911 Communications Lead

Valley County; Cascade (ID); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PERSI retirement

Healthcare coverage

176 hours Personal Leave + 11 holidays

Flexible Spending Accounts

Life Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Valley County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a Communications Lead to serve as the frontline link between the public and emergency services. The role emphasizes disciplined dispatch, mentoring staff, maintaining training records, and ensuring rapid, accurate call handling.

The ideal candidate will meet the education and background requirements, hold essential certifications, and demonstrate proficiency with CAD/MDT systems while exercising calm, decisive leadership under pressure.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent plus at least 3 years of professional dispatch experience.
• Pass a comprehensive background investigation including criminal and employment history.
• Pre-employment drug screen.

Responsibilities

• Receive, evaluate, and prioritize emergency requests; interview callers and provide lifesaving instructions.
• Operate CAD/MDT systems to dispatch personnel and equipment.
• Manage sensitive data and update warrants, protection orders, and databases.
• Maintain logs, schedules, and training records; supervise and mentor staff.
• Prioritize calls and manage high-pressure workflows with sound judgment.

Skills

Dispatch experience

Training & supervision

Radio/telephone handling

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

CAD

MDT

Job description

Summary

The Valley County Sheriff’s Office is seeking a disciplined and proactive professional to serve as Communications Lead. This position is vital to the safety of our residents and first responders, acting as the primary link between the public and emergency services. The Lead ensures that every call is received, dispatched, and processed with the highest degree of accuracy and speed, operating with the latitude to exercise independent judgment and initiative within established County policies.

This is a full-time position with full employee benefits.

Typical Duties & Responsibilities

The Communications Lead plays a dual role as both an expert operator and a team mentor. A significant portion of this position involves assisting in the supervision and training of Communications Center employees. The Lead is responsible for maintaining comprehensive training records and keeping the department’s training manual current. By performing quality assurance on medical protocols and compiling critical audio records from radio and telephone traffic, the Lead ensures that the department’s high standards for service are consistently met and documented.

Operational Excellence

In the dispatch center, the Lead is the "calm in the storm." They are responsible for:

• Emergency Response: Receiving, evaluating, and prioritizing requests for service. The Lead interviews callers to determine the nature of emergencies, provides life‑saving medical instructions before responders arrive, and maintains contact during evolving situations.
• Technical Dispatch: Utilizing Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems and Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) to monitor field units and dispatch the appropriate personnel and equipment based on vocal stress, phrasing, and cooperation levels of the caller.
• Information Management: Managing sensitive data, including entering and maintaining warrant statuses, protection orders, and updating telephone and computer databases to ensure field units have the most accurate information available.

Administrative Stewardship

Beyond the headset, the Communications Lead serves as an essential administrative coordinator. This individual performs time management and scheduling functions to ensure the center is always at peak readiness. They maintain accurate logs of all activities and reports, perform general clerical duties, and ensure that their immediate supervisor is kept fully informed of all work progress and project priorities.

To view the official Valley County job description for this position, Communications Lead

Typical Qualifications

The successful candidate for Communications Lead will possess a foundational education consisting of a high school diploma or its equivalent, paired with at least 3 years of professional dispatch experience. Because this role is a position of public trust, the individual must be able to successfully pass a comprehensive background investigation—including an in-depth review of criminal and employment history—and a pre-employment drug screen.

Professional Certifications & Technical Expertise

To meet the rigorous demands of the Valley County Sheriff’s Office, the Lead must hold or be able to obtain the following critical certifications:

• Idaho POST Certification for Dispatch
• Idaho Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (ILETS) Certification
• National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Certification
• CPR Certification

Beyond these credentials, the candidate must demonstrate intermediate computer skills and a deep knowledge of radio transmission procedures and telephone call‑handling techniques. A thorough understanding of applicable policies, rules, and regulations is required, as is a functional geographic knowledge of County roads and surrounding areas to ensure the accurate routing of emergency services.

Leadership & Operational Aptitude

As a supervisor and mentor, the Lead must have a firm grasp of employee training and supervision methods. They must not only possess the ability to train new staff effectively but also the temperament to lead by example.

The role demands a rare combination of cognitive and emotional skills: the ability to listen to and retain complex information during emergency calls, the capacity to operate radio equipment with speed and efficiency under extreme stress, and the verbal skill to communicate effectively with callers in their most vulnerable moments. Ultimately, the Communications Lead must be a person who exercises exceptional judgment when prioritizing calls and managing the high‑pressure workflow of the Department.

Benefits That Matter

Valley County is committed to supporting our employees' health, happiness, and peace of mind. We are proud to offer the premier benefits package in the county, featuring:

• Retirement Security: Full membership in the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI).
• Comprehensive Healthcare: Full Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Drug coverage through Blue Cross of Idaho.
• Generous Paid Time Off: 176 hours of starting Personal Leave, plus 11 Paid Holidays and Bereavement Leave.
• Financial & Personal Wellness: Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program.
• Culture & Environment: A stable career path with advancement opportunities, a casual workplace culture, and the daily satisfaction of serving your community.

Hiring is done without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, genetics, or protected veteran status. In addition, preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations.