Location
Description
The Department: The Suisun City Police Department is a progressive and proactive law enforcement agency. As a result of its proximity to neighboring jurisdictions, the employees of the Suisun City Police Department remain extremely busy as they address the needs of the community. Candidates interested in testing for this position must be prepared to take on the challenges of a fast-paced work environment serving both the Police and Fire Departments.
The Position: Under supervision (Public Safety Dispatcher I) or general supervision (Public Safety Dispatcher II) the incumbent performs a variety of duties involved in receiving, evaluating, prioritizing, and relaying calls for emergency and non-emergency public safety assistance; dispatches appropriate units and coordinates response of emergency personnel; maintains, processes, and distributes police records; operates a variety of telecommunications equipment, including radio, telephone, and CAD systems; and performs a wide variety of specialized clerical duties involved in the preparation, maintenance, and release of materials related to law enforcement activities.
Ideal Candidate
Ideal Candidate: Candidates that are successful in this position demonstrate a strong commitment to public service and customer service, possess the qualities required to deliver the highest level of service with honor and integrity, possess excellent judgment and decision-making skills, and have a desire to work in a fast-paced environment.
Essential Job Functions
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.
- Receives, classifies, and prioritizes all incoming emergency calls for service to the dispatch center including 911 calls and business line calls received from citizens requesting service or information; operates a variety of public safety communications equipment including 911 emergency telephone equipment, computer aided dispatch systems, and multi-channel radio systems; dispatches police and fire units and personnel.
- Performs a variety of duties involved in police records operations including disseminating, maintaining confidentiality, evaluating, copying, and filing police records and reports; processes and distributes arrest reports to the District Attorney, juvenile probation offices, and courts in a timely manner; ensures that information is released in accordance with related laws and Police Department policies.
- Evaluates response necessary as dictated by a given request for service; determines nature, location, and priority of calls; operates computer aided dispatch system to create calls for service within response criteria guidelines; assigns and dispatches appropriate police, fire, or other emergency vehicles, equipment, and personnel in accordance with policies and procedures; transfers calls to other appropriate agency in accordance with established procedures; obtains and dispatches other support services as necessary.
Qualifications, Education & Experience Guidelines: The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties. Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Public Safety Dispatcher I – Education/Training/Experience
- High School Diploma or equivalent.
- Two years of increasingly responsible clerical experience that includes customer service in an environment with frequent interruptions.
- A documented T-score (50 or higher) from a dispatcher training program or certificate of completion may substitute for the required experience.
- A typing certificate showing a minimum speed of 40 wpm from an accredited testing agency.
- Incumbents will be required to successfully complete the basic dispatcher course and obtain a valid P.O.S.T. Dispatcher Certificate within one year of hire.
Public Safety Dispatcher II – Education/Training/Experience
- High School Diploma or equivalent.
- Two years of experience comparable to that of Public Safety Dispatcher I with the City of Suisun City.
- A typing certificate showing a minimum speed of 40 wpm from an accredited testing agency. The typing certificate requirement may be waived for lateral dispatcher candidates transferring from another public safety/enforcement dispatching agency.
- Possession of a valid P.O.S.T. Dispatcher Certificate.
Benefits
For Non-Sworn Dispatch positions represented by the Suisun City Police Officers' Association, the benefit package includes:
Medical Insurance - The City pays for medical coverage up to current Kaiser Permanente Family rate. Employees covered by another insurance plan may be eligible for a cash payment up to $700 per month in lieu of enrolling in the City’s health plans. City offers IRS Section 125 benefits plan for dependent care and healthcare reimbursement accounts. Vision and dental insurance options available at competitive rates.
Retirement - Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) of 2% @ 55 for Classic Employees, or 2% @ 62 for new employees subject to the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. City does not participate in Social Security, but does withhold for Medicare, in accordance with federal law.
Life Insurance - Fully City-paid life insurance of $200,000 for employee only.
Deferred Compensation Plan - City contributes match up to $100 per pay period up to $2600 per fiscal year into Deferred Compensation Plan.
Tuition Reimbursement - 50% of cost of Solano Community College per unit cost up to $1000 per fiscal year.
Paid Leave - 96 hours of sick leave, and 80 hours paid vacation per year for the first five years of service, increasing over time; 4 hours of paid holiday leave accrued per pay period in lieu of time off for legal holidays plus 8 hours accrued for Juneteenth holiday.
Uniform Allowance - $900 per year.
Alternative Work Schedule - The standard Police Department dispatch work schedule is 3/12.
Special Instructions
All applicants must submit a valid typing certificate demonstrating the required minimum 40WPM. Many temporary staffing agencies will administer the exam and issue a certificate. We recommend that you bring a copy of the job announcement with you to the temporary staffing agency to ensure that they are issuing the correct 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. Each recruitment is processed separately, so please follow the document submittal guidelines for each application. Unfortunately, if you have applied to other jobs that require a certificate, we are unable to transfer documents between job applications. These certificates must be resubmitted with each application that requires a certificate.
Application/Selection Procedure: The City of Suisun City utilizes CalOpps.org to accept and process employment applications. To access the online application, please go to www.Suisun.com/careers and select the appropriate link. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the City’s official application form but should accompany the application. All applications and resumes will be reviewed to select those applicants whose qualifications appear to most closely match the requirements of the position. A limited number of the most highly qualified applicants may be invited to participate in the subsequent phase(s) of the recruitment process, which may include one or more of the following: written examination, performance examination, assessment exercises, oral interviews, and complete background checks. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement in the selection process.
Special Requirements: Positions assigned to the police department will be required to pass a thorough background investigation, including polygraph testing and must be able to maintain the same level of security as when first hired, as a condition of continued employment. Assignments to the police department will require successful completion of a comprehensive pre-employment psychological and medical examination prior to employment.