Dispatcher

City of Clarksville; Clarksville (TN); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Clarksville is seeking a Public Safety Dispatcher for the Public Safety Communications center. The role handles incoming emergency and non-emergency calls, dispatches police, fire, and medical units, and coordinates information using NCIC and radio systems. Shifts are twelve hours and may include day, night, weekends, or holidays.

Applicants must be 21 or older with a high school diploma or GED. Training and certifications such as CTO, NIMS, and APCO are highly valued.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• No experience required.
• Police/Fire APCO certification and NIMS are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Receive and route calls for emergencies and non-emergencies.
• Dispatch units via radio console and track status.
• Maintain records and logs of calls and responses.

Skills

Customer service

Calm under pressure

Phone system operation

Map reading

Recordkeeping

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

NCIC access

Radio dispatch software

Computers and related software

Job description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

This is the first of four levels in the Public Safety Communications series. Incumbents receive incoming calls for police, fire, medical and other emergency assistance, and dispatch appropriate units via radio and telephone. Responsibilities may include receiving and responding to emergency and non-emergency calls from the public; dispatching emergency units; coordinating and relaying information; entering, updating, and retrieving information from the National Crime Information Center; and maintaining daily radio logs.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS POSITION WILL REMAIN OPEN THROUGH OCTOBER 26, 2026, OR UNTIL FILLED.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• No experience required.

License and Certifications

• Police/Fire APCO certification.
• National Incident Management System (NIMS).
• Communications Training Officer (CTO).
• National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Customer service principles.
• City geography.
• Computers and related software applications.
• Recordkeeping principles.
• Computers and related software applications.

Skill in:

• Providing customer service.
• Remaining calm in stressful situations.
• Operating multi-line phone systems.
• Using a computer and related software applications.
• Reading maps.
• Maintaining records and logs.
• Using a computer and related software applications.
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Physical Requirements

The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination sound.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. It occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: Making rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something steady to thrust forward, downward, or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. It occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual ability 1: sufficient to perform an activity like preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Visual ability 4: sufficient to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, both day and night.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions:

• Receives and routes telephone calls reporting situations and incidences of an emergency or life-threatening nature; questions caller and solicits information; receives and routes non-emergency telephone calls; maintains operational records and logs.
• Dispatches appropriate units to specific calls utilizing a radio console; tracks calls and notifies appropriate individual(s) of situations requiring their attention.
• Monitors the status and location of all public safety units.
• Enters, updates, and retrieves information from NCIC (National Crime Information Center).
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Employment Conditions

Selected candidates will be required to work twelve (12) hour shifts, which may be during the day, night, on weekends, and/or holidays.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old to apply and be considered for this position.