Communications Dispatcher I/II - Fire & Sheriff

County of Santa Barbara•Santa Barbara, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department are accepting applications to fill multiple vacancies in Santa Barbara. Both the Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department are looking for committed, compassionate individuals to join our team as Communications Dispatchers (911 Dispatchers). In this vital role, you will be the first point of contact during emergencies—providing clear guidance, critical support, and reassurance to people in their most urgent moments. If you are driven by a desire to serve your community and want a stable, meaningful career where every call can make a difference, we invite you to join the team that helps protect lives and keeps our community safe. The Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department will use this recruitment to fill current and future full-time, part-time and extra-help (temporary) vacancies. The work schedule for this position depends upon the needs of the department.

Requirements

Possession of a High School Diploma or GED AND any combination of experience, education and/or training, which demonstrates possession of the required knowledge and abilities listed below.
Incumbents must be able to type 35 wpm.
Work rotating shifts including nights and weekends.
Work overtime as required to ensure operational stability of the communications center.
Must be able to pass a work-simulated, computer-based performance test, a background investigation (including a polygraph examination and credit check for the Sheriff’s Office), psychological evaluation and medical exam.
Knowledge of: English language; basic customer service practices; and basic office computer applications such as Microsoft Office applications
Ability to: Learn to retain and relay information received under stressful conditions; hear, understand, and speak the English language; respond to calls and radio transmissions quickly and calmly and make sound decisions under pressure; learn to observe, receive, and otherwise obtain information from all relevant sources; learn to analyze information, evaluate results, and choose the best solution; solve problems; learn Federal, State, and local laws, and also local agency policies and procedures, terminology, jurisdictional boundaries, and available types of emergency services; to read maps and provide directions; clearly speak and communicate effectively over the telephone and radio; remain calm in stressful situations; perform multiple tasks simultaneously; learn use of multiple computer and telephone systems; communicate with people of diverse social and cultural backgrounds; follow written and oral instructions; establish and maintain working relationships with other agencies; and operate a telephone, computer, mouse, and keyboard.

Nice To Haves

Multilingual in languages spoken in the County such as Spanish, Mixtec, Hmong or others relevant languages.
IROC and Aircraft training, EMD & EFD certification through Priority Dispatch, and Communications Training Officer .
Successful completion of an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) and Emergency Fire Dispatcher (EFD) certification during the training period and maintained throughout employment. (Additional Requirements for Fire Department)
Successful completion of a California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Certified Basic Complaint/Dispatch course during the one-year probationary period. (Additional Requirements Sheriff’s Office)

Responsibilities

Receives non-emergency and emergency requests (including 911 calls) for sheriff/fire protection, medical, or emergency services; and obtains relevant information and inputs data, evaluates and prioritizes calls for service and dispatches appropriate personnel and equipment.
Using a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, monitors and updates fire, ambulance, and sheriff unit location and status in order to coordinate emergency field operations; provides backup support and information as necessary by operating a two-way radio; requests additional assistance from other agencies as necessary; and obtains computerized law enforcement information from local, state, and federal data banks through a telecommunications terminal.
Maintains reference cards, logs, reports, procedure manuals, reference manuals, files, and other documents; and performs other clerical duties.
Coordinates communications between multiple units, agencies and jurisdictions, including aircraft responding to fire and emergency medical incidents.
Simultaneously monitors and transmits on multiple radio channels and multiple transmitters; and maintains contact with and monitors status of field units.
Could be expected to testify in court.
Utilizes CLETS to determine and confirm information and enters and removes information. (Sheriff’s Office Only)
Utilizes established Emergency Dispatch protocols to provide pre-arrival medical and fire instructions to callers and follows established protocols for Priority Medical/Fire Dispatch program.
Utilizes System Status Management protocols to ensure optimum geographic coverage through deployment of resources by type; monitors diversion status of area hospitals and specialized units within each hospital.
Performs specialized dispatch functions related to the responsibilities of a CAL-EMS Mutual Aid Operations Area Coordinator Dispatch Center, and specialized functions of a CAL-Fire Contract County Dispatch Center. (Fire Department Only)
Operates specialized computer systems to prepare, input, and obtain state/regional fire or emergency medical services activity, resource deployments and daily fire weather information through the Weather Information Management System (WIMS) and the Interagency Resource Ordering Capability (IROC). (Fire Department Only)
Performs related duties as assigned.