Wanted: FDNY Dispatchers

[ten13]

Did you read them...If you have a High school diploma and are a Dispatcher for Fire/Ems/PD 2 years your in...lots of OR in the list not AND

...."AND" you have to live in the five boroughs of NYC. Where does one get 2 years of Fire, etc dispatcher experience living in NYC and NOT work for the city already?

Even if you work for a private ambulance company in NY or NJ, they want the "certifications."

And who is going to be able to afford to move into NYC within 90 days on the salary being paid?

So we're right back where we started: lots of qualifications for an underpaid job.

Considering that FDNY dispatchers are HIGHLY supervised, and are part of a "team" of dispatchers working together, there's little need for all those qualifications. Small town dispatchers and private ambulance companies tend to have only one dispatcher on duty at any one time so, perhaps, the qualifications are needed. And the small town dispatchers tend to handle all types of calls, from PD to EMS. But not for the FDNY. And since they are having formal training classes for the new recruits, the FD could theoretically issue the certifications themselves, perhaps over a period of time.

As I've said, the NYPD 911 dispatchers need only be able to type and breath to get the job (with an emphasis on typing), and their incoming calls are a LOT more critical than Fire's.

I would surmise that anyone who THINKS they qualify will be hired, since the manpower situation is critical.

In any event, I think the filing for the job is closed, according to that original link:

This job posting is no longer available on NYC Careers.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

I got the call! I go in on the 17th for processing and then the 22nd for the academy ! I’ll fill you fellas in on an update soon

Congratulations, and good luck with academy a week from tomorrow.

Take note of what ten-13 says and how he says it and do the complete opposite, he has a lot to say without a point of reference.

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

Thank you Paul, i appreciate the response and yeah its 8 weeks of training and all the way in the bronx so im excited the only thing we was told that our uniforms wont be handed to us till the end of training, anyways i will continue to update you guys, this week on the 17th is administrative processing and then next week(the week after) on the 22nd i go in at 6 am to officially start this class, ill fillyou fellas in on more things

 

[PaulNDaOC]

When I was hired at LA Sheriff we were not issued uniform vouchers until we got off training too. With a 2/3 washout rate I can understand the department not wanting a bunch of police uniforms in the hands of trainees who sometimes ended up being borderline nutz. LOL,

In my academy class they hired a relative of one of the dispatchers, which hindsight tells me means squat, who ended up having a bunch of tickets go to warrant in the time period between her background being completed and before graduating class. I wouldn't want that one to have police uniforms.

I will assume by your screen name that you are a Brooklyn resident so commuting to class in the Bronx is assume could be an issue, especially if you are using transit.

I was curious if you already knew what center you were going to, and if not when you would find out?

I have to differ with an earlier comment about FDNY being highly supervised, thus all the certs are unnecessary. There are going to be times that when it hits the fan in ways that are unpredictable, and you will need to fill roles immediately. ICS is huge, and dispatchers need to be able to go to the field in a mobile command post or communicate at dispatch with the I.C. and knowing its protocols is important since the whole country uses theICS system.

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

When I was hired at LA Sheriff we were not issued uniform vouchers until we got off training too. With a 2/3 washout rate I can understand the department not wanting a bunch of police uniforms in the hands of trainees who sometimes ended up being borderline nutz. LOL,

In my academy class they hired a relative of one of the dispatchers, which hindsight tells me means squat, who ended up having a bunch of tickets go to warrant in the time period between her background being completed and before graduating class. I wouldn't want that one to have police uniforms.

I will assume by your screen name that you are a Brooklyn resident so commuting to class in the Bronx is assume could be an issue, especially if you are using transit.

I was curious if you already knew what center you were going to, and if not when you would find out?

I have to differ with an earlier comment about FDNY being highly supervised, thus all the certs are unnecessary. There are going to be times that when it hits the fan in ways that are unpredictable, and you will need to fill roles immediately. ICS is huge, and dispatchers need to be able to go to the field in a mobile command post or communicate at dispatch with the I.C. and knowing its protocols is important since the whole country uses theICS system.

Lmaoo I understand why they don’t wanna give us the uniforms till we passed training, it makes sense my thing is what the hell are we gonna wear while in training ? Pants and a shirt with a tie and a belt and black shoes lol that’s gunna be a little uncomfortable but whatever it is I’ll deal with it no biggie, Yeah I was born and raised in Brooklyn for 25 years hence why I picked the name and I mean it’s gunna be a pain in the *** to get to the Bronx but it’s part of fhe job and beggars can’t be choosers lol I come from
A family of cops so I’m fhe first who didn’t want to join PD, I hope I’ll like dispatch if not I’ll juat switch over to emt where I have a list number and do my time and get promoted to fire fighter.
I don’t find out where I’ll be stationed at till training is over and after ceremony, it’s eirher Bronx or Brooklyn fdny HQ.
I don’t want the Bronx but oh well let’s see.
Tomrorow is Administrative day where we go do payroll and get our ID’s

