Lateral 911 Communications Specialist

City of Loveland; Loveland (CO); On-site; USD 49,674,000 - 54,236,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Loveland seeks a 911 Communications Specialist to provide emergency and non-emergency radio communication, dispatch service, telephone contact and CAD reporting for Loveland Police, Loveland Fire Rescue, and contracted agencies.

Candidates must have a High School Diploma or GED, be able to operate CAD, radio and online systems under stress, and be eligible for lateral transfer with 3–5 years of recent 911 experience.

Qualifications

• Must have operated an integrated CAD, radio, and phone system with multiple screens.
• Must be a call taker and dispatcher for police, fire, and EMS.
• Must be EMD certified.

Responsibilities

• Answer telephone calls including emergency and non-emergency lines.
• Dispatch appropriate emergency and non-emergency personnel.
• Prioritize calls based on request type and unit availability.
• Monitor radio transmissions for accuracy and safety.
• Maintain CAD logs with call and response times.
• Operate state and nationwide systems (CCIC/NCIC) and relay information.
• Maintain awareness of unit locations and status.

Skills

Operate CAD/radio/phone system

EMD certification

Call taking and dispatching

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

CAD system

VIPER telephone

CCIC/NCIC access

Job description

Do you have a desire to help others? Do you have the ability to make quick decisions under pressure?

Do you want a challenging, yet rewarding career?

The Loveland Emergency Communications Center is looking for qualified applicants who are interested in a fast-paced, fulfilling career as a 911 Communications Specialist. This position provides emergency and non-emergency radio communication, dispatch service, telephone contact and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) reports for the Loveland Police Department, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, Berthoud Fire Protection District, Thompson Valley EMS and other contracted agencies.

To view additional police department specific benefits: https://www.lovelandpd.org/about/join-the-lpd

Selection Timeline

• Position Open Until Filled
• CritiCall Testing: Invite only
• Pre-Interview Questionnaire: All due via email by Friday, September 11th 2026 at 0800 MST
• Oral Board Interviews: Tuesday September 15th, 2026
• Executive Interviews: Wednesday September 16th, 2026
• Backgrounds: TBD
• Tentative Start Date: TBD

Lateral Transfer

To be considered a lateral, a candidate must have at least three years of experience and have been employed as a 911 Communications Specialist/Dispatcher within the last 12 months with the following responsibilities and systems:

• Must have operated an integrated CAD, radio, and phone system with multiple screens.
• Must be a call taker and dispatcher for police, fire, and EMS.
• Must be EMD certified.

Those who meet the above requirement of a lateral with 3‑5 years of experience will start at step 2, $36.5829/ hr. Those who meet the above requirement of a lateral with 5+ years of experience will start at step 3, $39.3676/ hr *BONUS* $2000 upon completion of training and $2000 upon one year anniversary.

OUR POSITION

• Answer telephone calls including emergency lines, 911 lines, non-emergency police lines and business extensions.
• Dispatch appropriate emergency and non-emergency personnel to calls for service and/or complaints.
• Prioritize calls based upon nature of request for services, availability of units, and other pertinent information.
• Monitor radio transmissions of personnel for accurate response, need for additional assistance and to increase safety of responding personnel.
• Maintain accurate logs in (CAD) as required to document the time of calls, time dispatched, response time, time cleared, and other required data.
• Operate a state and nationwide computer system in accordance with Department, CCIC and NCIC regulations and policies. Relay information from this system to police personnel.
• Maintain accurate and current awareness of the locations and status of police, fire and ambulance units for safety and to ascertain availability for response.

Other Duties

• Monitor direct alarms into the Communications Center, third party notifications and dispatch appropriate personnel.
• Monitor Police, Ambulance, Fire, and all other appropriate regional radio channels as required and/ou for information and operational purposes.
• Prepare and maintain a variety of records and logs including warrant files, NCIC/CCIC entry files, and other required records.
• Complete special reports, projects and other administrative assignments as required.
• Operate a manual dispatching system when automatic systems are not functioning or when necessary.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.
• May require unrestricted mandatory overtime. 24 hour operations requiring shift work, including nights, weekends, holidays and order-in coverage.

OUR CANDIDATE

High School Diploma or GED required.

Ability to operate and monitor radio and on-line computer telecommunications systems under stressful and demanding emergency situations. Ability to rapidly gather factual information and enter it into the CAD system. Knowledge of the physical layout of streets and buildings in the City limits of Loveland and southern Larimer County. Computer skills and accurate typing using an ergonomic split keyboard. Ability to handle numerous simultaneous events and to react quickly and according to Department policies in emergency situations.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Majority of work performed indoors in closed and secured office setting. Continuous speaking, conversing on telephone and computer operation. Ability to function for extended hours day and night. Must possess necessary motor skills to operate a computer keyboard, telephone, recording device and various office skills. Sitting, stooping, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, grasping, talking, seeing, hearing, reading, and repetitive keyboard motions as well as extended periods of sitting. Work in a closed and restricted office setting with the same coworkers for extended periods. Frequent telephone communication with citizens in stressful situations who are unable to communicate effectively.

Material And Equipment Used

Multiple Police/Fire/Ambulance radio channels, VIPER telephone, CAD computer, CCIC computer, copy machine, fax machine, headset and other commonly used office equipment.

This job announcement is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee.

Conditional employment offers are contingent on the successful completion of an extensive criminal background investigation, polygraph examination, psychological examination, and drug screen.

APPLICANTS WHO ARE UNSUCCESSFUL IN THE SELECTION PROCESS MAY APPLY FOR FUTURE OPENINGS.

The City of Loveland is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation. We encourage, value and respect diversity.

Beginning on 8/1/2023, The City of Loveland will begin participating in E-Verify. In accordance with E-Verify requirements, upon your date of hire the City of Loveland will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. E-Verify Notice of Participation. Learn more about your right to work. Visit E-Verify.gov for more information.

Licenses & Certifications

Required

• Safety Sensitive-drug/alc

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.