Public Safety Telecommunicators
Operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. Take information from the public and other sources regarding crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters. May coordinate and provide information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May access sensitive databases and other information sources as needed. May provide additional instructions to callers based on knowledge of and certification in law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical procedures.
102,500 people do this job in the US. $53,040 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 94%
- 0%
- 6%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 13%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 43%. Today's estimate: 47%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 18 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learn material and pass required tests for certification.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 38% | 1.7 work days3.3 h to 4.2 work days | 2%Half by Feb 2028 | |
| Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 21% | 50 min13 min to 3.3 h | 69%Half by now | |
| Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | 97%Half by now | |
| Operate and maintain mobile dispatch vehicles and equipment.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain files of information relating to emergency calls, such as personnel rosters and emergency call-out and pager files.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Monitor alarm systems to detect emergencies, such as fires and illegal entry into establishments.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min8 min to 3.3 h | 53%Half by now | |
| Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 2% | 4 min2 min to 8 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Answer routine inquiries, and refer calls not requiring dispatches to appropriate departments and agencies.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 2% | 4 min2 min to 10 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 2% | 7 min3 min to 17 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Test and adjust communication and alarm systems, and report malfunctions to maintenance units.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 1% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 1% | 4 min2 min to 17 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 1% | 3 min2 min to 8 min | 100%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance80% now, 94% by 2028
- Emergency Medical Technicians7% now, 60% by 2028
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service77% now, 77% by 2028
- Paramedics4% now, 38% by 2028
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers20% now, 37% by 2028
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers9% now, 9% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).