Public Safety Dispatcher

Position Title & Department: Public Safety Dispatcher;
Public Safety

Posting #: 5651

Position Status: Full-time regular

Location: San Diego

Position Type: Staff, Public Safety

The dispatcher is generally the first point of contact for the campus community, faculty, staff, students, guests, and visitors needing information or assistance from Public Safety. The dispatcher is responsible for maintaining effective and efficient communications between public safety officers, kiosk officers, outside emergency and law enforcement agencies, the university community, and visiting public. They answer and dispatch public safety officers to emergency and non-emergency calls for service and perform various technical tasks operating advanced alarm computer, video surveillance, and mobile radio systems.

They use a computer-aided dispatch system (CAD) to input, retrieve, and generate reports, demonstrating good judgment, discretion, prioritization, and decision-making under pressure.

• Answer and screen incoming emergency and non-emergency public safety calls for service, dispatch calls for service, critical incidents, and emergency calls; coordinate calls for outside emergency and law enforcement agency assistance.
• Use judgment and discretion to set priorities, assess the importance of information, and react quickly and effectively, following established protocols and procedures.
• Contact on-call counselors, CARE advocates, medical providers, facilities department, university administrators, and allied agencies following established procedures; assist officers with field support when needed.
• Maintain radio contact with public safety personnel, keep supervisors and officers informed, and monitor campus alarm and video systems and surrounding community radio frequencies for relevant activity.
• Utilize alarms, cameras, university records, door access, and parking computer systems to retrieve data in CAD following established procedures.
• Monitor and review live and recorded camera system for safety and security concerns, including high-risk areas, restricted access areas, response to alarms or suspicious behaviors, and special events; conduct follow-up and investigative review of cameras and door access systems related to open cases upon officer request.
• Coordinate with Residential Life staff on calls for service regarding student conduct and wellness, ensuring students have access to support and campus resources.
• Assist with remote unlocks and lock-ups in the door access system following established procedures to ensure safety and security of the campus community and property.
• Assist the campus community or visitors at the walk-up window with requests for service and general information.
• Activate mass emergency notification, campus lockdown, or evacuation when directed or required by SOP; act as liaison between Emergency Operation Center and Dispatch when posted at the Incident Command Center.
• Process, respond to, and document records requests for outside agencies performing background checks on former USD staff and students.
• Process lost and found items turned into Public Safety by receiving, documenting, and entering the item information into a computer database and responding to inquiries about lost and found items.

Must be able to work flexible hours including all rotating shift assignments, nights, weekends, and holidays; available for on-call assignments and overtime as needed.

Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.