Communications Operator (Dispatcher) / Gainesville Police Department

City of Gainesville; Texas; On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Gainesville is seeking a civilian Public Safety Dispatcher to handle incoming emergency and non-emergency calls, determine priorities, and dispatch police and fire units. The role includes monitoring teletype communications, video cameras, and related systems, along with essential clerical duties.

Responsibilities include maintaining unit status, coordinating with other agencies, and ensuring accurate record keeping.

Qualifications

• Completion of the twelfth grade or equivalent.
• Possession of teletype certification or ability to obtain.
• Possession of basic dispatch certificate.

Responsibilities

• Receive emergency and non-emergency calls and determine priority for dispatch.
• Maintain contact with units on assignment and track location/status.
• Operate public safety communications equipment and access law enforcement systems.
• Monitor teletype and video surveillance; assist with clerical duties and data entry.

Skills

Communication

Decision making

Interpersonal skills

Typing speed

Shift flexibility

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

To perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in receiving incoming calls for police and fire; to dispatch the necessary units; to perform a variety of general support duties related to dispatch activities including record keeping, typing and filing; and to monitor teletype communications. This is a civilian position.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential Functions

• Receive emergency and non-emergency calls from the public requesting police, fire, ambulance or other public safety services; determine nature and location of emergency, determine priority and dispatch emergency units as necessary and in accordance with established procedures.
• Maintain contact with all units on assignment; maintain status and location of police field units.
• Answer non-emergency calls for assistance; answer maintenance service emergencies on weekends and holidays.
• Coordinate emergency calls and relay information and assistance requests involving other law enforcement and firefighting agencies.
• Perform a variety of record keeping, filing, indexing and other general clerical work; maintain a variety of logs relating to public safety activities.
• Operate a variety of public safety communications equipment including a multi-channel radio, instant recall recorders, and paging and intercom systems; test and inspect equipment as required; access State and National law enforcement computer systems.
• Monitor all video cameras to ensure security of the building, prisoners, and jail cells.
• Assist in a variety of clerical duties involving checking for warrants and other information on subjects which have been arrested, running computer checks, entering data into various computer network systems, , , searching prisoners, and monitoring alarms.
• Monitor the National Warning System telephone line for national emergencies and severe weather information; communicate information to appropriate personnel as necessary.
• Compile statistics on calls received.
• Assist with coordinating activities with those of other law enforcement agencies and provide information or assistance as necessary.

Additional Duties

• Perform related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of

• English usage, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
• Modern office procedures, practices, and computer equipment.
• Operation of Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Geographic features and streets within the area served.
• Standard radio or telecommunications receiving and transmitting procedures, rules and equipment.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes and regulations.
• The operation of radio or telecommunications receiving and transmitting equipment.
• Standard radio broadcasting procedures and rules.
• Department procedures and policies pertaining to the dispatching of City emergency equipment and those of other user agencies.

Ability to

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Work under pressure, exercise good judgment and make sound decisions in emergency situations.
• Effectively communicate with and elicit information from upset and irate citizens.
• Type at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
• Work various shifts as assigned.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Operate Standard radio or telecommunications receiving and transmitting equipment.
• Provide accurate and effective testimony in legal proceedings.
• Behave in a manner conducive to high morale; express enthusiasm for work assignments, personnel, and management.

Experience and Training Guidelines

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience

One year of public safety dispatch experience.

Education/Training

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.

License(s)/Certification(s)

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid law enforcement teletype certification.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, basic dispatch certificate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Regularly required to use hands to examine or manipulate objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk, hear, and smell.
• Regularly required to walk, stand and sit.
• Occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

This job description is not an employment agreement, contact agreement, or contract. Management has exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.