r/911dispatchers

I have been in the application process since April for City of Los Angeles. I received a conditional offer last week.

One of the last pages of the documents they sent me to complete was the training schedule. For one year, every month, I would change between the valley and Downtown location. I live 15 minutes from the valley center.

The absolute deal breaker was that every month the shift was going to change. Nobody ever mentioned anything about this until now. In the interview all they asked about was I ok with working overtime, weekends and holidays. No problem because I’ve done it for 20 years already.

Now I come to find out that every single month I would be changing shifts? That seems absolutely ridiculous. As soon as you got used to the schedule, it’s going to change again? That is going to wreak havoc on your body, your mind, and definitely your ability to deal with stressful situations. All while you’re supposed to be learning a new job? My dad worked warehouse jobs his whole life, a lot of it overnights, and he never heard of such an insane change. His union makes it 3 months before you can be switched to other shift for health of worker.

Oh and then let’s include the travel and traffic time to downtown - if I’m on the 4:30pm shift that means leaving home at 2:30 to be safe. And what if I just came off the shift where I got off at 6:30am? I’ve got 8 hours before I have to leave AGAIN for a new shift?

Clearly they are saying they only want young, childless, unmarried people for this position. Who else could accommodate that insane training schedule? Now I understand why it’s so hard to find people. And I can’t believe they kept this hidden until this far in the process.

Good luck to you youngsters out there getting these jobs.

Redited to avoid confusion, read from top to bottom.Link for external(general public)hires is at the bottom.

Shift Supervisor of Security Communication Center, O15

Chicago Department of Aviation

Safety and Security Division

O’Hare and Midway Internation Airports

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $75,192.00

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on October 20, 2026.

This position is open to current city employees covered under the terms of the City’s collective bargaining agreement with THE TEAMSTERS Local 700 (BARGAINING UNIT #08). Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid on this position.

BID INSTRUCTIONS: Apply on the bid site: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/103/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en AND

1. Check the box on your profile titled “Currently employed by the City of Chicago”
2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled ‘payee/employee number’)
3. Select your correct bargaining unit

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION

Under general supervision, supervises staff and work operations at a municipal airport’s security communications center during an assigned shift, monitoring airport communications relating to security and public safety activities and overseeing Aviation Communications Operators engaged in receiving calls and dispatching requests for police, security/access control, fire suppression and emergency medical services; and performs related duties as required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

· Supervise Fire, Police, Aviation Security and Access Control Dispatch Operations.

· Conduct Disciplinary Actions.

· Supervise union employees, make notifications to city agencies and airport stakeholders.

· Monitors’ calls received and dispatched by Aviation Communications Officer for quality assurance and adherence to established protocols, using a designated supervisory computer aided dispatch console to listen to and assess responses of staff.

· Makes daily work assignments and ensures proper staffing of center consoles, including security, access control, police, and fire stations computer aided dispatch console.

· Updates and briefs staff at start of shift on previous shift’s reported incidents, upcoming airport activities and other information with potential impact on communication center’s call taking, monitoring and dispatching operations.

· Initiates page notifications to inform designated management personnel including key department heads, city officials, airline representatives and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials of emergency situations or hazardous weather conditions affecting airport facilities airside and landside operations.

· Monitors center’s communications activities and ensures staff follow established protocols in prioritizing the dispatching of public safety resources in response to emergency response incidents, and requests for police, fire and security services.

· Responds to emergency situations or escalated calls for public safety services, following established protocols and directing staff to ensure a coordinated response from police, fire, and security responders.

· Notifies contractors and vendors of reported equipment malfunctions at security and access control checkpoints throughout airport facilities.

· Prepared daily work report to document shift’s work activities.

· Addresses and documents performance problems and initiate disciplinary actions as required.

· Notifies supervisor of emergency situations, escalated police, fire or security incidents and other incidents requiring an emergency management response.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Location: O’Hare and Midway Communications Center

Days: Various

Hours: Various [0500-1300 hours, 1300-2100 hours, 2100-0500]

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALFICATIONS: High School Diploma or equivalent certificate (GED), plus four years of work experience in dispatching security or emergency services calls to public safety or security personnel.

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

· Must obtain Emergency Medical Dispatch certification from the State of Illinois within six months of hire.

