Being an Emergency Dispatcher is difficult for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, the job is incredibly intense and stressful; at any moment you could answer the phone to a panicked caller and alter the course of their lives depending on your actions. To top it all off, this is done at a lower salary level compared to other first responders.

Those that quit during dispatcher training cite not being able to handle the “rapid pace of the job and the responsibility of having someone’s lives in their hands.” The hours are long, and there is mandatory overtime; working during emergencies and on holidays is often required as dispatchers are needed 365 days out of the year, 24 hours a day. In small towns, dispatchers must often take calls from people that they know.