Dispatcher II (Lateral)

City of Sacramento; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Sacramento seeks an experienced Dispatcher II to receive and dispatch police units, manage communications, and support emergency response systems. Prior law enforcement dispatch experience and successful POST course completion are required.

Applicants must pass a thorough background, be able to work under pressure, and demonstrate strong communication skills in English. A high school diploma/GED with college units is required, with a substitution option for additional customer

Qualifications

• Two years of experience as a dispatcher in a law enforcement setting.
• Successful completion of California POST Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Course within 12 months of appointment.
• HS diploma or GED and 12 college units required; substitution possible with 4 years of customer service experience.

Responsibilities

• Receive emergency and non-emergency calls and dispatch police units as needed.
• Maintain radio contact with units on assignment.
• Coordinate with other agencies for information and requests.
• Query information from law enforcement networks for wanted persons, criminal history, etc.
• Perform records keeping for CAD system and related duties.
• Test and inspect equipment; testify in court when needed.
• Prepare reports related to communications, investigations, or police reports.
• Provide professional, courteous customer service per policy.

Skills

Dispatcher experience

Lateral entry requirements

Stress management

Public safety communications

Clear English communication

Education

HS diploma or GED + 12 college units

4 years customer service substitution

Two years dispatcher experience (Lateral Entry)

California POST Dispatcher Basic Course

Job description

THE POSITION

You must have taken and passed the Dispatcher CritiCall examination for further consideration. To take the examination, click here.

You must have experience as a law enforcement Dispatcher in a Public Safety Dispatch Center to qualify for this position. Please review "Qualifications - Lateral Entry" within this job announcement before applying for this position.

Please Note: a candidate must successfully pass a thorough background investigation, including a criminal history check for job-related convictions, fingerprinting, polygraph test, psychological test, credit check, and a drug use history to be considered for this position.

To receive incoming telephone calls and dispatch police units as necessary for assistance; perform a variety of general support duties related to communications activities.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are normally filled by advancement from the lower class of Dispatcher I. Appointment at the higher class requires that the employee be performing the full range of duties assigned to the class. Work in this class is distinguished from that of the Dispatcher I class by the greater independence with which an incumbent is expected to operate. Dispatcher II is a journey-level classification and incumbents are expected to perform the full range of duties of Dispatcher without direct supervision.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

General supervision is provided by a Dispatcher III.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Receive emergency and non-emergency telephone calls from the public requesting police, fire, and local government service; determine nature and priority; dispatch units as necessary; and/or refer or transfer callers to ensure excellent customer service.
• Maintain radio contact with all units on assignment.
• Coordinate emergency calls and relay information and assistance requests involving other law enforcement and firefighting agencies.
• Query information from law enforcement communication networks relating to wanted persons, criminal history, stolen property, and Department of Motor Vehicle information.
• Query and enter stolen, stored, and repossessed vehicle information.
• Perform a variety of records keeping duties related to the computer aided dispatch system.
• Test and inspect equipment as required.
• Testify in court as needed.
• Prepare written responses or reports related to communication complaints, investigative follow-ups or police reports.
• Write daily work progress reports when training a new Dispatcher.
• Demonstrate professionalism, courtesy, empathy, and excellent customer service in accordance with departmental policy and the community-oriented policing concept.
• Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual holding this classification.

Qualifications

• SEE LATERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge Of

• English grammar, usage, spelling and punctuation.
• Standard radio broadcasting procedures and rules.

Ability To

• Express themselves in English in a clear, distinct, and understandable manner when speaking to individuals, before diverse populations, various public and community groups, and when testifying in court.
• Effectively communicate with and elicit information from upset and irate citizens.
• Work under pressure and exercise good judgment in emergency situations.
• Exercise independent judgment and work with a minimum of supervision.
• Use a computer and keyboard to enter data provided verbally and in writing.
• Learn standard broadcasting rules and procedures.
• Learn City street system and physical layout of Sacramento.
• Understand and comply with oral and written directions.
• Learn to operate computer-aided dispatch, telephone, and radio broadcasting equipment.
• Value customers and co-workers through provision of excellent customer service.
• Operate office machines and equipment.
• Type 40 net words per minute.

Education

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent and completion of twelve (12) units from an accredited college or university.

Experience

Successful completion of the probationary period as a Dispatcher I with the City of Sacramento.

Substitution

High school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent an additional four (4) years of customer service experience may substitute for the required education.

-OR-

LATERAL ENTRY

(1) Two years of experience as a dispatcher working with law enforcement agencies where duties included answering telephone calls and radio dispatching, which must include six months of experience within the last six months. (2) Successful completion of the California P.O.S.T. Public Safety Dispatcher Basic Course within twelve (12) months of appointment.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

Probationary Period

Employees hired as a lateral entry must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

Bilingual Pay

Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act

The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information

Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts:https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf