Public Safety Dispatcher - Entry Level

Summary/Class Characteristics

Public Safety Dispatcher - Entry Level

This recruitment is for Entry-Level Public Safety Dispatcher. Lateral candidates for Public Safety Dispatcher are encouraged to apply for the Public Safety Dispatcher- Lateral recruitment; please visit the City's job opportunities page .

Please Note
Applicants meeting the minimum requirements will be invited to participate in the next phase of the selection process which is an online interactive exam (Criticall). As part of the Criticall exam, applicants will be asked to demonstrate a minimum typing speed of 42 words per minute.

Special Pays as a Full Time Public Safety Dispatcher:

• Uniform Allowance: $260 annually, $400 lump sum for new hires
• POST Dispatcher Certificate Pay: 1.5% for POST Intermediate Dispatcher Certificate, 3% for POST Advanced Dispatcher Certificate
• Bilingual Pay: up to $200 per month
• Communications Training Officer: 5% as assigned
• Shift Differential: 3% if assigned to swing shift, 5% if assigned to graveyard shift
• Longevity Pay: 5% after 15 years of service with the City

Benefits as a Full Time Public Safety Dispatcher:

• CalPERS Retirement: 2% at 60 for "classic" members, 2% at 62 for new members.
• CalPERS Health Program: City pays 95% of Bay Area Kaiser rate premium for employee and eligible dependents
• Dental/Vision/Life/LTD Insurance: paid 100% by City
• Holiday Pay: 156 hours per year
• Sick Leave: earn 96 hours per year with unlimited accrual
• Compensatory Time Off Bank: earn hours at 1.5 times actual hours worked up to 240 hours
• Vacation Time: earn 80-200 hours per year depending on years of service
• Cash in Lieu of Medical/Dental Benefits: receive 50% of Kaiser Bay Area premium and Dental premium as cash payment (with proof of other insurance for employee and eligible dependents)
• Employee Assistance Program: Support and benefits, for you & eligible family members, paid for by the City
• Wellness Benefit: $500 annual allowance (subject to the annual budget approval process and may change in the future)
• Paid Parental Leave - up to 8 weeks of paid time for qualifying family bonding

Please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for Unit 6 and the Human Resources website for additional details.

The Petaluma Police Department
Petaluma Police Department is dedicated to providing the best law enforcement services to the community and it prides itself on community involved programs. Petaluma has a population of approximately 61,000 and encompasses nearly 14 square miles situated 40 miles north of San Francisco Bay Area on U.S. 101, and 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The Police Department staffing includes 102.6 full time employees, including one Chief, one Deputy Chief, four Lieutenants, one Technical Services Manager, ten Sergeants, fifty-four Officers, and other support staff, including the Communications Unit (Dispatch). In addition, the department has K-9 Officers, Traffic Unit, Motorcycle Patrol, SWAT Team, Tactical Dispatch Team, Investigations Unit, and a Volunteer Program. The Petaluma Police Department is proactive in Community Oriented Policing Philosophy.

The Communications Unit is currently comprised of a supervisor, 10 full-time, 1 job-share, 1 permanent part-time, and per-diem dispatch positions. The Petaluma Police Department is a member of the Sonoma County consortium which uses a shared CAD/RMS system. Full Time Dispatchers typically work a 4/10 schedule (4 days per week/10 hours per day) or 4 days per week/3 twelve-hour days and 1 4-hour day depending on staffing levels.

#petalumaproud

A City that Works for Everyone

Our City has an enormous amount of civic pride which celebrates multiple approaches and points of view. When we say we are a City that Works for Everyone we mean everyone. To do that well, we’re creating a workforce that is inclusive and listens to the multitude of voices and views of our employees. Diversity is an integral part of our organizational identity. Inclusion is the way we treat and perceive our differences. Equity is treating all our employees fairly and acknowledging that everyone has value. This drives our innovation, motivation and connects us even closer to our community.
Summary
Receive 911 emergency and non-emergency calls; dispatch resources according to police and fire procedures; operate various dispatch center equipment; maintain required dispatch records.

Class Characteristics
General supervision is provided by the Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor; responsibilities may include indirect supervision of lower level personnel.

Duties

The duties, skills, and demands 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 a disability to perform the essential duties, skills, and demands.

• Receive 911 emergency and non-emergency calls for service; evaluate the nature of the emergency; enter information into computer terminals; determine appropriate response level, priority and type of resources required, dispatch police, fire, and medical personnel and equipment; update and monitor information related to the event.
• Monitor radio traffic and request for services, relay information and/or instructions to personnel, work with other agencies and coordinate mutual response radio traffic.
• Maintain records of calls for service using the computer aided dispatch system; maintain and access business and premise history files for emergency and other necessary contacts.
• Operate in-house and radio paging systems.
• Monitor closed-circuit security cameras.
• Assist citizens at the Police Station after business hours. Coordinate responses to after hour emergency calls for City services.
• May provide new employees with an orientation to City dispatch procedures and services.
• May be required to provide court testimony.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Modern office practices and procedures, computers, and software applications.
• Proper English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Alphabetic, chronological, and numeric filing systems.
• Effective communication techniques.
• Community resources.
• City and surrounding geography.

Education and Experience
Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities would be:

Education :
Equivalent to graduation from high school. Related college course work desirable.

Experience:

Two years of experience involving public contact while performing multiple tasks and using computers. One year of experience in public safety and/or fire dispatching in a 911 center is desirable.

Certifications/Licenses:
Incumbents must successfully complete the POST Public Safety Dispatch course prior to the completion of the probationary period and must obtain a POST Public Safety Dispatch Certificate.

Other Requirements:
Willingness and ability to work any shift in a 24-hour period, holidays, weekends, scheduled and emergency overtime, and be available for call back as required.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use the computer keyboard and mouse, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; stand, walk, and stoop, or crouch. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee will work in an office environment where the noise level is usually moderate.

The City of Petaluma offers a wide-ranging, comprehensive benefit package including CalPERS retirement, medical, dental, vision, life, LTD, etc. For moreinformation regarding the benefits associated with this position, visit our website: https://cityofpetaluma.org/employee-benefits-information/

Closing Date/Time: 4/21/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• City of Petaluma

• 707-778-4534

Show more