Public Safety Emergency Call Taker 1Z (Midnight Shift)

Prince George's County, Maryland; Upper Marlboro (MD); On-site; USD 40,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Prince George’s County Government, Office of the Sheriff, is seeking an entry-level Public Safety Emergency Call Taker to operate the CAD system and relay critical information to 9-1-1 dispatchers. The role requires handling emergency and non-emergency calls, providing pre-arrival instructions, and documenting interactions accurately.

The position is essential public safety work with rotating shifts. Candidates must meet minimum qualifications and pass required exams and background checks.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications: 18 years of age, high school diploma or GED, one year of practical work experience, one year of experience with Windows-based programs, must pass entrance exam, keyboarding proficiency test and background investigation including medical examination.
• Preferred qualifications include previous public safety or local government experience, previous experience as a public safety call taker, and call center experience.

Responsibilities

• Receive calls from the public on emergency and nonemergency lines, determine service needs and obtain required information.
• Enter and transmit accurate emergency information and codes into the CAD system.
• Provide pre-arrival and post-dispatch instructions to distressed or irate callers.
• Coordinate information with local and adjacent jurisdictions and reference SOPs, directives, and general orders.
• Maintain calm, professional demeanor and document interactions and outcomes.

Job description

Come join our team!

Prince George’s County Government provides a dynamic and inclusive workplace where employees can thrive, learn, and grow across its 30 diverse agencies, all dedicated to serving the County's residents with essential resources and services. Nestled just minutes away from Washington, DC, Prince George's County combines urban vibrancy with serene surroundings, offering an ideal setting to live, work, and enjoy life.

Nature and Variety of Work

Come join our team!

Prince George’s County Government provides a dynamic and inclusive workplace where employees can thrive, learn, and grow across its 30 diverse agencies, all dedicated to serving the County's residents with essential resources and services. Nestled just minutes away from Washington, DC, Prince George's County combines urban vibrancy with serene surroundings, offering an ideal setting to live, work, and enjoy life.

The Prince George's County Government Office of the Sheriff is currently seeking qualified applicants to fill a Public Safety Emergency Call Taker 1Z (Midnight Shift) position, grade Z14, within its Bureau of Field Operations / Warrants / Teletype & Records.

About The Position

This is entry-level technician work responsible for developing proficient emergency call taker skills involved in the operation of the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and related equipment at a public safety dispatch center. Duties of the Public Safety Emergency Call Taker series focus on collecting, organizing and broadcasting emergency caller information to the 9-1-1 dispatchers. In practice, Call Taker incumbents receive incoming calls via the 9-1-1 system's emergency or non-emergency lines, enter and transmit appropriate emergency information and codes into the CAD, and simultaneously provide pre-arrival and post-dispatch instructions to distressed or irate callers while recording same on the CAD system. Incumbents in this class are responsible for becoming familiar with emergency and dispatch protocols to effectuate Call Taker response and transmission of emergency requests in a safe, reproducible, and non-arbitrary manner. Incumbents in this class are expected to exhibit highly skilled listening ability in order to quickly and accurately ascertain from emotional, distraught individuals, the nature of assistance required along with the ability to accurately and quickly type/enter the information in the CAD system. The incumbent is considered to be an essential public safety employee and assigned to rotating shifts. Work is performed under direct supervision of a Public Safety Emergency Call Taker III or other designated supervisor and evaluated in terms of reliable adherence to established general orders policies, protocols and guidelines. Upon the satisfactory completion of the probationary period, entry-level Public Safety Emergency Call Taker I will be promoted to the Public Safety Emergency Call Taker II full-performance class. This position is considered an essential public safety position.

About The Agency

The Prince George's County Office of the Sheriff has been a vital link in the criminal justice system for more than 300 years, providing the citizens of Prince George’s County with professional, transparent, and effective law enforcement service. The Office of the Sheriff serves as the law enforcement arm of the courts, responding to domestic violence calls, processing warrants, civil papers, domestic violence peace and protective orders, Emergency Psychiatric Petition (E.P.S.) orders, and the execution of evictions. The Office of the Sheriff is also responsible for court security, providing security and protection for visitors to our courthouses and securing courtrooms and holding areas. Deputies transport prisoners and are responsible for extraditing fugitives from other states.

Examples of Work

RECEIVES CALLS FOR SERVICE

• Receives calls from the public on emergency and nonemergency telephone lines, determines the type of service required and obtains the necessary information for disposition.
• Promptly and professionally answers inquiries from citizens on the telephone and in person. Must answer calls and questions with a clear, well-modulated voice and use good grammatical construction.
• Must be able to distinguish between criminal matters and civil matters to determine the appropriate type of response. Must have a working knowledge of other County and State Agencies to refer the public to the appropriate Agency when not the responsibility of the Office of the Sheriff.

