Call Centre Operators - Emergency Services
Job description
These individuals receive and transfer emergency calls using communication and computer-aided dispatch systems. The evaluate the degree of urgency of the calls to process them in order of priority. They dispatch intervention teams to the areas where the need for assistance originates. They provide instructions to drivers of police, ambulance, and fire protection vehicles. They work for:
- Private ambulance and emergency call dispatch companies.
- Municipalities and RCMs (primary 9-1-1 dispatch centres and police and fire dispatch centres)
- The Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU [Forest Fire Protection Agency of Quebec])
- Urgences-santé
- Sûreté du Québec
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Assess and prioritize an emergency situation reported by callers.
- Identify the level of intervention required in line with the emergency situation and communicate this information to emergency responders.
- Ensure the safety of the premises where the reported event is taking place.
- Call and dispatch the appropriate emergency responders to the emergency situation.
- Provide instructions to callers to help them provide emergency care while they wait for emergency responders.
- Provide support and follow up with emergency responders during interventions.
- Draft reports on the calls received and the steps taken during the intervention.
Training and requirements
Formation
No specific training
Sometimes required
- Provincial Radio Operator’s licence is usually required for police and emergency services dispatchers.
- Training in first aid considered an asset.
- Tests of aptitude, personality, visual and auditory acuity, and psychometrics are generally required.
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Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Coordination
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Time management
- Result evaluation
- Service oriented
- Critical thought
- Judgment and decision-making
- Solving complex problems
- Operations and control
- Persuasion
- Equipment selection
- Social perception
- Reading comprehension
- Written expression
- Quality control analysis
- Active learning
Abilities
- Speech clarity
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Information organization
- Information processing speed
- Written expression
- Reaction time
- Awareness of issues
- Perception speed
- Speech recognition
- Written comprehension
- Hearing sensitivity
- Manual dexterity
- Time sharing
- Wrist-finger speed
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Near vision
- Idea generation
- Memorization
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to adapt
- Capacity to work in a team
- Rigour
- Tolerance to stress
- Friendliness
- Knowledge of public safety and security
- Spoken bilingualism (French and English)
- Timeliness
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Watch, defend, and secure
- Work in an office
- Work in computer science or information and communication technologies (ICT)
- Assist and advise
- Collect, verify, sort, and classify data or information
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Dispatchers (CNP 14404)
Skill type
Business, finance and administration
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Last update: January 29, 2026
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