· Must obtain Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS) certification from the State of Illinois within six months of hire.

· Successful candidates must pass a drug screen and a background investigation.

· People who are offered employment must pass all pre-employment exams prior to appointment.

NOTE: The candidates selected for hire must pass an airport background check and a Security Threat

Assessment.

NOTE: A valid State of Illinois driver’s license is required.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS: This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. The Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference for applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Job Posting: Oct 5, 2026, 12:00:00 AM | Closing Date (Period for Applying) - External: Oct 20, 2026, 11:59:00 PM

Salary: $75,192.00 Pay Basis:Yearly

https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en

I need someone to create a 911 dispatcher Playlist so I can see what you guys like to listen too. Can be when you're on shift and bored or what you listen to on the way to work. I need more music options.

For context: I work for a campus public safety department and we're short on dispatchers. I volunteered to help and I start dispatcher training soon. I'm normally out on a beat so doing this is a first for me and I'm curious if there's any advice/tips from current dispatchers that could help prep me for this process. Any and all advice welcome thanks!

Not sure how many of you have run into this yet but there's an app called Havn911 getting pushed around in some of the dispatcher groups. It's pitched as a wellness/support app for us. Shift check-ins, training videos, crisis line links, a journal, a community feed, and an AI chatbot called Hiro.

I've been dispatching for 16 years and I'll be honest, this one rubs me the wrong way. I'm all for anyone paying attention to dispatcher mental health, we sure don't get enough of it. But I downloaded it and poked around and I've got some issues.

The only things you can use for free are the Academy (short training videos and articles) and Reset (some quick breathing/mindfulness exercises). Everything else is behind a paywall at $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. That includes the community, the journal, Hiro, the shift check-ins, and even the crisis support lines, which the App Store listing says are "always free."

So the big "you're not alone" part of the app costs money. And a chunk of that is an AI. The website pitches Hiro as being there for when your thoughts are so dark you can't tell another person, but the App Store listing says it's not a therapist, counselor, or peer supporter. From what I've seen in the conversations I tried, it's pretty limited and doesn't give much real guidance. If someone's in a bad spot after a call, I don't think a chatbot is the answer, and I really don't think they should have to pay for it.

The community part bugs me too. There's no verification at all, you just sign up with an email or Apple/Google account. If people are going to talk about hard calls and how they're doing mentally, I'd want to know the people reading it actually work a console. There are already free places that verify, like the 911 dispatcher Discord, plus all the Facebook groups and this sub.

Even the journal is paywalled, which is kind of wild to me. Every phone already has a notes app.

I think whoever built this probably means well. It just feels more like a business model than something built to help dispatchers.

Curious what everyone else thinks though. Has anyone actually used it and gotten something out of it? Does verification matter to you in these communities? Am I being too harsh? Open to hearing the other side.

I've been at my agency for a year and a half. I enjoyed the job but now I'm so burnt out that I'm making mistakes. I'm so stressed out all the time.

I know this job isn't for everyone. But it's frustrating because I enjoyed it and now I don't. I enjoy some aspects. Ironically I like dispatching the most despite starting because I wanted to be a calltaker the most. But it takes so much out of me.

I'm looking for a new job but I have to stay until I find something new because money you know? I make the most out of everyone in my household as one roommate is laid off and looking for employment. I also want to stay with the city I'm in because of benefits.

I'm just ranting because I fucked up again today at work and I'm waiting to get called in to the office. Thanks for reading.

Edit: It sucks that so many people are in the same boat as me. This industry takes a lot out of you. My DMs are always open for anyone who is struggling. I can't always offer advice but I'm good at listening and I'm also reallllly good at getting mad on your behalf lol. I'll fight someone if I have to. Thanks to everyone who commented and made me feel not alone.

I wanted to see how other agencies are. Because mine is so toxic! We’re split up into call takers and dispatchers. Where you start as a call taker and work your way up. I’ve been here 2 years and because I’m just a call taker we’re treated like garbage. The more senior people get away with literally everything and can do whatever they want. Not to mention my agency we answer emergency, non emergency, alarm, animal services, and all the local PD in the county (like 4 agencies). It’s so exhausting having to be on the phones.