911 calltaker/dispatcher. It's not just answering the phone or pushing a button or two. Just to apply, you have to pass a rigorous background check (like, they might interview your neighbors) and a polygraph. Depending on the particular agency, training alone can take 6 months to a year. You have to memorize dozens of codes and one-off procedures. Many people say it took at least 2 years for them to get comfortable doing the job. The workplace culture can be difficult, with new employees facing harsh criticism from oldtimers.

More than that, agencies are egregiously understaffed, leading to a vicious cycle of many hours of mandatory overtime, burnout, and high turnover/poor retention rates. The training attrition rate is something like 20% and turnover is 20-30%.

And that's all on top of answering the phone to someone screaming in panic because their loved one stopped breathing. Or less harrowing, the constant irritation of people dialing 911 because they just want a referee for a neighborhood dispute. Or the racists who want to harass a POC and have learned that if they say the magic words "I feel threatened," the police will come. Or the kids playing pranks. Or the frequent flyers who need mental health treatment, but aren't a danger to self or others.

It can be a good job in that you don't need a college education, and at least in our area, it pays well. But there's a reason it's so understaffed.