Communications Dispatcher Trainee

Communications Dispatcher Trainee

The City of Santa Rosa is looking for enthusiastic and responsible applicants for the entry level position of Communications Dispatcher Trainee. We offer paid classroom and on-the-job training and an opportunity to provide a vital service to the Santa Rosa community.

After completion of the training program your pay scale will increase to the Communications Dispatcher level. Our 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center is located on the second floor of the Public Safety Building, equipped with a state-of-the-art computer aided dispatch system, including multiple monitors, ergonomically designed furniture, and individual work stations with outside window views. The Communications Center is staffed by a team of 24 dispatchers working 10-hour shifts, handling approximately 250,000 calls for service yearly. Supervision is provided by Communications Supervisors.

Communications Dispatchers receive emergency and routine calls requesting police or other emergency services; accurately evaluate and process routine and life-threatening emergency radio and telephone communications. Our 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Benefits of City Employment: In addition to offering a challenging, rewarding work environment and excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including health, dental, vision and life insurance, a generous retirement program, a competitive leave accrual package and holiday leave bank. Detailed information about available benefits can be found in the Unit 14 MOU and in the online Benefits Guide. Additional benefits include:

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) pay is available.
• $500 annually for wellness
• Unlimited free bus rides on CityBus and Sonoma County Transit
• The City is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifying employer

The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

You are encouraged to talk with a Santa Rosa Police Department representative from the Recruiting Office for detailed information or questions. SRPD Recruiting Office (707) 543-HIRE.

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

The following duties are considered essential for this job classification:

• Perform a variety of disparate duties simultaneously and accurately;
• Receive, triage, and process emergency and routine calls from the public requesting police or other emergency service, applying the techniques, procedures, policies, and methods used in the operation of a moderately sized public safety dispatching agency;
• Question callers to determine pertinent information, maintaining composure and working quickly under pressure;
• Accurately track the status and location of police units;
• Use a Computer Aided Dispatch system to enter pertinent response information and unit status data;
• Retrieve and verbally relay information from various databases;
• Monitor several different police radio frequencies and operate a variety of communications equipment and technology;
• Communicate tactfully with the public and department employees under stressful situations.

In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties Section, each employee in this classification may perform additional duties as assigned. Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed below, nor do the examples cover all duties which may be assigned.

• Arrange for tow trucks and public works emergency service or contact appropriate agencies;
• Operate and maintain the audio recording device and produce copies;
• Perform a variety of record keeping, filing, and other general clerical work, specifically related to the communications center function and complex computerized systems;
• Monitor surveillance cameras; arrange for unplanned staffing needs;
• Monitor and respond appropriate personnel to internal panic alarms;
• Manually activate exterior doors from the communications center;
• Test and inspect equipment as required;
• Provide general instruction to new employees;
• Travel to various locations for mandated training.

Required Qualifications

Minimum Experience/Education Requirements:

• Typing/keyboarding skills of at least 35 wpm.
• Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.

Ability to: Develop knowledge of standard radio or telephone communications receiving and transmitting equipment; standard broadcasting procedures and rules; operation of common radio dispatch equipment; public safety classification codes; basic provisions of the California vehicle and penal codes. Ability to speak and hear clearly and precisely on the telephone, on the radio, and in person; exercise good judgment and make sound decisions in emergency situations; effectively communicate with and elicit information from callers who are injured, terrified, under attack, angry, hostile, chemically impaired, and/or suffering from mental illness; listen to lengthy explanations and extract pertinent information for responders; multitask sufficiently to perform a variety of disparate tasks simultaneously and accurately; effectively work independently with a minimum of supervision; work as part of a team; understand the geographic features and streets of the City of Santa Rosa sufficiently to deploy field units efficiently; use a keyboard to enter data at a speed necessary for adequate job performance; understand and follow oral and written instructions; comprehend and make inferences from written material; spell with accuracy sufficient to convey message; operate a computer aided dispatch system, various computer software applications, and other office equipment quickly and accurately; provide general instructions and assistance to new dispatchers; type at least 35 wpm; and satisfactorily complete the Continuing Professional Training requirement set by P.O.S.T., California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

Disqualifying Factors If you have been unsuccessful in a previous background investigation process (including polygraph examination or psychological assessment) with the Santa Rosa Police Department, your application will be screened on a case-by-case basis to determine if you will proceed further in the selection process or whether there are factors supporting an immediate disqualification.

Additional Information

Selection Process:

Part I: Remote Performance Examination Applicants considered most qualified based on a screening of applications will be invited to participate in the Criticall Examination. This examination will be conducted remotely. More information will be provided via email if you are invited to continue in the process.

Part II: Oral Appraisal Interview Applicants successful in Part I testing will be invited to the oral appraisal interview with the Police Department. Depending on the number of successful candidates, those candidates scoring highest on the written examination may be invited first to interview. The interview will evaluate training, experience and other job-related qualifications for the position.

Part III: On-Site Performance Examination Applicants successful in Part II will be invited to an On-Site Performance Examination.

Part IV: Background Investigation Applicants successful in Parts I through III will be scheduled for the background investigation screening process. Finalists will also be required to participate in a polygraph examination.

The background investigation is extensive, and will include a police records check, D.M.V. records review, P.O.S.T. Personal History Statement, SRPD Background Issues Questionnaire, employer reference checks, and Chief's interview and evaluation.

All applicants successful in the background investigation screening will be required to take and pass a City-sponsored medical examination, including a psychological evaluation, following a conditional offer of employment and prior to appointment.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

All notices will be sent via e-mail. Working Conditions This job is in an emergency communications center at the Police Department. The center is staffed by dispatchers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Incumbents in this classification are required to work various shifts as assigned. Shifts will include nights, weekends, holidays and rotating shifts. Due to the unpredictable nature of 24 hour a day/7 day a week emergency work, it is essential that incumbents assigned to this classification be able to work more than 10 hours in a day and more than 40 hours in a week with little or no notice, in order to maintain operational staffing requirements. Incumbents operate a visual display terminal for extended periods of time, sometimes without the ability to move at will. While the workstations are adjustable to accommodate standing, most incumbents perform the job duties while seated, often for long periods without breaks, and while standing there would be little opportunity for movement at will. Every job function requires real time keyboard entry of data, requiring continuous, repetitive arm and hand movement. Incumbents may also be required to move less than 20 pounds short distances when moving files