Dispatcher

The City of Maricopa is currently seeking qualified individuals interested in joining our team of dedicated professions in becoming the first line of contact and critical link in the public safety chain. Dispatchers communicate and coordinate with police, emergency services, and the public to get resources to individuals and families in there time of need. The Maricopa Communications Center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Candidates mustbe flexible and willing to work various schedules during training. Once training is complete, you will most likely be working nights and weekends.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

• Questions callers to quickly and accurately ascertain their location and nature of their problem to determine the type of response needed.
• Appease and effectively extract information from callers under stress.
• Interprets telephone or radio call and whether a police officer should be dispatched to the scene within the first few seconds of conversation to determine priority of call.
• Provides location information from maps and other resources, applying knowledge of streets, highway systems, and geography to provide appropriate and timely assistance.
• Detects unclear or unusual sounds on the phone or over the radio which may indicate a request for help.
• Records information received by typing accurately, while also communicating verbally and receiving new information.
• Makes sounds decisions and quickly reacts positively under stressful conditions.
• Logs information received and/or transmitted using computer terminals to input, query information, send teletypes, and communication via TTY as needed.
• Remembers details and procedures and applies such instantaneously in an emergency situation.
• Verifies warrants and interprets data quickly and accurately.
• Notifies Fire Dispatch of medical emergencies, such as attempted suicides, drownings, and serious injury accidents, etc.
• Dispatches calls to proper emergency/police units and enters appropriate information into a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
• Prioritizes calls, monitors channels during critical incidents, determines appropriate officers to respond, and dispatches information to appropriate personnel.
• Maintains constant awareness of the status of units and updates this information as it changes.
• Work is performed in the City of Maricopa Emergency Communications Center under conditions requiring close contact with other employees, often during stressful situations.
• All other duties as assigned.

Minimum and Preferred Entrance Qualifications

Education and Experience

• High School diploma or GED equivalency.
• Any combination of training, education, or experience equivalent to one to three (1-3) years of experience in public contact or customer service experience which involves the operation of a multi-line phone system or radio communication system.
• Any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities.
• Must be able to work a shift - The Emergency Communications Center works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Motorola (Spillman) CAD Experience.
• Dispatching and/or Call taking at a Primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) also known as a 9-1-1 Center or for a fire department at a Secondary PSAP.
• Experience with computer data entry and basic computer skills.
• Bilingual (Spanish) speaking skills are desirable.

Competencies for Successful Performance of Job Duties

Knowledge of:

• Basic telephone etiquette
• Public relations techniques
• State statutes relating to criminal codes and traffic laws, Communications Department Operations Orders, and Maricopa City Codes.
• Departmental policies, procedures, and general orders
• Community resources to provide to citizen callers.

Skill in:

• Communicating clearly, concisely, and effectively both orally and in writing.
• Effective decision-making and problem solving skills with a limited amount of information in crisis and/or emergency situations.
• Ability to deal professionally and respectfully with co-workers, city employees, and the public.

Ability to:

• Speak with a clear, well-modulated voice in English by phone and radio while tactfully communicating with highly emotional callers.
• Maintain emotional control, remember details, and work effectively during emergencies, crisis situations, heavy workloads, or extremely stressful conditions.
• Handle negative comments and feedback both internally and externally.
• Cope with emotionally tense situations.
• Remember details and enter them in a timely manner and make decisions under stressful conditions.
• Shut out extraneous information from the work environment, while selectively listening to information recognized as critical.
• Learn the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) formats and commands, possibly from multiple systems and perform them accurately and timely as they pertain to Communication Dispatchers.
• Learn Maricopa city streets, points of interest, and city boundaries.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other City employees, including Police Department employees, Fire personnel, co-workers and the public.

Other Job Requirements

• Employee must be able to work ALL shifts, i.e. nights, weekends, holidays, etc. The Emergency Communications Center works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.
• Because of the confidential, sensitive nature of the information handled, successful completion of a background investigation and polygraph is required. Candidates given a conditional job offer will be required to pass pre-employment alcohol/drug test, in addition to psychological testing.

Work Environment and Conditions

The work environment and exposures described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands & Environmental Characteristics

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands and environmental characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The position is generally sedentary. Employees sit most of the time but may walk or stand for brief periods of time.

The City of Maricopa is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $23.53 - $33.98 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 10 hour shift

Ability to Relocate:

• Maricopa, AZ 85139: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person