Police Dispatcher

University of Tennessee; Martin (AL); On-site; USD 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Tennessee is seeking a Dispatcher for the Department of Public Safety to receive and prioritize calls, dispatch officers, and monitor campus radio and CAD/RMS systems.

The role serves as the primary front-desk contact for students, employees, and visitors, routing non-emergency requests and maintaining logs, keys, radios, and equipment to support officer safety and timely service.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Knowledge of public-safety call taking, radio use, and CAD/RMS basics.
• Strong communication and multitasking under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Answer and triage emergency/non-emergency calls; dispatch units and track status in CAD.
• Operate police radio, public safety lines, and departmental phone lines.
• Monitor security cameras; relay actionable information.
• Document safety logs in CAD/RMS; maintain logs and records.
• Serve as first front-desk contact; route requests to appropriate department.

Skills

Public safety dispatch

Phone & radio handling

Conflict de-escalation

Customer service

Education

High school diploma

Equivalent qualification

Tools

CAD

RMS

Alarm systems

Job description

The Dispatcher supports the Department of Public Safety by receiving and prioritizing calls for service, dispatching police and emergency responses, operating the campus radio and phone systems, monitoring security technologies, and documenting all activity in the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and records systems. The role serves as a primary point of contact for students, employees, and visitors, routes non-emergency requests to campus partners, and maintains accurate logs, messages, and equipment records to support officer safety and timely service.

• Answer and triage emergency/non-emergency calls; dispatch units and track status in CAD.
• Operate police radio, public safety lines, and departmental phone lines.
• Monitor nearby public-safety radio traffic and campus security cameras; relay actionable information.
• Receive and document safety complaints and hazards; assist partner agencies when requested.
• Monitor fire alarm panel and elevator call boxes, dispatching response as necessary.
• Coordinate with other law enforcement agencies for on and off-campus public safety response
• Create and maintain CAD/RMS entries and the computer log for calls and officer activity.
• Issue and log keys, radios, and other equipment; manage lost-and-found documentation.
• Receive and distribute departmental mail and faxes; support routine front-desk tasks
• Serve as first point of contact at the front desk and on operator lines.
• Route requests for information or assistance to the appropriate campus department; provide directions and referrals.

Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or the equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of public-safety call taking, radio use, and plain-language; CAD/RMS basics, call types, and incident codes; and campus resources and referral paths. Clear oral and written communication under pressure; multitasking across phone, radio, CAD entry, and monitoring; and customer service with conflict de-escalation and professional phone manners. Ability to set priorities, gather facts, and give pre-arrival guidance; keep accurate logs and protect FERPA/PII; use camera and alarm systems and relay useful details; work rotating shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, and emergencies; and meet background and policy standards.

Clery related call routing and documentation for timely warnings and other notifications. Skills in CAD/RMS data entry with low error rates and correct disposition codes, typing and data entry to keep pace with live radio and phone traffic. Ability to obtain and maintain required dispatcher certifications and learn campus geography to give precise directions to responders.

Application Deadline: Applicant review will begin immediately and continue until a candidate has been selected.
Minimum hiring range $14.00 - $20.00 per hour (Market Range 04) - Salary commensurate with education and experience.