Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Fire Dispatcher Trainee

Recruitment #24-8209-01

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Introduction

THIS IS A NEW CONTINUOUS EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended. This examination may be reopened as necessary, and the names of additional candidates merged onto the existing list according to the examination score. APPLY IMMEDIATELY AS THIS RECRUITMENT MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing.


SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: TYPING CERTIFICATE

If you have a typing certificate with a net typing speed of 40 words per minute from a temporary agency, employment agency, or community college, printed on letterhead with the address and phone number of the agency or college, please upload it to your online application (under the resume tab) by 5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing. The typing certificate must be dated within six (6) months of the filing deadline.

To obtain a typing certificate, you may wish to contact East Bay Works - Career Centers. Click on the following link, and go to the "locations" tab to locate a center near you: www.eastbayworks.com/

If you are unable to obtain a typing certificate by the last day to file, you will be required take a typing test with Alameda County Human Resources Services.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted on-line.

DESCRIPTION

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT (ACFD) provides all-risk emergency services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County (excluding Fairview), the cities of San Leandro, Dublin, Newark, Union City and Emeryville, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. With 28 fire stations and 34 companies serving a population of 394,000, the ACFD serves densely populated urban areas, waterways, industrialized centers, extensive urban interface, agricultural and wildland regions. Over 400 personnel and 100 Reserve Firefighters provide a wide variety of services to an ever expanding, dynamic and diverse community of roughly 508 square miles. These services include:

  • Advanced Life Support
  • Fire Suppression
  • Hazardous Materials Response
  • Urban Search & Rescue
  • Water Rescue
  • Community Outreach & Education
  • Disaster Preparedness
  • Fire Prevention and Code Compliance
  • Regional Dispatch

The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) was formed on July 1, 1993, as a dependent special district with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors as its governing body. This consolidation brought together into a single jurisdiction the Castro Valley Fire Department, Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District and County Fire Patrol. Subsequently, the following communities have contracted with the ACFD:

  • July 1, 1995 City of San Leandro
  • July 1, 1997 City of Dublin
  • August 1, 2002 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • October 1, 2007 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • May 1, 2010 City of Newark
  • July 1, 2010 City of Union City
  • July 1, 2012 City of Emeryville

On January 20, 2008, the ACFD became responsible for the administration and operation of the Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center (ACRECC). The dispatch center provides dispatch and regional communication center services for the ACFD, the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency, Camp Parks Combat Support Training Center, and the cities of Alameda, Fremont, Livermore and Pleasanton. ACRECC is also the Dispatch/System Status Management Center for Falck ambulance service.


For more information about the agency, please visit:  Alameda County Fire Department.


THE POSITION

Under close supervision, to receive training in public safety, emergency call taking and radio-dispatching methods and techniques; to dispatch personnel and equipment for one or more public safety agencies, including Fire and Emergency Medical Services; and to perform related work as required.

For more detailed information about the job classification, please visit: Fire Dispatcher Trainee (#8209).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
Graduation from high school or possession of an acceptable equivalency certificate, such as the General Educational Development Certificate.

License:
All candidates must possess a valid California State Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

Special Requirements:
Age: Must be at least 18 years of age by time of appointment to Dispatcher Trainee.

Typing: 
Ability to type 40 words per minute.

Candidates must pass a psychological evaluation, a medical examination and a thorough background evaluation after an offer of employment is made. A Computer Voice Stress Analyzer examination will also be included in the process to assess candidates’ responses in the areas of drug use, driving history, honesty, racial discrimination, and sexual harassment. Any felony conviction will result in disqualification. Candidates must be US citizens.

Incumbents in this classification are expected to work 12-hour shifts, and may also be required to work holidays, weekends and up to 18-hour shifts when needed. There is mandatory overtime.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:
  • The highways, main streets, and geography of Alameda County.
  • Simple record keeping tools such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
Ability to:
  • Read, write and alphabetize.
  • Follow written and oral instructions.
  • Retain oral information.
  • Use basic computer tools – i.e., keyboard and mouse in a Windows operating system environment.
  • Learn the operation of two-way radio and telephone communications equipment.
  • Speak clearly and concisely in a well-modulated voice.
  • Learn to dispatch public safety equipment in an effective manner.
  • Deal tactfully with the public.
  • React with sound judgment under stress and emergency situations while doing several tasks simultaneously.
  • Learn statutes, rules and regulations applicable to communications.
  • Listen and clarify incoming calls to extract pertinent information.
  • Document on-going call activity while talking on the radio and/or telephone.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps:

  1. A review of applicants' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. The Supplemental Questionnaire will be used for further screening of minimum qualifications. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
  2. A performance exam which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. The performance examination will consist of the following components: 
    • Typing Test to verify applicants meet the minimum qualifications. Applicants who submit a typing certificate will be included, however, will have already verified they meet the typing requirement. (pass/fail)
    • CritiCall Test - CritiCall is a software that tests job-related knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies critical for public safety dispatchers. The following are some of the areas CritiCall will assess (please note, the following is just an example of areas CritiCall tests for and is not necessarily the components candidates will be tested on): reasoning, stress tolerance, decision making & judgment, multitasking, prioritization, map reading, memory recall, comprehension, probability, data entry and decision-making. For more information regarding the CritiCall test, applicants may visit their website at: https://criticall911.com/dispatcher-testing/applicants/.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating of each portion of this examination.


WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN

The County will inform applicants, via email and with reasonable notice in advance, of any examination process that will require their attendance.  The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on operational needs.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT & SELECTIVE PLAN

RECRUITMENT PLAN

 

Deadline for Filing:

Continuous

Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications:

Last full week of every month

Performance Examination:

2nd week every month

SELECTION PLAN

 

Departmental Hiring Interviews:

To be Determined
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN
Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statues.


For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

BENEFITS

*** For benefit information, please contact Fire Administration at allbenefits@acgov.org. ***

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org, @jobaps.com, NoReply@jobaps.com, and NoReplyAlamedaCountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.


Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.


NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes Noreply@acgov.org and NoReplyAlamedaCountyHR@acgov.org are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions, please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.


Maria Tabora | Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
(510) 272-6463 | Maria.Tabora@acgov.org

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.


EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.


Click on a link below to apply for this position:

Fill out the Supplemental Questionnaire and Application NOW using the Internet. Apply Online
View and print the Supplemental Questionnaire. This recruitment requires completion of a supplemental questionnaire. You may view and print the supplemental questionnaire here.