Police Dispatcher (Hourly) - City of Chula Vista, CA - Chula Vista, CA
To receive, evaluate, and transmit emergency and routine voice radio messages via telephone, and teletype and automatic alarm; to dispatch required equipment and personnel in accordance with standard policies and procedures; to maintain records; and to do related work as required.
Note: This recruitment is for a part-time, non-benefited position. Unclassified hourly employees are paid on an hourly or per diem basis and shall not be eligible for benefits nor be subject to Civil Service Rules. Although hourly employees are at-will, they are still subject to all other City policies and procedures.
Distinguishing Characteristics
This is a full journey level class within the Police Dispatcher series and has the ability to perform a full range of duties assigned with only occasional instruction or assistance as unique situations arise. This class is distinguished from the Police Dispatcher Trainee in that the latter is an entry-level position that works under immediate supervision while learning job tasks.
Essential Functions
Functions may include, but are not limited to, the following: receive service requests by telephone on 911 emergency and business lines; obtain information on the nature of the request/emergency, the location, and telephone number of caller, name of caller and other pertinent information; remaining on the line with victim in emergency, as appropriate and creating a record of the information; a nalyze requests for police service, determine priority ranking of each request and the kind and level of service to be dispatched in initial response; determine available units to dispatch; d ispatch personnel and equipment according to standard operational procedures, instructions from a superior or by individual judgment as required; refers difficult or extremely serious calls to supervisor; l isten to each radio transmission from police personnel in the filed, acknowledges and complies with request for action or information; k eep superiors informed of emergency situations and general activities; p lace telephone calls to other police jurisdictions, City departments, City emergency crews, vehicle tow companies, ambulance services, coroner, relatives of victims, telephone and utility companies, alarm company, traffic signal maintenance and other services concerning an emergency; maintain detailed records of the time and nature of each call; operate computer aided dispatch system equipment, TDD and other office equipment; operate teletype and computer terminal to check for registered owners of vehicles and other information; refer to maps and reference materials to secure information needed by personnel in the field and for the dispatch function; t ake reports and relays messages by radio or telephone; maintains a log of radio calls received and transmitted; type, issue case numbers, log departmental activities and perform routine clerical work; assist in monitoringactivity in jail cells via a closed circuit TV system; maintain law enforcement resourcesstatus and activity file in the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) computer; may instruct other personnel in the techniques and use of communications equipment; may perform minor or routine upkeep and maintenance of equipment; and p erform other duties related to this position.
Minimum Qualifications:
Any combination of education and/or experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Experience
Two years of responsible experience performing radio-telephone communications work in a public safety communications center; or successful completion as a Police Dispatcher Trainee with the City of Chula Vista.
Education
Completion of the twelfth grade.
Typing Certificate
Certification of ability to type at a net rate of 40 net words per minute is required. The typing certificate must be issued within one year prior to our receipt of application and may be submitted in any of the following ways:
(1) As an attachment to the online application. The resume attachment portion of the on-line application form can include your typing certificate with valid document attachment types: plain text .txt; rich text .rtf; PDF .pdf or Microsoft Word .doc; or
(2) by U.S. mail, fax, email, or in person to:
City of Chula Vista Human Resources
276 Fourth Avenue
Chula Vista CA 91910
Fax: 619-691-5199
Email: labille@chulavistaca.gov
Please note that self-certification using keyboard software and/or online typing certificates will not be accepted. Additionally, certificates showing only the percentage of accuracy or error (ex: 85% accuracy or 50% of error) will not be accepted.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of:
Basic terminology used in radio and telephone communications; operation of communication equipment, including telephone, radio, paging, computer and related systems; geographic features and boundaries of the Chula Vista area; English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation; computerized data entry and retrieval systems used in dispatch communication and operations.
Ability to :
Learn city dispatch codes, policies and procedures; memorize codes, names, locations and other detailed information; attend to multiple activities and sources of input simultaneously during stressful situations; obtain complete and accurate information from individuals who during emergency situations may be emotionally distraught, angry or difficult to understand; remain calm and make rapid and sound independent judgments in stressful emergency situations; effectively operate the computer-aided dispatch system, display terminals, radio dispatching consoles, and associated equipment; read and interpret street maps; analyze and evaluate emergency situations as required to prioritize calls and to anticipate/determine the needs of responding personnel; make sound decisions using available information; read and interpret rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; while handling critical incident calls, accomplish tasks in a controlled, effective manner; work days, evenings, and nights, rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays as needed; t ype at a speed of at least 40 NWPM; c ommunicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; and work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
On a continuous basis, sit at a communications console for prolonged periods of time. Intermittently twist and reach office equipment; write and use keyboard to communicate through written means; wear a telephone headset and be able to hear, distinguish and understand voices with fore and background noise present; verbally communicate effectively with other individuals over the radio or telephone or in person; v isually able to read and work on multiple video display terminals simultaneously.
Primary work is performed indoors in a carpeted and air-conditioned office environment at a communications console having a computer display terminal. Work is generally performed in an area with fluorescent lighting and moderate noise level. Some movement is required from office to office and there is exposure to the external environment when going to outlying offices.
Additional Information:
Recruitment No. 12518012H
To be considered, applicants must submit a City Application and Supplemental Questionnaire. The examination process will consist of the following:
(1) Applcation Review: Candidates whose applications indicate the required education and experience most directly related to the position will be invited to the selection process.
(2) CritiCall Test: Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to the CritiCall test. CritiCall is a computer-based test that simulates a generic dispatch environment. It is designed to measure the skills and abilities critical for public safety dispatchers such as data entry, multi-tasking, prioritization, memory recall, and comprehension. Candidates will be notified by e-mail of the date, time, and location of the test. If an e-mail address is unavailable, notification will be sent via standard U.S. mail.
Successful candidates must undergo a thorough background investigation. There are certain types of conduct which are automatic grounds for disqualification. Please refer to the "Pre-Employment Disqualifying Criteria" below to help you identify some of the common areas of the background investigation process that may cause delay or prevent you from competing in the selection process.