How to become a 911 dispatcher in Indiana
In Indiana, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Indiana Statewide 911 Board sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the Indianapolis Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency (MESA), Division of Emergency Communications - 911 Center, new hires start at $54,080 a year. You must be at least 18.
Pay at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency (MESA), Division of Emergency Communications - 911 Center
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency (MESA), Division of Emergency Communications - 911 Center, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $54,080 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
| Scale effective | 2025-07-31 |
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Pay for this work across Indiana
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Indiana, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 2,150 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $38,730 |
| Median pay | $49,050 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $63,660 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- State minimum (SB 158, 2022; Statewide 911 Board guidance): each 911 center must run a basic training program, and new hires must complete it within one year of hire
- Required training: 40-hour basic telecommunicator course; NIMS IS-100, IS-200 and IS-700; IDACS and NCIC course; telephone CPR (T-CPR) if not EMD certified; EMD, law and fire protocols for telecommunicators who use them (applies to full- and part-time telecommunicators)
- Continuing education: 24 hours each calendar year (since January 1, 2024; recertifications count)
- Indianapolis MESA posting: age 18+, full-scope background investigation incl. psychological and physical exams; no felony and most misdemeanors involving moral turpitude disqualify; EMD, APCO PST1 or equivalent and CPR certification within 1 year of hire; must pass CritiCall assessment
Source:[in911.net]
Hiring process
- Online application
- CritiCall assessment test
- Full-scope background investigation
- Psychological and physical examinations
- MESA communications training program with EMD, APCO PST1 (or equivalent) and CPR certification within 1 year
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Required training
40 hours minimum. 40-hour basic telecommunicator course (e.g. NENA Core Competencies, APCO PST1, PowerPhone, Priority Dispatch, or a documented in-house course) as part of a basic training program completed within one year of hire; Indiana is home rule so each PSAP builds its own program. The Statewide 911 Board funds approved courses.[in911.net]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS), Public Employees' Retirement Fund (PERF) Hybrid
- Benefit formula: 1.1% × final high-five average salary × years of creditable service (lifetime pension), plus a separate member defined-contribution account
- When you can retire: Unreduced at age 65 with 10+ years, age 60 with 15+ years, or age 55+ under the Rule of 85; vesting at 10 years
INPRS materials describe the high-five average both as the 5 highest yearly salaries (member handbook) and as the average of the highest 20 quarters in groups of 4 consecutive quarters (PERF Hybrid at a glance, 7/1/2025).
Source:[in.gov]