RECEIVE MESSAGES FROM PERSONNEL

• Should have a pleasant and calming telephone manner and be able to extract pertinent information from callers.
• Must have extensive knowledge of, the Teletype Section Directives, S.O.P.'s, memorandums and General Orders.
• Must keep supervisor(s) advised of calls of serious and unusual nature and refer any problem that cannot be handled to the appropriate supervisor.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROCEDURES AND SYSTEM OPERATIONS

• Have expert knowledge of Telecommunications procedures which includes obtaining information from various computer terminals such as METERS, Sheriff Warrant and other inquiries through various methods to obtain wanted checks, stolen article checks, stolen vehicle checks, operator and vehicle registration checks and other related information inquiries.
• Enters and accesses information from METERS/NCIC and other resources as developed and implemented. Maintains liaison with an accurate listing of various law enforcement agencies
• Must be capable of following Bureau of Administration S.O.P.'s regarding locating warrants. Follows all written and stated procedures and guidelines for locating, pulling and filing SDN folders.
• Follow all written and stated procedures for filing warrants, papers, photographs, etc., in folders. Complete all statistic sheets, dissemination sheets and other required reports in accordance with written and stated procedures.
• Must be able to coordinate information regarding serious incidents or ongoing incident with local and adjacent jurisdictions.
• Analyzes computer printouts, compiles and tabulates data and prepares related reports.

Performs Other Related Duties

• May be required to perform related duties that are not specifically listed in the job description.
• Must remain cooperative, and be diligent in the performance of assigned duties, and always display appropriate and professional conduct so as not to bring discredit to this agency.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age at time of hire.
• High school diploma or GED.
• One (1) year of practical work experience
• One (1) year of work experience demonstrating the use of Windows-based computer programs.
• Must pass an entrance examination, keyboarding proficiency test and background investigation to include a medical examination.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous public safety or local government experience.
• Previous experience as a public safety call taker.
• Call center experience.

EACH APPLICANT MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION WHICH CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THE ABOVE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Candidates deemed as meeting the minimum qualifications will be invited to complete and pass an online Emergency Call Taker examination. Applicants who have previously taken and passed the exam on or after 8/1/2024 will not be required to re-test. Previous passing test scores will be applied.

Additional Information

Salary Range Transparency: The salary range listed in this announcement reflects the offer range for this position. Offers made within this range are based on qualifications, experience, and internal equity.

Tentative Interview Dates: October 20 - 21, 2026. Please note that interview dates are subject to change and only selected candidates will receive confirmation and additional details.

Job Location: 5303 Chrysler Way, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Conditions of Employment

Upon selection, the candidate must:

• Pass an administered Emergency Call Taker exam. Applicants who have previously taken and passed the exam on or after 8/1/2024 will not be required to re-test. Previous passing test scores will be applied.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age at time of hire.
• Successfully pass a background investigation conducted by the Prince George’s County, Office of Human Resources Management, Public Safety Investigations Division.
• Be able to work eight (8), ten (10) or twelve (12) hour rotating shifts.
• Pass a medical examination, including a drug screening and random drug and alcohol tests.
• Meet and demonstrate proficiency in all agency-required training and certification standards
• Wear a departmental uniform and a headset in the performance of their duties.
• In emergency circumstances, incumbents must be able to report to an alternative 9-1-1 center.
• As an ESSENTIAL employee, work during emergency situations, including inclement weather, natural and man-made disasters, etc., and conform/perform according to essential public safety employee policy/procedure. Essential employees are expected to report or remain at work when other County employees are granted Administrative Leave.
• Satisfactorily complete all components of the Practical and Academic Public Safety Call Taker I/II training program by achieving a minimum score set by the agency or as established by industry standards on all quizzes, examinations and practical evaluations.
• Must complete the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) - Emergency Telecommunicator Course (ETC) and obtain ETC certification by achieving a minimum score set by the agency or as established by industry standards on all course examinations.
• Must complete the Maryland State National Crime Information Center (NCIC) CN2 training course.
• Must obtain and maintain NCIC - CN2 certification by achieving a minimum passing score on all course examinations.
• Must complete other courses as mandated by the State of Maryland and/or agency training policies.
• Meet all training and performance standards and demonstrate proficiency as required by the agency.

Eligibility to Work

Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, an employer is required to hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. Applicants who are selected for employment will be required to provide and verify authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship. This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S., only after an offer has been accepted and the Form I-9 is completed. For information on E-Verify, or if you believe the County has violated its E-Verify responsibilities, please contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at 888-897-7781 or visit their website at dhs.gov/E-Verify.

INTERNAL APPLICANTS

If you are a current Prince George's County Government employee and seeking a promotion, in accordance with Section 16-200 of the Personnel Law, you have the right to appeal a rejection rating within five (5) working days of receiving a rejection notice. Union employees should refer to their respective collective bargaining agreement and/or union representative for their grievance procedure.

Prince George's County Government is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace