Police Dispatcher

Typical Qualifications Knowledge of

Geographic features and streets within the area served; standard radio broadcasting procedures and rules; correct English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar; modern office procedures, practices, and equipment.

Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; work under pressure, exercise good judgment, and make sound decisions in emergency situations; effectively communicate with and elicit information from upset and irate citizens; type accurately at a rate of 35 words per minute or faster; understand and follow oral and written instructions; learn to operate dispatch, Teletype and other office equipment;

establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; work various shifts as assigned.

Education & Experience:

Required:

Completion of the twelfth (12th) grade or equivalent, and two (2) years of general work experience involving frequent interactions with the public. Highly Desirable:
One (1) year of dispatch experience in a public safety (police and/or fire) or fast-paced setting; and/or one (1) year of experience operating communications equipment; and/or possession of a California P.O.S.T. Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Course certificate.

License or Certificate:
Possession of, or ability to, obtain a valid California driver license by time of hire. Possession of, or ability to obtain, completion of the California P.O.S.T. Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Course. Typing Certificate indicating a corrected typing speed of at least 35 wpm.

A qualified applicant must be able and willing to work rotating shifts, including weekends, and holidays.

To receive incoming calls for police and emergency assistance and dispatch necessary units; to perform a variety of general support duties related to dispatch activities including record keeping, typing, and filing; and to monitor Teletype communications. Under general supervision from higher level supervisory and management staff, Police Dispatcher duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Receive emergency calls from the public requesting police or other emergency service; determine nature and location of emergency, determine priority and dispatch emergency units as necessary and in accordance with established procedures; maintain contact with all units on assignment; maintain status and location of police field units; answer non-emergency calls for assistance; answer maintenance service emergencies on weekends and holidays;

coordinate emergency calls and relay information and assistance requests involving other law enforcement agencies; enter, update and retrieve information from Teletype networks relating to wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, stolen vehicles and other information; perform a variety of record keeping, filing, indexing and other general clerical work; maintain a variety of logs relating to public safety activities; test and inspect equipment as required;

type daily log of all field calls and units dispatched; perform related duties as assigned.