Fire District Dispatcher Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

Why join the Contra Costa County Communications Division?

The Communications Division operates the 911 system for nearly all fire, emergency, and medical calls county-wide and manages the dispatch of first responders to 141,000 fire and EMS incidents annually.

The Fire District Dispatcher is responsible for providing general information to the public, screening calls using established Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols, and dispatching fire apparatus staff to emergency situations.

The District is an "all-hazards" organization providing fire suppression, First Responder Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical services, 911 emergency ambulance transport services for over two-thirds of the county, technical rescue, marine firefighting, and water rescue.

Ranking among the larger California fire agencies, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is a well-equipped, full-service fire agency.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Able to multi-task and triage incoming calls and radio communications.
• A strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills who knows how to talk to people, elicit pertinent information, and remain calm in stressful situations.
• Committed to career-long learning, with the ability to receive constructive feedback and apply it in your future work.
• Adaptable to learning new technology and has excellent computer skills.
• Flexible, highly motivated, mature, and willing to work 24-hour shifts, weekends, and holidays.
• A team player who understands and embraces teamwork!

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Receiving routine and emergency calls for fire and medical services.
• Processing calls using Medical Protocol Dispatch Systems (MPDS).
• Providing pre-arrival instructions to callers (e.g., CPR, childbirth, choking).
• Transmitting messages by operating telecommunications and computer equipment.
• Maintaining an accurate record of the location and current status of emergency response field units.
• Maintaining radio contact with field units and enforcing proper channel control, with discipline and courtesy.
• Selecting emergency response field units in accordance with established user agency policies and procedures.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You’ll be part of an AMAZING team of dispatchers that take pride in their work.
• The 24-hour work schedule allows for more time with your family.
• We are a team of the “best of the best” dispatchers in Northern California.
• You’ll have the opportunity to respond to the field as part of our Incident Dispatch Team.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• Getting acclimated to the 24-hour Kelly schedule.
• Adjusting to a new or different way of dispatching fire and medical units.
• Learning a new CAD system, EMD protocols, and geographical area.