As far as keyboard types, that's going to depend on budgets. However, being a typing intensive career, I imagine ergonomic keyboards are available in most dispatch centers.

40-70wpm is common and quite well. Accuracy helps. If you want an idea of how many (not necessarily all) dispatch centers enter their info, take a look at the CAD logs from CHP.

cad.chp.ca.gov/

Choose an area, click on an incident. Notice the widespread use of acronyms and abbreviations for just about everything.

Here's a sample of a non-injury accident...

Incident: 1911 Type: Traffic Collision - Property Damage Location: EB I80 JEO TRAVIS BLVD Zoom Map: 472 5D info as of: 3/24/2008 11:19:09 PM
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
10:00PM 22-122 TK ON RHS , EB JEO WATERMAN
10:00PM 1039 3A C# 35721 ROADRUNNER TOW
9:59PM 122 CHECKING FURTHER FOR ANY VEH THAT MAY HAVE HIT THE DIRT BIKE
9:57PM TOW CAN ACCESS FRM TRAVIS ONR
9:57PM 1039 ADCO TOW 1022 1 1185 , ONLY NEED 1 FRM THEM
9:56PM PLS ROLL 3A FOR CHEV VAN
9:40PM 1039 ADCO 2 TRUCK FOR MINI VAN AND DIRT BIKE
9:38PM MC ON RHS
9:35PM WAS IN RT LN / WHEN RP HIT IT WENT TO #1
9:34PM MC NOW #1 / CD
9:34PM MAR CHEV VENTURE VN RHS
9:34PM PER ANOTHER VEH TC D INTO 1124 MC
9:30PM PER ANOTHER CALLER EB JWO AIR BASE MC LAYING LN 3,4 APPEARS 1124
9:29PM MC IS NOW IN #1 LN
9:29PM RT LN - CHEV VENTURE VN MAR
RESPONDING OFFICERS STATUS
10:01PM CHP Unit On Scene

-g-