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911 Dispatcher
Sheriff’s 911 Communications Officer Duties
A 911 dispatcher takes calls and sends help and must be able to:
- Follow oral and written directions quickly and accurately
- Maintain a controlled and competent manner while working in a stressful environment
- Operate radio, telephone, call director, and telecommunications device for the deaf equipment
- Read and interpret maps
- Receive emergency calls, transmit information, and coordinate agencies
- Use the proper codes, techniques, and procedures in dispatching emergency units
- Work professionally with other agencies and the public
For more information visit the job description and benefits page.
Minimum Requirements for a Dispatcher
- 18 years of age at the time of application
- Eligible to work in the U.S.
- Oral and written communications skills
- U.S. high school diploma or G.E.D, or equivalent
Disqualifiers
- Conviction of misdemeanor domestic violence
- Currently on probation
- DUI violations within the last 3 years
- Felony convictions
- Lying or withholding any information
Getting Started as a Dispatcher
Public safety dispatching is a challenging job. We are looking for professionals to fill these positions.
Register & Apply
- Start by registering at Sheriff’s Job Gateway and creating an account.
- Submit your resumé for the Dispatch 911 Communications Officer I position and complete our online pre-screen questionnaire.
- If you’re a qualified applicant, you will be emailed a link within the first week of the following month, following the month of your application, to take our online 10-minute data entry test
- If you’re successful on the data entry test, you’ll receive an email within 1 week to take the CritiCall test.
Interview & Background
- If successful on the CritiCall exam, you will be scheduled for an in-person panel interview.
- About two weeks after your oral panel interview, we send you to a 2-hour background orientation program where you’ll be given access to complete your background packet online. It’s a detailed history of your life. We will conduct an extensive background check based on your statements.
- After you return your background packet we assign a background investigator to you.
Investigations | Re-Apply After Time |
---|---|
Pre-Interview Questionnaire | 6 Months |
Oral Interview/Background Orientation | 6 Months |
Background Investigation | 1 Year |
The Home Stretch
- We take Livescan fingerprints of you.
- You take a polygraph examination.
- You take a psychological examination.
- You take a medical examination including drug and alcohol screening.
Dispatcher Training
After you are hired you begin a 32-week intensive, hands-on training program: 12 weeks of classroom training including a 3-week P.O.S.T. Certified Basic Dispatch Academy followed by 20 weeks of on-the-job training.
Communication Skills
Two different communications skills are taught during the training:
- Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) focuses on call-taking and interviewing techniques, as well as all phone, Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD) and records systems.
- Radio teaches the basics of dispatching calls for service as well as how to deal with critical incidents on the radio and the workings of the radio system.
Prepared
The training prepares you to:
- Operate a variety of communications equipment including radio systems, enhanced 9-1-1, various telephone systems, telecommunications device for the deaf, recording equipment, and computer systems.
- Obtain essential information to determine priority, locale and the appropriate emergency units to be dispatched.
- Determine jurisdiction, notifying or transferring calls to other agencies as needed.
- Transmit information and orders, and receive messages, typing all radio transmissions received.
- Make inquiries to obtain information required by deputies in the field.
- Read and interpret maps to locate emergency incidents.
Environmental Conditions
Sheriff’s 911 Communications Officers wear headsets to answer emergency and non-emergency calls and view computer displays for prolonged periods of time. Work is done in the following environments:
- Challenging
- Confined
- Fast-Paced
- Noisy
- Sedentary
After Training
Upon successful completion of the training, you are assigned to one of our communications centers to continue on-the-job training in a fast-paced, high-call-volume environment.