Communication Operator III - Academy
Listed on 2026-08-31
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Customer Service/HelpDesk
Call Center / Support, Emergency Crisis Mgmt / Disaster Relief, Bilingual, HelpDesk/Support
Location: Sarasota
NEXT ACADEMY STARTS January 18th, 2026
Newly hired applicants who submitted their application by September 30, 2026, will be eligible to receive a $2,000 hiring bonus. Those eligible will receive $1,000 after successful completion of the field training program and $1,000 following one year of employment.
Answer emergency and non-emergency telephones. Operators must listen accurately and record the information provided by citizens, police, fire, and medical personnel and be able to accurately relay this information to the appropriate person often called upon to make decisions quickly, accurately, and effectively. When a call is taken, the first concern is that of the caller. Each situation must be analyzed and evaluated individually, always keeping in mind the importance of the information imparted and treating each caller impartially and fairly.
Call takers must be self-motivated and work well as a part of a team. To be successful you must be able to perform multiple tasks, at times under stressful conditions.
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, including the initiative to do more than just what is required when a usual procedure does not provide a solution to a problem.
. The communications operator is the only link between the responder and help and is often the only link between the citizen and help. The communications operator is the department's representative most often contacted by the public.
:
All sections of the emergency operations bureau are essentially business offices and must be operated in a businesslike manner. Like any other business that deals with the public, all employees are expected to be courteous.
: A communications operator must learn to think like a field unit and anticipate the type of information they will require for effective handling of their duties.
- High School Diploma
- At least 18 years of age
- Associate's Degree or equivalent OR must successfully complete the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test.
- As a condition of continued employment, the 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator Training Program must be completed, and the Florida Certification exam must be passed within 11 ½ months of appointment to the position. Training:
Communications Operator III (Call Taker) training will begin with a 6-week classroom style academy to include 1 week of EMD/EFD certification training and 16 weeks of field training. Operators will work 8-hour shifts during the agency paid training academy, and upon completion move to 12-hr shifts.
Certifications:
During the first year of employment Operators will receive certifications in the following:- 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunicator Florida Certification
- Emergency Medical Dispatch Certification (EMD)
- Emergency Fire Dispatch Certification (EFD)
- CPR Certification
- Note:
8-hour shifts/40-hr work week during the 6-week paid training academy.
PG 02
Annual
Work Hours:
2184
Long-Term Salary Cap: $89,781
Shift Work – The Emergency Operations Bureau (EOB) operates 24 hours per day/7 days per week. Shifts assignments include weekends, holidays, on call, hurricanes, evacuations, or other state of emergencies. Shifts are not rotating; you must be flexible and able to work 12-hour shifts including day shift ) or night shift ). There is no guarantee of shift assignment, it is based on the need once you graduate from the academy.
You will be able to bid for a desired shift assignment every 6 months, based on seniority.
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