Sheriff's Dispatcher - and Limited Term

Do you have excellent communication skills and work well with a diverse group of people? The Sheriff's Office is seeking self‑motivated professionals to be dispatchers.

As a Dispatcher, you are responsible for monitoring, receiving, and dispatching routine and emergency radio communications to and from Sheriff’s patrol units and other law enforcement or public safety agencies. To effectively accomplish these tasks, you will be involved in securing and recording information as to the nature of a reported problem and identifying the exact location. You will operate a CLETS (California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System) computer terminal to obtain or verify information, maintain required logs of calls and incidents, prepare reports, provide information and assistance to the public, and determine the availability and location of patrol units to dispatch.

The County of San Luis Obispo’s Sheriff's Dispatch Center provides coverage to San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas including Morro Bay and Arroyo Grande.

The written examination component of this recruitment will be held on Monday, March 30, 2026.

• Monitor, receive, and dispatch routine and emergency radio communications.

• Secure and record information regarding the nature and exact location of reported problems.

• Operate CLETS computer terminal, maintain logs, prepare reports, and provide assistance to the public.

• Determine availability and location of patrol units for dispatch.

Education and Experience: Ability to type at a speed of 45 net words per minute. Graduation from high school or possession of a GED Certificate, and any combination of education, training, and experience that would provide required knowledge and abilities. Work experience receiving information and simultaneously performing data entry is desirable.

Licenses and Certificates: Must obtain Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Public Safety Dispatcher certification within one year from the date of appointment.

• Mandatory written exam scheduled on Monday, March 30, 2026, and a panel interview will be required as part of the exam process.
• Candidates who have completed the POST Dispatcher exam within 30 days prior to the exam date may be eligible to waive this element of the testing process with adequate documentation provided.
• Candidates must pass both the written exam and panel interview to be placed on the list of those eligible to move to the next step in the hiring process.
• Finalists will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process.

Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online by the final filing date. To apply for this position, click apply at the top of this page. Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process. An initial application review will be conducted. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews.

Final candidates will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process.

A new shift starts every January, May, and September. About six weeks before, shift pick is conducted where dispatchers, by seniority, select from days, cover or nights, and within those choose their days off and hours. Dispatchers work 12‑hour shifts and often are required to work overtime.

The probationary period is one year and comprised of approximately four to six months of one‑on‑one training with daily and weekly evaluations, and the remainder is OJT (On‑the‑Job Training). During this time the trainee is solely responsible for their duty station and will receive bi‑weekly evaluations.

• Thrives in a frequently negative environment; sees, hears and reads things that are sad, disgusting and disturbing; talks…