Dispatcher Interview Questions

This is an essential question to ask because a dispatcher may receive calls from people who are injured, upset, fearful or in harm’s way. The ideal dispatcher can calm a person down enough in order to elicit the critical pieces of information that need to be sent to the response team. The answer also demonstrates the dispatcher’s patience and calmness when under pressure. What to look for in an answer:

• Detailed description of their experience
• Specific information about how they responded
• Ability to remain calm when under intense stress

The dispatcher’s answer to this question shows you that they understand how to follow procedure. Their answer demonstrates that they are familiar with the situation’s protocol and the rules of the organization. This question also establishes how the dispatcher is able to make decisions when under stress and whether they can do so objectively. What to look for in an answer:

• Concise summary of what happened
• Clear explanation of their thought process
• Demonstration of their ability to work without direct supervision

This is a good question to ask because it alerts you to whether or not the dispatcher is familiar with the software that your organization uses. It also shows the candidate’s level of comfort and experience using different types of software. The ideal candidate will have expert knowledge in at least one of the common types of dispatching software. What to look for in an answer:

• Years of experience with different software
• Familiarity with two or more types of software
• Knowledge of on-premises and cloud-based software

The answer to this question demonstrates how organized the dispatcher is and how they are able to accurately remember what they did and how they did it. Their answer should explain how they track each call, what information they put into the log and when they complete the log after the call. The answer also demonstrates their ability to multitask while still maintaining a high level of accuracy and productivity. What to look for in an answer:

• Organizational skills
• Ability to keep track of multiple pieces of information
• Knows the importance of data entry accuracy and speed

You should ask this question because it shows how the dispatcher performs under stress or when they have an emotional response or personal interest in the situation. The dispatcher’s answer shows their ability to remain objective and handle a call from someone they know in the same way that they would handle a call from a stranger. It also shows their ability to stay on protocol during such an event. What to look for in an answer:

• Ability to remain objective
• Demonstration of how to remain calm
• Reports personal connection after the call’s conclusion

Dispatchers receive a variety of emergency calls each day, but they also receive calls from people with minor injuries, questions or other non-emergency situations. This could potentially prevent dispatchers from taking calls that do require an emergency response. It's important that dispatchers know how to identify non-emergency situations and help callers understand the criteria for calling 9-1-1. This question allows interviewers to gauge a candidate's communication abilities and their level of job experience handling non-emergency calls.

A candidate's answer should emphasize:

• Personableness and professionalism
• Excellent verbal communication
• Understanding of non-emergencies vs. emergencies

Here is one example of a quality candidate answer: