Public Safety Dispatcher - I

The Placer County Sheriff's Office dispatch center is located in beautiful Auburn, California, less than two hours away from Reno/Tahoe or San Francisco. The dispatch center features full sit-to-stand ergonomic work stations, a locker room, a full kitchen, a quiet room, a balcony with BBQ, skylights, and second-story views from wall-to-wall windows. The center provides dispatch services for law enforcement, fire, and medical. Dispatchers are trained to provide lifesaving instructions over the phone through Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD).

The center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The current schedule is three 12-hour shifts each week and an eight hour shift every other week. Public Safety Dispatchers receive a competitive benefit package including 13 paid holidays per year, 12 paid sick days per year, generous contributions to CalPERS, and access to an employee assistance program. Dispatchers who work on holidays receive overtime compensation for the actual number of hours worked in addition to holiday pay. Shift differential pay of 7.5% is also paid to dispatchers who work swing and graveyard shifts. Full benefit details can be found below in the Benefits section of this posting.

This continuous recruitment will remain open for the calendar year, or until the final filing date, whichever occurs first. The eligible list established from this continuous recruitment will expire by the end of the calendar year. Applicants will be eligible to reapply and take an examination if a new recruitment opens the following calendar year.

To be considered for the next screening cut-off in this recruitment, please submit your application materials by October 3, 2023 at 5:00pm. The next testing session is tentatively scheduled for the week of October 23, 2023.

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view General benefits

Some of the many benefits Placer County offers include: 

• Holidays: 13 paid holidays per year, 1 of which is a floating holiday
• Vacation Leave: 10 days/year with ability to accrue 25 days/year
• Sick Leave: 12 days/year*
• Cafeteria Plan: 6% of employee’s salary will be contributed towards employee to use towards 401(k), dependent care, medical co-insurance or cash
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance available for employees and dependents
• $10,000 Life Insurance Policy at no cost to employee
• CalPERS Retirement plans
• Retiree Medical Insurance 
• Deferred Compensation
• Education Allowance: Up to $1,200 per year
• Bilingual Incentive – Incumbents may be eligible for bilingual incentive depending upon operational needs and certification skills. 

*Amounts will be prorated for part time employees and employees hired after the first of the year. 

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

To receive and transmit routine and emergency requests for law enforcement, fire, ambulance and/or emergency assistance and equipment in a coordinated and calm manner; to monitor public safety frequencies; to operate a variety of communications equipment including radio consoles and a computer aided dispatch system according to established procedures.

This is the entry level class in the Public Safety Dispatcher series.  This class is distinguished from the journey level by the performance of the more routine tasks and duties assigned to positions within this series.  Employees at this level are not expected to perform with the same independence of direction and judgment on matters as those allocated to the journey level.  Since this class is typically used as a training class, employees may have only limited or no directly related work experience.  Employees work under immediate supervision while learning job tasks.

Receives immediate supervision from a Supervising Public Safety Dispatcher and technical and functional supervision from higher level staff as needed.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• On assigned shift, receive telephone communications requiring the dispatching of emergency public safety equipment and personnel; receive and dispatch routine and emergency radio communications from Sheriff's patrol units and other public safety agencies (including contract agencies), such as fire and ambulance; maintain status of units on assignments in the field; keep Department officials informed of critical incidences; interpret information from units in field; work to ensure safety of personnel in the field at all times.
• Monitor various public safety radio frequencies where emergencies involving the coordinated efforts of several agencies are required; relay information to other agencies as required; contact agencies concerned with major emergency operations and provide critical information concerning emergency situations; confirm warrants for deputies, as needed.
• Coordinate efforts between local/State/Federal agencies for both law enforcement and fire incidents.
• Interface with various computer programs on a local/State/Federal level.
• Provide emergency medical instructions over the phone per approved protocols, as necessary.
• Document large volumes of calls for service; compile data and prepare reports of reported emergencies, equipment dispatched and/or status of emergency.
• Operate a variety of communications equipment including the basic and, if applicable, enhanced equipment associated with the 911 public safety answering point (P.S.A.P.); operate radio transmitters and receivers and related equipment.
• Receive, file, send, and where appropriate, take appropriate action concerning teletype messages; utilize current law enforcement automated systems as needed, to identify persons, vehicles, and/or property.
• Perform light clerical duties including entering information for briefing bulletins. Monitor electronic alarm systems for County property; monitor the animal control radio frequency after hours and on weekends.
• Perform research and update information relating to events in the C.A.D. system.
• Monitor and maintain access of after-hours call-out data for the Sheriff's Department and other County departments.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

