POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR I

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Chicago is seeking a Police Communications Operator I for the Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC). The role handles 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls, entering data into PCAD and coordinating with police, fire, and EMS dispatch teams.

Applicants must meet the education/experience requirements and complete mandatory testing, with potential overtime. OEMC operates 24/7 at 1411 W. Madison and requires strong prioritization and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Education/experience options include high school diploma plus 2 years public contact work or related certifications.
• Experience or training in emergency management/communications is acceptable.
• Courses or college study related to emergency dispatch are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Receive, process, and relay requests for police, fire, or EMS and non-emergency public safety services.
• Solicit descriptive information to determine incident priority and location.
• Enter incident data into a computer console and forward for dispatch.
• Operate a two-screen dispatch console and telephone equipment.
• Provide on-the-job training as required.

Skills

Typing 30 wpm

Public safety dispatch

Active listening

Judgement & decision making

Public contact

Education

High School Diploma or GED + 2 years public contact exp

OEMC Intro to Emergency Management & Communications

Tools

PCAD system

LEADS coordination

Job description

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Job Description - POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR I (419251)

Job Description

Job Number:

419251

Description

BID/JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR I

Office of Emergency Management & Communications

OEMC

Number of Positions: 14

This position is open to the public and all current City employees covered under the City’s collective bargaining agreement with Public Safety Employees Union – S.E.I.U., LOCAL 73 AND I.B.E.W. LOCAL 21 (BARGAINING UNIT 02). Only employees in City job titles in this bargaining unit are eligible to bid.

1. Check the box on your profile titled “Currently employed by the City of Chicago”

2. Enter your employee ID (located on your pay stub labeled ‘payee/employee number’)

3. Select your correct bargaining unit

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTED BID APPLICATION

Under supervision, receives, processes, and relays requests for police, fire, or emergency medical services and/or non-emergency requests for public safety services or assistance, and performs related duties as required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

· Receives incoming emergency 9-1-1 calls from callers requesting public safety services or assistance

· Receives incoming calls from 3-1-1 or other city numbers from callers requesting non-emergency public safety assistance

· Solicits descriptive information from callers to determine the nature of requests and the gravity and location of incidents, including potential threats, risks, or hazards that responding police units may encounter and to determine the best way to provide service

· Processes calls involving non-English speaking, excited, suicidal, or individuals experiencing a crisis

· Enters incident or service request information using a computer console and forwards to Police Communications Operator II for dispatching

· Operates a two-screen police dispatch console and telephone equipment to receive and process 9-1-1 calls

· Forwards requests for fire and emergency medical services to fire dispatch operations

· Determines whether callers have been the victim of a crime or the subject of a non-criminal incident

· Uses the Incident Reporting Guide to determine the proper primary and secondary classification of criminal and non-criminal reports

· Uses the Police Computer Aided Dispatch (PCAD) system to create a computerized event of non-emergency incidents so a Records Division (RD) number can be assigned

· Gathers information (e.g., motor vehicle thefts, stolen vehicle parts, etc.) for dispatchers to submit into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS)

· Relays information regarding incidents to other communications operators, department officials, or other agencies, as required

· Provides on-the-job training for new hires, as required

NOTE: The list of essential duties is not intended to be all inclusive; there may be other duties that are essential to positions within the class.

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location:1411 W. Madison

Days:Rotating days off

Note:Will require Overtime

Will be required to work weekends and holidays

OEMC is a 24/7 operation

Qualifications

THIS POSITION IS IN THE CAREER SERVICE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Training, and Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalence certificate (GED), plus two years of work experience performing high volume public contact or customer service work that requires soliciting information either in-person, via telephone or radio, OR Eighteen (18) months of work experience performing high volume public contact work that requires soliciting information either in-person, via telephone or radio and completion of Introductory to Emergency Management and Communications course offered at the City Colleges of Chicago, or Two years (2) of work experience conducting telephone interviews and/or surveys, or Eighteen (18) months of work experience conducting interviews and/or surveys and completion of Introductory to Emergency Management and Communications course offered at the City Colleges of Chicago, or High school Diploma or equivalent certificate (GED), plus one (1) year of work experience in receiving and processing or dispatching emergency calls, or one (1) year of professional law enforcement officer experience, or graduation from an accredited college with an Associate’s degree or higher, plus one (1) year of work experience in receiving and processing or dispatching emergency calls, or one (1) year of professional law enforcement officer experience

