Emergency Communication Specialist I

Douglas County, CO; Castle Rock, Northern (CO, KY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Job summary

Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Castle Rock, CO is hiring an entry-level Emergency Communications Specialist I. You will handle emergency and non-emergency calls, apply EMD protocols, and dispatch using CAD and radio systems.

This role requires quick, accurate decisions under pressure and a commitment to public safety. The position supports a 24/7 operation with 10-hour shifts, on-call duties, and mandatory overtime.

Qualifications

• Highschool diploma or GED.
• At least 18 years of age.
• Valid Colorado driver’s license.
• Pass qualifying physical exams, polygraph, psychological and background investigation.
• Obtain CCIC/NCIC, NENA Core Competencies, CPR and EMD certifications within 6 months of hire.
• Work all shifts in a 24/7 operation including nights, weekends, holidays, on-call and mandatory overtime.

Responsibilities

• Answer, evaluate, and prioritize incoming calls for law enforcement, fire, EMS and partner agencies.
• Apply Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols to deliver pre-arrival instructions.
• Utilize CAD systems, location tracking tools, radio systems, and paging equipment to log and dispatch emergencies.
• Access NCIC/CCIC databases to query warrants, licenses, driving records, and stolen property.
• Provide guidance and proper agency transfers for non-emergency inquiries.
• Attend daily briefings and relay unusual or high-risk situations to supervisors.
• Represent the agency during community outreach and public speaking engagements.
• Maintain confidentiality and demonstrate integrity, ethics, and professionalism.

Education

Highschool diploma or GED

Job description

Emergency Communication Specialist I

Employment Type: 0 - Full-time Regular Pay Range: $60,000.00 - 88,301.00 Location: Castle Rock, CO Elected Office / Department: SHERIFF Job Number: req3304 Closing Date: 12/31/2026

The Emergency CommunicationsSpecialist I (ECS I) is a vital, entry-level position focused exclusively on emergency and non-emergency call taking—the single most critical foundation for building a successful career in public safety communications. Classified as a first responder, an ECS I serves as the primary link between the public and emergency services, mastering emergency call processing and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD). The role calls for confident, dependable individuals who take initiative and make rapid, well-reasoned decisions in demanding, high-pressure situations. Success in this position requires composure, adaptability, and unwavering resilience under stress.

Schedule:

10-hour shifts Sunday-Wednesday OR Wednesday-Saturday (Day shift 6:00am – 4:00pm/Swing shift 2:00pm –12:00 am/Night shift 9:00pm - 7:00am).

Includes mandatory on-call shifts and mandatory overtime

Salary & Benefits:

While the full salary range for the Emergency Communications Specialist I is $60,000-$88,301 annually, generally the hiring range is $60,000-$73,584 annually. Qualifications, education and experience as it relates to the position will be taken into consideration when determining hiring salary.

Douglas County offers an excellent comprehensive benefit package including but not limited to: Medical/Dental/Vision. For a more detailed overview please view the full benefit guide at EMPLOYEE BENEFITS GUIDE.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Answer,evaluate, and prioritize incoming calls for law enforcement, fire, EMS,and partner agencies, assessing situational urgency with speed andcomposure.
• ApplyEmergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols to deliver critical pre-arrivalmedical instructions to callers until first responders arrive on scene.
• Utilizecomputer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, advanced location tracking tools,radio systems, and paging equipment to accurately log and dispatchemergency requests.
• Accessstate and national law enforcement databases (NCIC/CCIC) to accuratelyquery and enter critical data regarding warrants, license plates, drivingrecords, and stolen property.
• Provideguidance, information, and proper agency transfers for non-emergencypublic inquiries.
• Attenddaily briefings to stay informed on ongoing activities, relaying unusualor high-risk situations to supervisors promptly.
• Representthe agency during community outreach, public education events, and publicspeaking engagements as needed.
• Demonstrateknowledge, and exemplify the highest standards of integrity, ethics, andprofessionalism both on and off duty, aligning with the values of theDouglas County Sheriff’s Office and DR911.
• Maintainconfidentiality at all times for citizens, emergency responders, andemployees defined under HIPPA.
• Performother related duties as assigned to support daily agency operations.

Minimum Requirements:

• Highschool diploma or GED.
• At least 18 years of age
• Valid Colorado driver’s license.
• Ability to pass qualifying physical exams, polygraph, psychological and background investigation.
• Obtain requiredCCIC/NCIC, NENA Core Competencies, CPR and EMD certifications within 6months of hire.
• Ability to manage,process, and respond to multiple simultaneous emergency requests withcomposure and precision.
• Ability to makerapid, sound decisions during high-stress situations, exercising criticalthinking when standard operating procedures (SOPs) do not explicitlyapply, in consultation with supervisors.
• Ability to communicateeffectively with frantic, distressed, or irate callers to de-escalatesituations and extract vital, actionable information quickly.
• Ability to interpretmaps and apply comprehensive knowledge of local geography to guide fieldunits and ensure accurate, timely dispatching.
• Ability to recallnames, faces, numbers, incidents, and places.
• Ability to typeaccurately at a speed sufficient for real-time emergency recording,meticulously proofreading entries to ensure critical data integrity.
• Ability to express information clearly and professionally inboth verbal and written formats across emergency and routine contexts.
• Ability to maintain sharp audio-visual perception tosimultaneously monitor multiple computer screens (varying fonts/colors),process multiple concurrent audio streams, and operate radio equipment viaheadset.
• Ability to maintain regular predictable attendance. A reliable form oftransportation for the performance of work responsibilities is required.
• Ability to work all shiftsin a 24/7 operation including: nights, weekends, holidays, on-call andmandatory overtime.

Note: Thesuccessful applicant must be able to perform ALL of the above job functions,unassisted, and at a pace and level of performance consistent with actual jobrequirements.

Disqualifications:

Applicants who have any disqualifying factors listed QUALIFICATIONS & DISQUALIFICATIONS will not be considered for employment at this time.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

In the event of an emergency/disaster in or near the County, all County employees are expected to make every effort to be available to assist the County Manager, Elected/Appointed Officials and Department Directors to ensure the continued operation of any and all necessary County functions. This may mean being available to perform additional duties and hours beyond what is normally required. In the event that an exempt employee does work more than 40 hours a week in support of County operations during an emergency, such employee may receive overtime or other appropriate wage compensation in accordance with existing County policies or at the discretion of the County.