Public Safety Communications Operator

Carson-City,-Nv; Carson City (NV); On-site; USD 54,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Carson City is seeking a dispatcher to connect the public with law enforcement, fire, and EMS services. You will handle emergency and non-emergency calls, enter critical data, and coordinate with responders to ensure safety and timely information flow.

The role requires a high school diploma or GED and at least one year in public safety or customer service, plus certifications (EMD, NCIC/NCJIS, CPR) within 12 months, with potential online skills testing and background checks as part of hiring.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to High School Diploma or GED; AND one (1) year of public safety or customer service experience; OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience as determined by Human Resources.
• Must obtain and maintain Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification within 12 months of employment.
• Must obtain and maintain NCIC/NCJIS certification within 12 months of employment.
• Must obtain and maintain CPR certification within 12 months of employment.

Responsibilities

• Receive and process emergency and non-emergency service calls from the public requesting law enforcement, fire department, EMS or other county services; determine nature, location, and priority of incident; recall citizens as necessary.
• Enter incident reports into the computer system or appropriately refer citizen; input addresses, locations, citizen information, and other pertinent information; update or cancel events as needed; document errors.
• Transfer calls to appropriate agencies, as needed; answer calls from other agencies and take appropriate action as needed.
• Perform records checks for law enforcement and other authorized county personnel as needed.
• Document officer information on suspects; confirm, enter or validate warrants and previous arrests, update information as needed; advise affected personnel of information updates; run checks of guns, property, etc. or related items for wants and registrations.
• Verify and relay information between emergency responders, citizens and others as needed via telephone and mobile computer terminals.
• Maintain a variety of automated and manual logs, records and files related to dispatching activities.
• Read, update, and remain current on pertinent Agency and Communications Division policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

Skills

Multitasking

Communication

Call screening

Geographic knowledge

Listening

Decision making

Public safety knowledge

Education

High School diploma or GED

1 year public safety or customer service experience

Tools

Dispatch software

Job description

This posting will be used to create an eligibilty list that could be used for up to six (6) months.

Employees may choose between the following Nevada PERS retirement plans:

Employer Paid Retirement: $27.5193 - $38.5271 ($57,240.04 - $80,136.42 annually) or

Employee/Employer Paid Retirement: $33.1990 - $46.4784 ($69,053.92 - $96,675.02 annually)

To learn more about the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System (Nevada PERS) click on this link: New Member Information

In addition to an outstanding retirement plan, this position is afforded the excellent benefits set forth in the Carson City Employees Association labor contract: CCEA Labor Contract

Under general supervision, this position performs a variety of complex duties involved in the receipt and processing of emergency 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls; relay information between 9-1-1 callers and emergency personnel; dispatch emergency personnel and track activity in order to secure the safety of the emergency responder and the facts of the situation.

Important Job Information:

• This position connects the public to law enforcement and fire/rescue services.
• This position requires assisting callers who are victims, survivors, and witnesses of all types of emergency situations and crime, while obtaining and entering essential information regarding emergency situations into a computer.
• This position is privy to confidential emergency situations and details, helping both emergency callers and public safety/emergency personnel as situations are happening and must remain calm, focused, organized, and able to recall information instantly and keep everyone informed of activities at all times.
• Situations that employees deal with over the phone can be exciting, challenging, violent, alarming, and distressing under emergency circumstances and deadlines.
• Employees must have excellent skills in the following: interpersonal, customer service, organizational, coping, diplomacy, tact, compassion and patience.
• Employees are required to work varied shifts, weekends and holidays year round.
• Employees are required to work overtime.

Please apply only if you are sure that you are prepared to work under the conditions outlined above.

Recruitment Process:

Recruitment Process: The recruitment process for this position consists of the following steps: an online skills test (Govworx) which measures job related skills such as typing, spelling, speed, map reading, listening, memory, and other aptitude skills, an in-person interview scheduled for Monday, September 21, 2026, a background check, Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA), and drug screen. You may also have an opportunity to 'sit-along' with a current Dispatcher to see what the job is really like. The performance in each step is reviewed, so applicants are not guaranteed to move to the next step. Individuals who are invited to take the online skills test (Govworx) can access study and practice material here: Candidate Guide: CommsCoach HIRE Assessment | GovWorx Help Center.

The skills assessment is required to be completed prior to the interview. The invitation to the skills test needs to be accepted within 72 hours and completed no later than 7 days from the initial invitation.

You must use a computer with the following functioning hardware:

• Mouse and Keyboard
• Microphone and Speakers
• Webcam (or built-in computer video camera)
• Stable Internet Connection

If you do not have a computer, please reach out to Michaela Pence at [e-mail] to arrange an onsite testing date.

