This career can be stressful and emotionally taxing. Many dispatchers work eight- or 10-hour shifts; others work even longer shifts, and overtime is common. Since emergency services are needed 24/7, dispatchers must occasionally work at night, on weekends, and on holidays. Dispatchers frequently talk with people who are angry, scared, confused, or hard to understand, and the sheer number of these interactions can be stressful and tiring. It takes just the right type of person to remain calm and collected during these conversations, and many dispatchers eventually determine that this career is not for them.
Dispatchers sit for long periods of time, and most wear headsets, which can be uncomfortable. Some dispatchers are required to wear uniforms.
- Airport Security Personnel
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Bounty Hunters
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- Corrections Officers
- Court Interpreters and Translators
- Court Reporters
- Crime Analysts
- Criminal Lawyers
- Customs Officials
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Detectives
- Directors of Security
- Emergency Management Directors
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- FBI Agents
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Investigators
- Fire Protection Engineers
- Fire Safety Directors
- Fire Safety Technicians
- Firefighters
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- Forensic Experts
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- Genetic Genealogists
- Intelligence Officers
- Judges
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- Legal Nurse Consultants
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- Paralegals
- Park Rangers
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- Police Officers
- Polygraph Examiners
- Process Servers
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- Security Consultants
- Security Guards
- Wildland Firefighters