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

The academy so far isn’t bad, it’s 10 weeks of training, being last day is December 28 and we have to work New Years and won’t get a graduation ceremony and we get uniforms 2 days before we get our assignments to work, so far it’s been a lot of readings, they give you department issued tablets to use a drop box like program where instructors update with textbooks and materials needed to learn the dispatch system, also it’s not one person doing the dispatching there are several who are on your team what we call a ARD who picks up the phone calls and has to read a script of 7 lines and get as much info within 39 seconds and send it to the DD (decision Disparcher) to make a decision of how serious the call was and if we should send one engine and ladder and then once that decision is made it’s sent to the voice alarm dispatcher who sends the codes and alarms to the fire house. There’s more but lol this is all I can say for now, the system that fdny uses for sending commands and dispatching is abit tough but I got this, our tours 3-11 pm and since we had a class of 25 half was split and sent to Bronx and Queens and I got stuck with queens lol woodhaven anyways. I promise I would fill you guys in and I did, also we didn’t get ID’s yet lol welcome to FDNY where each unit has a problem with HR.

 

[FdnyemsTlccop]

Next Academy

I have an interview with fdny on November 8th anyone know when the next academy is starting

 

[ten13]

Rumor Update:

It seems that the hiring for Fire Dispatchers has hit a bump.

From what I understand, there are two parts of the FD bureaucracy doing the hiring: "Recruitment" and those from Communications and "Suppression" part of the job.

It seems that Recruitment, who goes through the resumes, are taking only those with a college education (for the most part) and sending those applications to the Communications people to interview them. They have apparently disregarded those with public service experience (dispatcher or otherwise), preferring the "highly educated."

What the Communications people are finding out is that these "college kids" have no idea what the FD Dispatcher's job is all about. During the interview, the college kids are appalled to find out that the FD Dispatchers...aghast!....requires one to work NIGHTS and...even worst!....show up during a major snow storm or civil disorder! When they find that out, a large number of them declined the job at that point, literally getting up and walking out.

With that, the 90 bodies that they were required to get, was whittled down to less than 40. The Recruitment section was instructed to send more public service-oriented people for the interviews over to Communications or else nothing worthwhile will be accomplished.

I'm getting this info from a "usually reliable source" within the FD, so others may have another point or two about all this, one way or the other.

 

[APX8000]

We used to start our dispatchers off training on midnights for the first two weeks. One because it was slower and you could get them well versed on policies and procedures, different systems (CAD,
RMS, 911 PSAP, etc) but second and most important, because more than 50% would realize that working nights is not easy. If they made it after that, then they went to 4-12 (the busy shift) and we watched them try to handle phones, multiple channels, enter things in the various computers, basically all the multitasking. That usually washed out another 10-15% that just couldn’t handle the stress. And if they got cocky, we would purposely “forgot” to schedule a midnight dispatcher...treat them to a double 4-12, 12-8 because they need to know what it’s like to have your relief bang out sick and you get stuck working another 8, on the overnight after just doing 8, and then have to come back in 8 hours after working 16 straight and getting a little sleep after dealing with the kids, school, etc. after you got off. That’s the reality of the job and it’s not for everyone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ten13]

Actually, that's a good way of doing it: essentially throwing the new recruit right into the "water" and see if they can "swim."

Unless you have a public service background (or, at least, an interest in it), those midnights can be a killer. But if you do have a public service background, you're in a mindset knowing that's part of the job and it is what it is.

Probably why NYC doesn't do it that way is because the INSTRUCTORS want no part of those midnights!

I would hope those recently hired will keep us up to date with their progress. Good Luck!

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

Rumor Update:

It seems that the hiring for Fire Dispatchers has hit a bump.

From what I understand, there are two parts of the FD bureaucracy doing the hiring: "Recruitment" and those from Communications and "Suppression" part of the job.

It seems that Recruitment, who goes through the resumes, are taking only those with a college education (for the most part) and sending those applications to the Communications people to interview them. They have apparently disregarded those with public service experience (dispatcher or otherwise), preferring the "highly educated."

What the Communications people are finding out is that these "college kids" have no idea what the FD Dispatcher's job is all about. During the interview, the college kids are appalled to find out that the FD Dispatchers...aghast!....requires one to work NIGHTS and...even worst!....show up during a major snow storm or civil disorder! When they find that out, a large number of them declined the job at that point, literally getting up and walking out.

With that, the 90 bodies that they were required to get, was whittled down to less than 40. The Recruitment section was instructed to send more public service-oriented people for the interviews over to Communications or else nothing worthwhile will be accomplished.

I'm getting this info from a "usually reliable source" within the FD, so others may have another point or two about all this, one way or the other.

