Police Communications Dispatcher

About the Position:
The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center provides a full array of public safety communications services for Police, Fire, and EMS on a 24-hour, 7-day basis. The Police Communications Dispatcher receives and transmits routine and 9-1-1 emergency telephone and radio calls, dispatches required personnel and/or equipment; performs responsible clerical work of moderate complexity; operates various dispatch center equipment including computer terminals; maintains equipment; and performs related work as required. 
 
Successful completion of the California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Course is required within 12 months of hire and is a condition of passing the probationary period.  The City of Emeryville Police Department will send employees to the course unless they are already in possession of the POST certification. 
 
The Ideal Candidate will Possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to:

• Answer 9-1-1 emergency and routine calls for service
• Dispatch appropriate personnel to location or incident scene
• Respond to needs of officers involved in law enforcement related activities
• Maintain composure during incident period and prioritize tasks according to importance
• Relay information to other agencies and coordinate mutual response radio traffic
• Operate a variety of equipment such as: Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, record management system (RMS), personal computer, on-line computer terminal, vehicle, multiple-line telephone and police radio
• Assess situations and make appropriate decisions consistent with established guidelines and training
• Maintain accurate department and law enforcement records and files
• Research and compile data and prepare reports of reported emergencies, equipment dispatched, and/or position of emergency
• Act as first line answering point for the department and respond to requests from the public
• Work various hours including rotating shifts, weekends, holidays, and overtime as required
• Effectively use the English language including spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, and grammar

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:
 
For Entry Level:

• Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade
• Must be at least 18 years of age by date of appointment
• Experience in a customer setting, customer service involving public contact while performing multiple tasks is preferred
• Either possess a Dispatcher Academy Certificate or have completed the POST Entry-Level Dispatcher Selection Test Battery or passed the National Testing Network’s (NTN) “Emergency Communications” test

• Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade
• Must be at least 18 years of age by date of appointment
• Experience in a customer setting, customer service involving public contact while performing multiple tasks is preferred
• Possess a POST Public Safety Dispatcher Basic (or higher) Certificate  

• Must obtain a POST Public Safety Dispatcher Certificate prior to completion of probationary period.
• Typing Certificate (Entry Level only): The typing certificate must be issued within the last 6 months and demonstrate typing proficiency of at least 35 net wpm. The MESA will not accept typing certificates obtained from an on-line typing service. A list of agencies that provide typing certificates is available on the MESA website at www.emeryville.org under the Human Resources section.
• Possession of a valid California Driver’s License with a satisfactory driving record by date of appointment.

• Experience in dispatch or other law enforcement related field
• Bi-lingual
• Possession of College Credits
• Possession of a POST approved Dispatcher Basic Academy Certificate 
• Possession of a POST Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Certificate or higher (obtained by passing a dispatcher academy and completing probation with any CA Law Enforcement agency) 

Compensation and Benefits:
The MESA provides a competitive compensation and benefits package.  The salary range is $6,324 to $7,688 and benefits include:
 

• Retirement: New Members 2% @ 62 PERS Plan (based on highest three consecutive years); Classic Members – 2% @ 60 (based on highest three consecutive years); Under both plans, the employee pays the full employee contribution – (7% for Classic Members or 7.25% for New Members). 
• Vacation: Employee accrues ten (10) working days per year. Maximum accrual of 2x annual accrual rate.
• Holidays: Fifteen (15) paid holidays per year, including four (4) floating holidays (pro-rated based on date of hire). 
• Sick Leave: Fifteen (15) days per year, with unlimited accumulation.
• Health & Welfare: Medical (to a capped amount), Dental, and Vision care coverage paid by the agency for the employee and eligible dependents.
• Misc. Benefits:  MESA provides Life/AD&D, long-term disability (LTD), and employee assistance program benefits.  

• Dispatcher Academy Certificate or confirmation you have completed the POST Entry-Level Dispatcher Selection Test Battery (T-Score) or your test results from National Testing Network’s (NTN) “Emergency Communications” test, which shows you passed the test.  A minimum T-Score of 48 is passing.  Passing test scores for the NTN “Emergency Communications” test are as follows: 53% for Call Taker, 64% for Notes, and 43% for Dispatch. Please note that you are responsible for paying the test fee to NTN and scheduling your test.(Entry Level)
• POST Public Safety Dispatcher Basic (or higher) Certificate (Lateral Level)  
• Typing Certificate (Entry level): The typing certificate must be issued within the last 6 months and demonstrate typing proficiency of at least 35 net wpm. The MESA will not accept typing certificates obtained from an on-line typing service. A list of agencies that provide typing certificates is available on the MESA website at www.emeryville.org under the Human Resources section