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• As of the date of application, candidates must have reached their twentieth birthday
• Successful candidates must complete a computerized, job simulation/skills assessment test with multiple components including a keyboard exercise which requires a typing speed of thirty (30) words per minute, a drug screen, and a background investigation
• LEADS certification is required prior to completion of probationary period
• Persons offered employment must pass all pre-employment exams prior to appointment

Note below documents are required at time of processing:

• Proof of age
• High School or GED transcripts or diploma showing date of completion

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Emergency communications facility environment
• Dimly lit or low light environment

EQUIPMENT

• Standard office equipment (e.g., telephone, printer, photocopier, fax machine)
• Computers and peripheral equipment (e.g., personal computer, computer terminals, hand-held computer)
• Computer-aided dispatch system (e.g., headset, two-screen computer console with interactive mapping display, touch-screen telephone, instant recall recording devices, TTY communications equipment for the hearing impaired)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to sit for extended periods of time

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND OTHER WORK REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge

• Moderate knowledge of:
• Geographical locations in the City
• Some knowledge of:
• applicable computer equipment and software
• communications equipment and devices including telephone, and computer-aided dispatch communications systems and their operation
• emergency management response planning, notification procedures, and protocols
• law enforcement procedures related to police operations and police dispatching
• Knowledge of applicable City and department policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and ordinances

Skills

• ACTIVE LEARNING - Understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making
• ACTIVE LISTENING - Give full attention to what other people are saying, take time to understand the points being made, ask questions as appropriate, and not interrupt at inappropriate times
• CRITICAL THINKING - Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
• COORDINATION WITH OTHERS - Adjust actions in relation to others\' actions
• SERVICE ORIENTATION - Actively look for ways to help people
• SOCIAL PERCEPTIVENESS - Demonstrate awareness of others\' reactions and understand why they react as they do
• JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING - Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one

Abilities

• COMPREHEND ORAL INFORMATION - Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
• SPEAK - Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
• COMPREHEND WRITTEN INFORMATION - Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
• WRITE - Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand
• CONCENTRATE - Concentrate on a task(s) over a period of time without being distracted
• RECOGNIZE PROBLEMS - Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong
• REASON TO SOLVE PROBLEMS - Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
• TIME SHARE - Shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information
• MAKE SENSE OF INFORMATION - Quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information
• REACH CONCLUSIONS - Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions
• DE-ESCALATION TECHNIQUES – Uses speech, tone, empathy, and other tools when responding to calls for emergency assistance

Other Work Requirements

• CONCERN FOR OTHERS – Demonstrate sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings and be understanding and helpful on the job
• STRESS TOLERANCE – Accept criticism and deal calmly and effectively with high stress situations
• SELF-CONTROL – Maintain composure, keep emotions in check even in very difficult situations, control anger, and avoid aggressive behavior

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully PASS a written test/skills assessment with multiple components, answer affirmatively a Willingness and Ability Questionnaire. Test results will be sent out by the Department of Human Resources after test results have been compiled and analyzed.Applicants who receive a passing score on the test(s) AND Willingness and Ability Questionnaire and possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.If you are a bidder, you will be selected in seniority order according to the collective bargaining agreement AND

Preference will be given to candidates possessing the following:

• Previous experience in a 9-1-1 emergency call center using a Computer Aided Dispatching system
• Previous experience as a Law Enforcement Officer
• Previous experience in a high volume, face to face customer service environment for a large retailer or other large entity
• Previous experience as a customer service representative in a high volume, call center environment
• Previous experience as a taxicab or transportation dispatcher using a Computer Aided Dispatching system
• A City Colleges of Chicago - Intro to Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) Certificate

City Colleges of Chicago - Intro to Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) Certificate Preference: The City of Chicago offers a preference to individuals who have successfully completed the City of Chicago/City Colleges of Chicago partnership program resulting in a certificate of completion for the Introduction to Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) course. In order to receive the OEMC/EMC Preference, candidates need to indicate whether or not they successfully completed the program by answering “yes” or “no” to the question on the online application that asks, “Did you successfully complete the City Colleges of Chicago Introduction to Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) Certificate Program and do you want to be considered for this preference?” In addition, you must attach documentation to verify your successful completion from the City Colleges of Chicago. You must attach a copy of your City Colleges of Chicago - Introduction to Emergency Management & Communications Completion Certificate. Failure to answer the question and attach the required documentation will result in you not being considered for the preference

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Job Posting

Job Posting

: Aug 18, 2026, 5:00:00 AM | Closing Date (Period for Applying) - External : Sep 2, 2026, 4:59:00 AM