Public Safety Communications Dispatcher

City of Denton; Denton (TX); On-site; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Denton is seeking a Public Safety Dispatcher to manage incoming emergency calls and coordinate the dispatch of emergency services, including police, fire, and medical units. The ideal candidate must possess strong communication skills, be able to work under pressure, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. This role requires passing various assessments and a commitment to public safety standards while ensuring efficient call management.

Qualifications

• Must type at least 40 words per minute corrected.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English is preferred.
• Prior experience as a Telecommunicator in a Law Enforcement Center is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Answer incoming 9-1-1 calls and prioritize them per established guidelines.
• Dispatch police, firefighters, and EMS to emergency calls.
• Provide pre-arrival instructions for emergency medical calls.

Skills

Effective Communication

Relationship Building

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Depending on the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate, those applicants with more experience will be eligible to hire in at a higher rate that commensurate with their experience.


*APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE*
Once you've applied and met minimum qualifications, the following steps will be necessary to continue in the hiring process.

• Preliminary Interview Form
• Skills Testing
• Interviews
• Personal History Statement (25 pages)
• Background Investigation
• Polygraph Examination
• Psychological Evaluation
• Health Assessment and Drug Screen

Responsible for using a computer aided dispatch system to answer all incoming emergency 9-1-1 calls and assisting police, firefighters, paramedics, and animal services officers in their daily tasks. Also responsible for answering incoming administrative lines and giving pre-arrival medical instructions to callers.Essential Functions:

• Answers incoming 911, TTY emergency and non-emergency calls. Prioritizes calls and determines proper routing utilizing established guidelines and operating procedures
• Assigns calls and report numbers
• Dispatches animal services officers, police officers, firefighters, and ambulance services to calls for service
• Evaluates information to determine jurisdiction, equipment, and personnel to be dispatched
• Confirms warrants for internal and external agencies
• Monitors multiple radio channels and dispatches appropriate public safety personnel.
• Ensures dispatch of officer requests for back-up or traffic-related assistance, etc.
• Provides pre-arrival instructions for emergency medical calls and relays vital information to hospital emergency rooms when necessary
• Maintains the accurate status of each officer on patrol, firefighters, EMS, and animal services personnel, including times in and out of service and locations
• Documents all 800 MHz radio transmissions
• Runs wanted and/or stolen checks through the National and Texas computer systems for outstanding warrants or other Information. Confirms and relays information to originating officers
• Inputs and monitors teletype information, protective orders, and missing person reports from applicable regional, state, and national databases
• Sends teletypes, which includes entering, clearing, canceling, along with validating computer entries
• Obtains a variety of information for officers and/or applicable external police agencies, which may include: driver's license information, criminal histories, property information, and/or other related information
• Maintains familiarity with major streets, public buildings, industrial plants, and the general geographic layout of the City of Denton, Texas including reading and understanding maps
• Maintains regular and punctual on-site attendance

Additional Duties:

• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications/Acceptable Equivalency:

• High School diploma or GED equivalent
• Must be able to type at least 40 words per minute corrected

OR

• Any combination of related education, experience, certifications and licenses that will result in a candidate successfully performing the essential functions of the job

Core Competencies:

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Ability to form and maintain effective relationships with coworkers and customers

Preferences:

• Bilingual in Spanish and English
• Prior experience as a Telecommunicator in a Law Enforcement Center

Conditions of Employment:

• Must pass a drug test, credit history check, criminal history background check, and social security number verification check
• Must pass the CritiCall Skills Assessment
• Must attend and successfully complete in-service training schools
• Must obtain NCIC Telecommunicator Certification, Emergency Medical Dispatch Certification, TCIC/NCIC Certification and TCOLE Certification within one (1) year of employment.
• Must have no Class A or Class B misdemeanor convictions in the past (10) years
• Must have no felony convictions
• Must pass polygraph exam, psychological exam, and credit check
• Must pass a hearing test
• Must pass a typing test with 40 words per minute corrected
• Must meet civilian hiring standards of the Denton Police Department
• A personal history statement must be submitted with each application (thorough background check)
• Must be able to work rotating shifts, nights, weekends, and holidays
• Please note Public Safety Dispatchers and Non-civil service Fire Department employees that are under the age of 36 at the time they are hired will be placed in the Fire Pension Plan.

Physical Requirements:
Overall Strength Demands: The italicized word describes the overall strength demand of the functions performed by the incumbent during a typical workday.
• Sedentary – lifting no more than 10 pounds
• Light – lifting no more than 20 pounds; carry up to 10 pounds
• Medium – lifting no more than 50 pounds, carry up to 25 pounds
• Heavy – lifting no more than 100 pounds, carry up to 50 pounds
• Very Heavy – lifting more than 100 pounds, carry more than 50 pounds

Physical Demand Codes: The following describes if the incumbent is expected to exert the following physical demands during a typical workday and the overall frequency.


Codes for “how often”:
Y = Yes
N = No
E = extensive (100-70%)
M = moderate (60-30%)
I = infrequent (20-10%)
A = almost never (<10%)

Task: Code:
1. Standing: M
2. Sitting: E
3. Walking: M
4. Lifting: I
5. Carrying: I
6. Pushing/Pulling: A
7. Overhead Work: I
8. Fine Dexterity: A
9. Kneeling: M
10. Crouching: I
11. Crawling: A
12. Bending: A
13. Twisting: A
14. Climbing: M
15. Balancing: I
16. Vision: E
17. Hearing: E
18. Talking: E
19. Video Display: E
20. Other:


Machines, Tools, Equipment and Work Aids:
The essential functions of this position require the use of a computer and telephone daily in order to dispatch calls.

Environmental Factors:
The essential functions of this position are performed inside throughout the work year; requires shift work on a rotating basis, and incumbents are exposed to extremely high stress situations.

This job description is not an employment agreement, contract agreement, or contract. Management has exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

ADA/EOE/ADEA