually, it's not all of them. We have the 2 or 3 trouble makers that make everyone dread coming to work. Some part timers ever refuse to work with them.
I guess being nice is not the way to handle them. It's time to sit them down and explain a few facts of life to them and if htey don't like it, maybe it's time to do more interviews.
Sorry, the whole situation gets me down at times too.
Thanks for letting me vent here and any more suggestions would be appreciated.

Just a couple things if I could add.

Some of the things you are doing (pictures/colleges) are nice, but be very careful to make sure everyone is represented only once, or at least an equal number of times - if not, you'll be accused of favortism. I don't think you have to use your own money to win your employees over. Have a 'pot luck' night or something, don't foot the bill yourself - just like during the holidays when free food comes in, no one cares where it came from, but they all want their share.

Don't be afraid to jump in and relieve (if you can and are available) fellow workers need to respect the fact that you haven't crossed over to the 'dark side' and are no longer one of 'them'. Answer some calls, relieve on the radio, be part of the Team, but also be a leader. Our best Department head was one who wore 'a badge' but also wanted to learn the dispatcher job. He worked all positions a couple times a week for a few hours. That gained him so much respect - therefore no one could really say he didn't understand. (Plus the road units had to be good for a few hours that day!!)

I feel when you put a majority of women in a room, and lock them up for hours at a time, you are going to have issues. I currently live in another state, and have worked in Florida in a large department, and in my state in smaller departments. It doesn't matter if 20 dispatchers are in a room, or 2, for some reason, there is a level of friction/issues. I don't know if it's the nature of the business or what exactly, but when I read about other departments and what they're going thru, we have the same issues, and/or had the same issues, just with different names and faces.

The times I was in a supervisory position, I always had to remember that today I was in a supervisory position, but tomorrow, all things could change and I could be sitting right next to them working a call together and not be in charge of anything. Remember not to distance yourself. Don't let the position go to your head. You're still a dispatcher, just now you have a little more responsibility. Just like someone working radio is no different from someone working phones...tomorrow the 2 could have opposite assignments, and so could you.

I wish you the best! Should you ever find the answer to why dispatcher environments are the way they are, you need to tell the rest of the APCO world...we'd all like the answer! It would be like finding the Holy Grail!

thanks for your response. I finally decided that maybe I was trying too hard. I brought the "trouble makers in and explained that their behavior is not acceptable and would not be tolerated any longer. I was very surprised that they actually had good attitudes (1 in denial but with a good attitude. She knows that I had personally witnessed and been the object of her back stabbing so I guess it just made her feel better to deny) I let them all know that I won't tolerate the back stabbing any longer from anyone, no matter who that may be. I may be typing until my fingers are bloody but when I hear it, I'm writting it. It's too bad that I have to take such a heavy approach but there is no other resolution to their behavior. I estimate that I will only have to write a few letters before they get the idea. I know that I can't stop it all together but it will be stopped while I am at work. I refuse to go in to that kind of hostile attitude and I won't allow any of the others to either, if I can help it.
Your suggestion that I relieve them for breaks is a good one. I have been doing it and working shifts for them to take leave since I was promoted. Instead of appreciating it, they expect it. I even had one go to my supervisor to complain that I would not cancel my plans, on my day off and it was Christmas Eve too, to work her shift. I had already explained that I had to work another shift that day to fill a vacancy. I can't win with some of these people and I refuse to bang my head against the wall anymore to please them. The only thing I get from it is a bigger headache!
Thanks again.

Good for you! By no means did I think you should kiss their azz. Working to together is total different, and it only takes a few but as long as you are consistant and fair the respect you gain will go a long way. I wish you the best of luck, but it sounds like you are doing fine.

For the supervisor from the panhandle sounds like you are top notch in your field. As for your agency and the people that work for you sounds like they have it better than most agencies down here. Cant tell you when the last time I had a full weekend off, and thats with 6 yrs under my belt. Keep up the good work and tell your people to appreciate what they have and stop complaining.

Thanks to all of you for letting me vent and for your suggestions. I am so humbled by your kind words. All along I have felt that my people had it much better than they realized but you have all verified it to me and for that I am so grateful. No matter what, I plan to keep trying to make things better for them. They may not appreciate it but I will know that I am doing what is right. I won't be kissing any AZZ to do it either.

Thanks again and if any of you plan to move to the Panhandle, give me a post here and we'll talk, I have openings like everyone else.

For the supervisor from the panhandle sounds like you are top notch in your field. As for your agency and the people that work for you sounds like they have it better than most agencies down here. Cant tell you when the last time I had a full weekend off, and thats with 6 yrs under my belt. Keep up the good work and tell your people to appreciate what they have and stop complaining.

I know if I had a supervisor like you I'd be kissing your ass! Your people are ungrateful and don't realize how good they have it! Dispatch in and of itself is its own disfunction, just because of the dynamics, never mind the job, that's a whole other dynamic! Good job and keep it up! I'm in South Florida.

I am a college student interested in becoming a dispatcher for an agency in either Pasco or Hillsborough county.

Do I need to get any training before I apply?

Does anyone know of any part-time openings?

DON'T GO TO PINELLAS PARK THE COMM CTR SUPERVISOR IS A JERK
AS IS THE ADMINISTRATION UPSTAIRS

DON'T GO TO PASCO SO THEY PAY CRAP

TARPON IS OK IF THEY LIKE YOU IF NOT YOU'LL BE GONE IN A MINUTE

PINELLAS IS THINKING ABOUT SENDING THEIR CALL CENTER OVERSEAS GO FIGURE THAT ONE.

ST PETE BEACH IS CRAP PAY WELL BUT CRAP FOR SUPERVISORS