Recruitment: Emergency Medical Dispatchers

The first few minutes of an emergency are critical.  Early help can save lives.

The purpose of the Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) role is to receive emergency calls, provide essential pre-arrival advice, dispatch Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) resources and coordinate patient transport movements for the Queensland community.

Being an EMD can be a tough job and the mission-critical nature of the work means that at times the role can be stressful. The role requires attention to detail in a technical environment and the ability to multitask under pressure. These skills are vital to maintaining the welfare of the community and as such, the EMD role is a highly valued profession.

It is important to note that there are two different aspects to the EMD role:

1. Call Taker: Answering Triple Zero (000) calls and recording details of the emergency whilst speaking with potentially highly emotive callers.
2. Dispatcher: Prioritising and allocating finite QAS resources.

Both roles require similar skills and experience, however the areas of demand for each role can be quite different.

Successful applicants should have the ability to:

• communicate effectively in extreme situations with empathy, calmness and leadership
• type 40 words per minute with 95 per cent accuracy
• work a set shift work roster that involves working 12-hour day and night shifts, public holidays and weekends.

Although call centre/emergency services and/or community services experience is preferred, it is not essential to perform the role as on the job training is provided.

Recruitment update

The QAS recruits periodically for EMDs in various locations across the state. To ensure you are kept up to date, you can submit an online Expression of Interest (EOI) to be considered for future recruitment activities.

Please view the Applicant Information Kit and Role Description for information relating to the recruitment process and the EMD role.

Contact the QAS Recruitment Team

To contact the QAS Recruitment Team, please email QAS.Recruitment@ambulance.qld.gov.au

Privacy Statement

We collect your personal information (e.g. email address details) to address your matter and will only disclose it to third parties if authorised by law or with your consent. To find out further information, please refer to our privacy statement.