SUMMARY OF A DISPATCHER: A Public Safety Dispatcher is the first contact that people talk to when calling 911 in emergency situations. The Dispatch center operates on a seven-day, 24-hour basis, and serves the public in person and over the phone for emergency and nonemergency issues. Dispatchers receive 911 calls and must determine the appropriate response based on the type of emergency, its location, and priority of the caller’s needs. This requires obtaining pertinent information from the caller, relaying information to the appropriate first-responder agency, coordinating the dispatch of emergency response personnel, and giving instructions to the person in need before emergency services arrive. Dispatchers frequently handle multiple calls simultaneously, while also assisting the public at the counter, perform driver’s license and warrant checks for law enforcement, monitor and track the status and locations of on-duty police, fire and ambulance units, listen to police radios, and keep detailed records of calls. Dispatchers also have a variety of clerical and administrative responsibilities, including maintaining, processing, and distributing police records, corresponding orally and in writing with other law enforcement agencies, courts, the District Attorney or other agencies, and a wide variety of specialized clerical duties involved in the preparation, maintenance, and release of materials related to law enforcement activities.
INTRODUCTION FOR SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS: Successful Dispatchers have good judgement to make quick decisions between emergency and nonemergency situations to prioritize calls and patrons by level of importance, and to communicate the most important information necessary for first responders. Excellent communication skills are required in order to properly give and receive information between callers and first responders. Dispatchers must be high functioning multi-taskers, as this job requires rapidly and effectively switching back and forth between tasks, based on importance and urgency. Dispatchers require good organization skills and attention to detail in order to gather and manage information, use correct case numbers and incident details that may be potentially lifesaving. Dispatchers must have good emotional control as they experience emotional, distressed, angry or hostile individuals over the phone or in person. They must stay composed and in control of their own emotions in order to calm callers to gather information and give pre-arrival instructions during medical emergencies or explaining potentially life-saving procedures. Dispatchers must also possess excellent customer service skills and knowledge of techniques to diffuse complicated interactions when handling difficult members of the public. The following supplemental questions are intended to help us assess if your experiences fit the profile of an ideal candidate for Public Safety Dispatcher.
All applicants must submit a valid typing certificate demonstrating the required minimum 40 WPM. Many temporary staffing agencies and community colleges will administer the exam and issue a certificate. The certificate must be signed by the agency administering the exam. The certificate must not be more than 12 months old at the time of application. Please note that we do not accept certificates issued from an online (internet) source. You may attach the certificate to your application or email it to jobs@suisun.com and include the recruitment job number in the subject line. Failure to submit the appropriate typing certificate will disqualify you from further consideration.