911 Dispatcher 1

Pennington-County,-Sd; Rapid City (SD); On-site; USD 28,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

South Dakota Retirement Plan

Supplemental Retirement Plan

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid holidays

Vacation and sick leave

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

The Pennington County Emergency Services / ESCC 911 Communication Center in Rapid City, SD is hiring a Dispatcher 1 with a January 2027 start date. This position offers a long-term career in emergency communications and requires keen problem-solving and calm communication under pressure.

Responsibilities include handling 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls, data research across agencies, and correct prioritization of resources. Shifts are rotating, with defined night differentials and holiday pay.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required; college and/or vocational training desired.

Responsibilities

• Answer 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls; triage and determine response.
• Research data from local, state, and federal records systems; evaluate information for risk.
• Prioritize calls and assign appropriate resources per procedures.
• Process emergency medical calls for dispatch.
• Maintain professional relationships with agencies and the public.
• Interpret communications; apply judgment in stressful situations.

Skills

Emergency communications

English proficiency

Typing 30 wpm

Customer service

Education

High School diploma or GED

Job description

The Pennington County Emergency Services / ESCC 911 Communication Center in Rapid City, SD is now accepting applications for 911 Dispatcher 1 with a January 2027 start date. We are seeking individuals ready to build a long-term career as part of our Emergency Services team.

About Pennington County:

We provide quality public services, as determined by law and citizen needs, through innovative leadership and the teamwork of its people, officials, and employees.

Our Employee Value Proposition - Comprehensive Benefits Package:

South Dakota Retirement Plan and Supplemental Retirement Plan, eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave, emergency leave, company paid life insurance, employee assistance program, and competitive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• 911 Dispatch employees receive a pay differential of $2.00/hour for hours worked between 6 pm and 6 am.
• Employees are also eligible for pay at 1.5x their hourly rate for hours worked on designated holidays.

Wage depends on experience.

Position Objective:

The role of the Dispatcher 1 is to work with citizens, first responders, and emergency services personnel during emergencies and non-emergencies in a collaborative effort to protect the lives, health, safety, and property of the public. The Dispatcher 1 uses problem solving, independent judgment, and agency missions to determine the proper responses, while demonstrating the ability to monitor, report, and respond to Officer Safety concerns.

Essential Functions:

• Answer emergency 9-1-1 calls and non-emergency telephone calls from the public, triages the call and rapidly analyzes the information to calculate the appropriate response.
• Research and perform data analysis of information from local, state and federal records systems and databases. Evaluate and interpret the obtained information to identify potential danger and risk to public safety personnel. Determine the appropriate course of action based on the analysis of the information received.
• Expeditiously review, interpret, analyze and prioritize law enforcement calls or requests for service applying agency missions, standard operating procedures, profession best practices and independent judgement to determine the most appropriate resource for response.
• Correctly process emergency medical calls and prepare them for dispatch.
• Demonstrate the ability to maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, members of various user agencies, organizations, and the public.
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret oral and written communications, and apply independent judgement and problem-solving techniques during stressful situations.
• Demonstrate the ability to stay calm and composed and use strong customer service skills to de-escalate highly stressful and emotional situations.
• Demonstrate active listening and communication skills.
• Maintain compliance with all County policies and procedures.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by a supervisor.

Experience and/or Education Required:

• • High School diploma or GED required; college and/or vocational training desired
  • Keyboard/typing minimum 30 wpm
  • Read, write and clearly speak English
  • Must successfully pass a job-related specialized skill test
  • Must be free of felony convictions; free of misdemeanor convictions for 3 years
  • Must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation
  • Must be a US Citizen
  • Must pass hearing test and drug screening
  • Attain certification in National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database system (provided on the job)
  • Attend and successfully complete South Dakota Law Enforcement Training (SD LET) Academy 9-1-1 certification training (provided on the job)
  • Attend and successfully complete ESCC classroom training in basic call taking skills, computer aided dispatch (CAD) operations and general Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) operations
  • Successfully completes supervised field training in basic call taking skills, CAD and PSAP operations
  • Successfully complete 200 hours of supervised on the job field training for a Law Enforcement Radio discipline.
  • Must possess or be able to obtain a valid South Dakota driver license.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to frequently sit, walk, stand, bend, kneel, stoop, reach and lift, push or pull and use manual dexterity needed to operate a computer, telephone and radio
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position, answer phone calls, and perform data entry and/or keyboarding for the duration of an 8-hour or 12-hour shift
• Must be able to accurately and effectively communicate (hear, talk and comprehend) over the phone, radio, in person and in writing
• Must be physically capable of working rotating day and night shifts 24/7, day and night, rotating shifts

Working Environment:

• Work is performed in a dispatch center while seated in front of multiple computers for the duration of an 8-hour or 12-hour shift where noise and interruptions frequently occur.
• Must be available to work rotating shifts including days, afternoons, nights, weekends and holidays and overtime hours may be required to meet operational needs.
• Some travel may be required for training.