911 Dispatcher

County of Chester; Westtown (Chester County); On-site; USD 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Chester is seeking a Telecommunicator I to be the first point of contact for the public, making decisions based on policies and dispatching appropriate help. The role requires 24/7 availability, rotating 12-hour shifts, and routine on-the-job training with overtime rules.

The position emphasizes accuracy, calm under pressure, and effective communication while coordinating with emergency responders and the EOC as needed.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Strong listening and communication skills with clear English proficiency and accurate grammar and spelling.
• Ability to complete three months training.
• Ability to perform under extreme pressure.
• APCO Basic Telecommunication certification or ability to obtain.
• CPR/TDD/HAZMAT awareness or ability to learn CPR/TDD/HAZMAT awareness.
• APCO EMD certification or ability to obtain Certification.
• FEMA IS100, IS200, IS700, IS800, IS2200 within 6 months of hire.
• Pennsylvania call-taker certification or ability to obtain certification.

Responsibilities

• Handle and process emergency calls promptly and professionally.
• Input emergency calls for dispatch to responders.
• Maintain certification requirements.
• Assist with quality improvement programs.
• Maintain continuing education requirements.
• Train new personnel after certification.
• Provide emergency medical instructions.
• Review and submit caller location corrections.
• Review and submit CAD data corrections.
• Assist with procedural updates.
• Assist with public and responder education.
• Support Emergency Operations Center activations and drills.

Skills

Active listening

Clear communication

Work under pressure

English literacy

Public safety awareness

Team collaboration

Ability to follow protocols

Customer service

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Chester County CAD system

APCO telecommunication certifications

Job description

The class begins on Monday, January 25, 2027. The first 8 weeks' schedule is Monday - Thursday 0730 - 1730. When class is complete the schedule changes to 12-hour shift rotations when you will continue on-the-job training (OJT). The rotation will be 2-day shifts: 0700 - 1900, & 2-night shifts 1900 - 0700; then 4 days off. This is considered an 8-day cycle. There will be built in overtime, due to the rotating schedule. Hours worked over 40 per week will be paid, at an overtime rate, this also applies to working on holidays.

Support the Mission of the Department of Emergency Services; to promote and assist in providing safety and security to Chester County citizens so they can work, live, and grow in a healthy and safe community. The Telecommunicator I is the initial point of contact with the public and makes decisions based on established policies and procedures. This position relays information to a Telecommunicator II or Telecommunicator III, and the appropriate help is dispatched to the caller with an emergency. The Telecommunicator I position receives calls for assistance and completes clerical work.

This position requires availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

All Department of Emergency Services employees are essential personnel and may be required to work during non-business hours for extended periods of time. Essential employee duties may involve assignments within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), deployment to a field location, or other duties as required during periods of emergencies or training/exercise. Emergency assignments may be performed under adverse conditions, continue for periods ranging from a few hours to several weeks, and may require travel.

• Handle and process emergency calls in a timely and professional manner.
• Input emergency calls for dispatch to the appropriate responders.
• Maintain certification requirements.
• Assist with quality improvement programs.
• Maintain continuing education requirements.
• Train new personnel once certified.
• Provide emergency medical instructions.
• Review and submit caller location data corrections.
• Review and submit Computer Aided Dispatch data corrections.
• Assist with procedural updates.
• Assist with public education and responder education.
• Assist with Emergency Operation’s Center (EOC) activations and drills, as needed.
• Perform other duties, tasks, and special projects, as assigned.

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
• Strong listening and communication skills with an ability to clearly speak, read and write in English with accurate grammar and spelling with few mistakes.
• Ability to complete the three months of job-related training.
• Ability to perform efficiently under extreme pressure.
• APCO Basic Telecommunication certification or ability to achieve certification.
• CPR/ TDD/ HAZMAT awareness or ability to learn CPR/TDD/HAZMAT awareness
• APCO EMD certification or ability to obtain certification.
• All DES employees must successfully complete the following FEMA course within 6 months of hire:
  1. IS100 - Introduction to the Incident Command System
  2. IS200 - IS200 - ??? Wait.
  3. IS700- National Incident Management System, An Introduction
  4. IS800 - National Response Framework, An Introduction
  5. IS2200 - Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
• Pennsylvania call-taker certification or ability to obtain certification.
• Ability to carry out orders with precision and speed.
• Ability to deal with the public in a courteous and tactful manner.
• Ability to establish priorities and remain focused on operations.
• Ability to follow protocols to categorize and respond to emergency calls
• Ability to use common sense understanding to provide verbal instructions.
• Flexible, with an ability to carry multiple tasks to completion.
• Exhibits a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn new tasks.
• Professionalism, integrity, and honesty with an ability to handle confidential matters.

Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

• Additional secondary education. training courses, or certification programs.
• Experience working or volunteering within emergency services or public safety.
• Knowledge of other languages a plus.
• Familiar with alarm notification.
• Familiar with ANI / ALI correction forms.
• Knowledge of Chester County policies and procedures.

Relevant background checks, clearances, physicals, drug tests, and any other assessments or evaluations will be conducted after an offer of employment is given per County policy.

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have:

• Basic Office Suite Skills, (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Explorer).
• Basic Outlook Skills (email and calendar)
• Typing/word processing skills (20 words per minute).
• Proficient in Chester County Computer Aided Dispatch system or ability to learn.
• General computer skills

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. Occasionally, the employee is required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and twist or bend at the waist.

• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less) – office work.
• Ability to recognize and identify the audible and visual signals.

Work Environment:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet but can be moderate to loud depending on the assignment. Work assignments can change rapidly.
• Will occasionally be exposed to outside weather and adverse weather conditions.
• Will be required to operate a motor vehicle; at times this may include hazardous driving conditions.
• Will need to sit for extended periods of time (12-hour shifts).
• Rotating 12-hour shifts (two days/two nights, then four days off).
• This can be a stressful job due to the nature of the calls and/or emergencies.
• Consistently monitoring various computer screens.

Other:

• Will occasionally be required to work extended hours, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Driver’s license required to drive from site to site. to conduct department business

All duties must be performed with close to 100% accuracy in extremely short time limits. The person holding this position saves lives on a daily basis.