Public Safety Telecommunicators
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.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Critical Thinking
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Telecommunications
- Customer and Personal Service
- Geography
- Communications and Media
- Computers and Electronics
What the work involves
- Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
- Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
- Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
- 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.
- Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
- Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
- 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.
- Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Realistic, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (63.4% of respondents)
- Related experience
- None (58.6%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (35.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Public Safety Telecommunicators is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very high | Higher on contact with others than 98% of occupations compared | 99% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very high | Higher on dealing with the public than 99% of occupations compared | 99% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Very high | Higher on teamwork than 94% of occupations compared | 83% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 68% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 77% of occupations compared | 60% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very high | Higher on conflict situations than 99% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very high | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 99% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | Very high | Higher on consequence of error than 83% of occupations compared | 70% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: very high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very high
- Consequence of error: very high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 0%
- Contact with others most of the time: 1%
- Constant contact with others: 99%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 0%
- Very important: 0.54%
- Extremely important: 99.46%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 0.22%
- Very important: 17.27%
- Extremely important: 82.51%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Some freedom: 16.53%
- A lot of freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Time pressure
- Never: 12.3%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0.47%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0.66%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 26.54%
- Every day: 60.03%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Conflict situations
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 1.2%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 29.54%
- Fairly serious: 0%
- Serious: 0%
- Very serious: 0.54%
- Extremely serious: 69.93%
n = 24, Incumbent 08/2023
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O*NET-SOC 43-5031.00 · SOC 43-5031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8