When assigned Dispatch Training duties:

• Conduct the training of emergency dispatch personnel; instruct employees in the proper methods of operating communications and dispatch equipment, monitoring specified radio frequencies and dispatching public safety personnel and equipment.
• Direct and evaluate the work of trainee employees on an assigned shift.
• Maintain training materials, including manuals, support information, and training records.
• Assist Supervising Public Safety Dispatcher in the periodic review of current procedures and policies.
• Confer with the Supervising Public Safety Dispatcher and other higher level staff regarding special instructions or procedural changes and relay updated information to employees.
• May provide input on the performance evaluations of trainees.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Any combination of 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 customer service experience which demonstrate a general aptitude for working with the public in an environment requiring multi-tasking, balancing competing priorities/demands, and extensive public contact. Experience with computer terminals and radio-broadcasting/communications equipment and/or experience within a law enforcement setting is desirable.

Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade. 

Required License or Certificate:

• Must have satisfactorily completed the P.O.S.T. certified Basic Complaint/Dispatcher course within 12 months of the date of appointment to this class.
• Must satisfactorily complete the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) certified Emergency Medical Dispatch course within 12 months of the date of appointment to this class.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid CPR certificate by the completion of the probationary period.
• May need to possess a valid driver's license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required. 

• Modern office procedures and equipment.
• Basic functions of police, fire, and other public safety agencies.
• Correct English usage and grammar.

Ability to:

• Operate computerized keyboards and other related equipment accurately at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
• Effectively process several tasks simultaneously.
• Learn to operate radio and 911 telephone equipment in dispatching public safety equipment and personnel.
• Sit or stand  at workstation for long periods of time on a continuous basis. Intermittently, twist and reach office equipment, or to obtain materials from printer or other locations within the dispatch center; write or use keyboard to communicate through written means; verbally give instructions to officers in the field; possess auditory requirements in order to differentiate sounds over the radio; lift light weight.
• Quickly and accurately receive and process auditory information in an environment that includes various background noises such as telephones ringing, multiple frequency radio traffic, and general conversation; decipher and differentiate various verbal and non-verbal auditory sounds and cues at variable intensities.
• Continuously analyze information received from a variety of sources; identify different voices and sounds on the radio and telephone; interpret radio codes correctly and translate information to the public; listen and understand oral information; monitor multiple radio frequencies; know various locations and addresses; read maps quickly and accurately; observe computer screen for messages; receive information from the public and assist in problem solving their particular dilemma; remember, understand, interpret and apply Department policies for different types of calls; speak clearly via radio and telephone; translate information verbally and explain to the public how their concern will be handled.
• Learn to analyze a situation and determine an effective course of action; learn to adjust quickly to changing situations; learn to perform several tasks at once and assign reasonable priorities to incoming calls; learn to monitor multiple frequencies.
• Learn the geography of the County and location of streets and important buildings.
• Learn established rules and procedures.
• Learn to listen carefully and attentively and remember names, locations and numbers; learn to record pertinent data associated with C.A.D. events and logs.
• Understand and carry out oral and written directives.
• Perform job tasks effectively under pressure for sustained periods of time.
• Memorize and retain information from a variety of sources.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Exercise good judgment in emergency situations.
• Develop and maintain an efficient, calm demeanor in handling adverse and/or emergency situations.
• Work irregular hours and shift work, including holidays, nights and weekends.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Written Examination (100%) 

The written examination may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, matching, and/or essay type questions directly related to the required knowledge and abilities for this classification.

Note: Applicants who have already taken the POST Entry-Level Dispatcher Selection Test Battery within six (6) months of their scheduled testing date may attach their official score report notice (including agency name, exam name, exam date, and exam scores) to their application materials to forward their scores to Placer County.

The written examinations have been tentatively scheduled for the following:

• Day of October 24, 2023

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over),  marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Andrea Marthaler, Administrative Technician, at amarthaler@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4664.