Lol well I have to disagree with your statement about college kids, a lot of us are willing to work the 7 to 7 2 day tours and 2 night tours, money is money; what makes this job good also is 4 days on and 4 days off and the third of every month is 5 days off, also majority of the people in my class are from nypd dispatching or straight out of college or one or two correction officers and ems guys, and no the reason why there is a college experience now it’s they need more people for fhe job and they only got 164 people, only 3-5 people left cause they couldn’t handle the job or because of the fact that it’s personal issues, yes we had over 190 plus people who applied for the provisional position for FAD, they will hire another 75 more for feburary as my instructors told me, only 15 people failed the background check, the dispatchers on the platform got names for guys who listen in on the radios and act like they know everything about fdny and the job, they call them buffs, not that I am referring to anyone on here but that’s what I was told so I am relaying the info, but all in all not too bad ten somethings you wrote are on point but also recruitment doesn’t do the hiring of this, it’s FDNY HR who selects the people and does the first panel interviews and then once selected medical and background check I will say I am training in queens and we do get tested in PSAC 2 for fhe ARD positions, the job ain’t simple and learning Star fire ain’t simple either but it’s a good job and you gotta learn as much as you can. We got 9 weeks of training left.

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

One of my instructors started the college experience to look for more people, they didn’t hire the right quality of people so they are trying the college experience out to get more guys on and the field is expanding as more things open up in communications, also to the guy asking when another academy class will go in, it’s feburary from what they told my class, there’s Gunna be 75 people, also learn as much as you can about this job. They will give you the tablets and radio headset but you gotta learn and retain info

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

Tomrorow we go out and have to be on the radios for 8 hours, every borough has its issues but manhattan there is so many class 3 alarms, also the reason why fdny closed there dispatching offices is because Bloomberg wanted to combine everything into one hence why there is PSAC 1 which is for Brooklyn and Staten Island coverage and PSAC 2 for fhe rest of the other boroughs, they use the offices in queens and Bronx the old offices for training. We learned a lot in a week and a half, vesta and fhe code alarms and structural and non structural codes, honestly if all else fails and I wanna move to another unit thank god I took the ems trainee test and so if case comes to worse I’m not feeling this job in a year I can move over to ems but that’s just a backup plan, I love dispatching so far even though I have no prior experience, it’s all just learning a new language and lingo

 

[ten13]

The point is, the FD DOES NOT WANT "college only" people; they bring nothing worthwhile to the table, including a lack of life experience, tend to be less mature than those who have worked in public service, and have no sense of urgency to the job. They also tend to be the easily disenchanted with their work and work environment, and leave within only a few years.

Saying that a "job is a job" proves my point.

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

The point is, the FD DOES NOT WANT "college only" people; they bring nothing worthwhile to the table, including a lack of life experience, tend to be less mature than those who have worked in public service, and have no sense of urgency to the job. They also tend to be the easily disenchanted with their work and work environment, and leave within only a few years.

Saying that a "job is a job" proves my point.

Lol ok dude, majority of the guys on this job never intended to be a dispatcher they Wanted fire but couldn’t get on either and ended up sticking to being a dispatcher and ok tell it to recruitment and supervisors who now for every entry level position in the fire department wants some college experience which now makes up majority of the fdny work force and it works why do you think communications just changed the reqs to 60 college credits instead of sticking to experience only.... ok then proves my point lol number two why are you generalizing all college people ? We’re able to learn just as much as any one with experience, you don’t know me, but yet you act like you know everyone right ? Suppose to be a discussion and learning experience but you wanna debate about experience and college, Shows real maturity buddy.
Anyone else got any questions feel free to inbox me. Not gunna bother posting on this dudes thread if he’s Gunna try to be a know it all.

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

If you got a problem with the hiring done by fd then take it out on them but don’t blame it on college people, we just applied and they picked, plus everyone that’s on these classes with me have some kind of experience or they don’t and everyone is having some issues learning the system, apply and come
Onto this job yourself ten instead of trying to debate some nonsense bs

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

That’s why the communications department has a shortage right with trying to find those with experience right before adding the 60 credit requirement right ? Ok

 

[Brooklynsfinest93]

Humbleness and respect comes along way bud, for all walks of life and keyboard or not in person you wouldn’t talk like that to the people on the platform of the dispatching, scroll back to page 3 of your thread and you can see Paul told you the same thing that I am saying now don’t act like a know it all when you got someone who just got on the job telling you what’s up and the hiring process Instead of listening to hearsay. Do me a solid don’t argue or debate with anyone on these forums, it’s suppose to be a learning experience not I know this better then you.

 

[Danny37]

Is the applying period still open for February? If so, how might one apply? Don't see anything on their website.

 

[PaulNDaOC]

The point is, the FD DOES NOT WANT "college only" people; they bring nothing worthwhile to the table, including a lack of life experience, tend to be less mature than those who have worked in public service, and have no sense of urgency to the job. They also tend to be the easily disenchanted with their work and work environment, and leave within only a few years.

Saying that a "job is a job" proves my point.

Whatever FDNY has found through the years makes the best candidate that will be most successful to get off training will be the type of candidate sought in the future. It's as simple as that.