The responsibilities of a dispatcher include the following:
- Dispatching an ambulance team
- Answering calls concerning the need for non-emergency ambulance services
- Establishing triage calls
- Assigning calls to the appropriate units and providing units with the proper directions
- Managing the patient care and trip reports
- Ensuring the ambulance team covers all special events and fields shifts
- Managing the coverage for open shifts whenever a crew member calls out sick by checking the availability of other crew members
- Answering telephone calls with courtesy and professionalism
- Managing unit deployment
- Maintaining the accurate status of field units
- Dispatching all responses and ensuring the units arrive on the scene on time (with at least 90% response time compliance)
- Assisting in the collation and processing of completed trips for billing purposes (Night Shift dispatchers)
- Completing all the other tasks assigned during the shift
The dispatchers must also demonstrate the following abilities and skills:
- The working knowledge of clients and facilities
- The ability to collaborate with coworkers, supervisors, and other healthcare practitioners
- The knowledge of policies and procedures followed by the communication center and EMS systems
- The geographic knowledge of the areas we serve
- The ability to uphold the utmost discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive information