Police Dispatcher

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

Job summary

University of Tennessee at Martin is seeking a Dispatcher to support the Department of Public Safety. You will answer emergency and non-emergency calls, dispatch police units, monitor CAD/RMS activity, and maintain logs and equipment records to ensure officer safety and timely service.

The role requires handling high-pressure communications, operating radios and phone lines, and coordinating with campus partners across shifts, including nights and weekends.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Typing and data-entry skills; ability to learn CAD/RMS.
• Ability to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and emergencies.

Responsibilities

• Answer and triage emergency and non-emergency calls; dispatch units in CAD.
• Operate police radio, public safety lines, and departmental phones.
• Monitor campus security cameras and relay actionable information.
• Receive and document safety complaints and hazards; assist partner agencies when requested.
• Monitor fire alarm panel and elevator call boxes; dispatch response as necessary.
• Coordinate with other law enforcement agencies for on-/off-campus public safety response.
• Create and maintain CAD/RMS entries and the logs 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 front-desk tasks.
• Serve as first point of contact at the front desk and on operator lines.
• Route information requests to appropriate campus departments; provide directions.

Skills

Call taking

Radio operation

Public safety comms

Data entry

Customer service

Conflict de-escalation

Log maintenance

Documentation

Education

High school diploma

Tools

CAD

RMS

Security cameras

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.

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 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.

Minimum hiring range $14.00 - $20.00 per hour (Market Range 04) - Salary commensurate with education and experience.