This class specification lists the major duties and requirements of the job and is not all-inclusive. Incumbent(s) may be expected to perform job-related duties other than those contained in this document and may be required to have specific job-related knowledge and skills.

• Receive and process emergency and non-emergency service calls from the public requesting law enforcement, fire department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or other county services; determine nature, location, and priority of incident; recall citizens as necessary.
• Enter incident reports into the computer system or appropriately refer citizen; input addresses, locations, citizen information, and other pertinent information; update or cancel events as needed; document errors.
• Transfer calls to appropriate agencies, as needed; answer calls from other agencies and take appropriate action as needed.
• Perform records checks for law enforcement and other authorized county personnel as needed.
• Document officer information on suspects; confirm, enter or validate warrants and previous arrests, update information as needed; advise affected personnel of information updates; run checks of guns, property, etc. or related items for wants and registrations.
• Verify and relay information between emergency responders, citizens and others as needed via telephone and mobile computer terminals.
• Maintain a variety of automated and manual logs, records and files related to dispatching activities. Perform a variety of record keeping, filing, indexing and other general clerical work; print messages from the computer screen as needed.
• Read, update, and remain current on pertinent Agency and Communications Division policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the unit's service to its customers by offering suggestions and directing or participating as an active member of a team.
• Uses standard office equipment, including a computer, in the course of the work.
• Demonstrates courteous and cooperative behavior when interacting with the public and City staff; acts in a manner that promotes a harmonious and effective workplace environment.

Education and Experience:

Equivalent to High School Diploma or GED; AND one (1) year of public safety or customer service experience; OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience as determined by Human Resources.

Required Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:

• Valid Driver’s License
• Must take and pass the dispatch training set forth in Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 289, Law Enforcement Dispatchers, within 12 months of employment.
• Must obtain and maintain Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification within 12 months of employment.
• Must obtain and maintain NCIC/NCJIS certification within 12 months of employment.
• Must obtain and maintain CPR certification within 12 months of employment.

As part of the recruitment process, applicants must take and pass a pre-employment exam which tests job related skills such as data entry, multi-tasking, decision making, position locating and more. The test preparation guide can be found at: https://criticall911.com/dispatcher-testing/applicants/.

Required Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge of:

• Geographic features and directional information.
• Call screening techniques and phone etiquette.
• Standard office practices and procedures, including records management.
• Communicating effectively in oral and written forms.
• Techniques for dealing with a variety of individuals from various socio-economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in person and over the telephone.
• Multitasking skills.

Skill in:

• Work under pressure, exercise good judgment and make sound and timely decisions in emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely in writing during emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Recall, summarize, prioritize and categorize information.
• Effectively listening to, communicating with, and eliciting information from upset, emotional, mentally disturbed, irate, threatening individuals, including those under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Dealing successfully with a variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in person and over the telephone.

Supervision Received and Exercised:

Under General Supervision - Incumbents at this level are given assignments and objectives that are governed by specifically outlined work methods and a sequence of steps, which are explained in general terms. The responsibility for achieving the work objectives, however, rests with a superior. Immediate supervision is not consistent, but checks are integrated into work processes and/or reviews are frequent enough to ensure compliance with instructions.

Physical Demands & Working Environment:

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Mobility to work in a typical office setting, use standard office equipment and stamina to sit for extended periods of time; strength to lift and carry up to 20 pounds; vision to read printed materials; and hearing and speech to communicate in person or over the telephone; work is subject to exposure to periods of intense stress.

Conditions of Employment:

1. All new employees will serve a probationary period of twelve (12) months. Such employees are not subject to the collective bargaining agreement and may be laid off or discharged during this period for any reason.

2. Continued employment is contingent upon all required licenses and certificates being maintained in active status without suspension or revocation.

3. Any City employee may be required to stay at or return to work during emergencies to perform duties specific to this classification or to perform other duties as requested in an assigned response position. This may require working a non-traditional work schedule or working outside normal assigned duties during the incident and/or emergency.

4. Employees may be required to complete Incident Command System training as a condition of continuing employment.

5. New employees are required to submit to a fingerprint based background investigation and a drug screen which costs $36.50. Employment is contingent upon passing the background and the drug screen.

6. Carson City participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each applicant's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. All candidates who are offered employment with Carson City must complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity prior to starting employment. Please be prepared to provide required documentation as soon as possible after the job offer is made. For additional information regarding acceptable documents for this purpose, please contact Human Resources at 775.887.2103 or go to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web page at www.uscis.gov.

7. Carson City is an Equal Opportunity Employer.