Public Safety Dispatcher

City & Borough of Juneau•Juneau, AK

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Juneau is recruiting for Police & Fire Public Safety Dispatchers! For applicants located outside of Juneau, all testing can be completed remotely. We are looking for someone who communicates very well and will provide excellent customer service even in difficult circumstances. Remains calm in tense or fast-paced situations and emergencies. Has exceptional attendance, reliability, and dependability. Has great attention to detail while summarizing and performing data entry. Has excellent recall with ability to switch from one task to another in rapid succession. Wants to participate in helping the community from behind the scenes. Working as a Public Safety Dispatcher for the Juneau Police Department is a personally rewarding and challenging career that has a significant positive impact on the community. New dispatchers receive about 7 months of on-the-job training to learn call processing, computer systems, and radio procedures. Dispatchers provide service to the public and to responders over the phone and radio as part of a big team of people who serve the community. We work together through good times and during crises, emergencies, and difficult events. Most days are fun and challenging. Some are stressful and can be emotionally draining. Between your coworkers’ support, structured training and Wellness program, you will develop coping skills that will help you be able to bounce from the tough calls. On any given day, dispatchers may start with a parking complaint, then give someone CPR instructions, help solve an argument between a caller and their partner, conduct research and data entry, provide general information about city services, and sometimes help to deliver babies over the phone.

Requirements

High school graduation or the equivalent
Twenty-four (24) months of general administrative, communications or technical work experience requiring gathering, analysis, categorization and documentation of information
Twelve (12) months of experience using computer systems to input, research, maintain and retrieve information
Twelve (12) months of customer service, call center, collections, legal office or reception work explaining services, program requirements, procedures, summaries of actions and eliciting information
At least 18 years of age at the time of appointment
See well enough to quickly read fine print, charts, graphs, maps, VDTs and to see fine detail with no color deficiencies
Hear well enough to understand radio and telephone transmissions through headsets, handsets, and speakers, sometimes with interference, static and background noises, such as with others talking in the room, audible radio noise and telephones ringing
Hear others whether or not they are in view
Discern various tones, rhythms and series of "beeps" through a headset and over a speaker
Speak in a clear, understandable voice with sufficient volume and tone quality to project effectively over the radio, telephone, and in person
Stamina to sit for long periods
Use of fingers and hands to write, operate computer keyboards and radio computer equipment
Ability and willingness to work shifts, holidays, weekends, scheduled and emergency overtime, and be available for required on-call duty
Attend local and out of area training courses as authorized and required
Willingness to wear a uniform and comply with department grooming standards
Maintain minimum unscheduled absences and a high rate of attendance
Maintain a positive attitude and be flexible to change
Successful completion of all portions of the background process, psychological evaluation, and pending receipt of verified negative results of pre-employment testing for controlled substances
Ability to obtain a security clearance issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to use the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN)

Nice To Haves

New dispatchers receive about 7 months of on-the-job training to learn call processing, computer systems, and radio procedures.

Responsibilities

Answering phones, 9-1-1 lines
Managing radio channels
Providing customer service
Solving problems
Sharing information with the public
Tracking all of this activity in a computer-aided dispatch system
Performing data entry
Talking to callers during their times of need
Making critically important decisions in support of the community, Juneau Police Department, and Capital City Fire/Rescue responders
Working with considerable independence
Using good judgment
Taking actions based on policy while taking into account different situations and conditions on the fly
Prioritizing, re-evaluating, and re-prioritizing tasks
Performing administrative tasks during periods of down time

Benefits

$10,000 Hiring Bonus for eligible applicants
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE available
An opportunity to earn a health insurance premium discount of $1300 per year
An Employee Assistance Program
Wellness Pass Discounts to local and CBJ recreation Facilities
Health-related webinars
Office Ergonomic Assessments
10 free sessions per year with a qualified mental health professional for you and your family
10 free group sessions for employees and their families
Initial and ongoing resiliency training for employees and their significant other
Annual wellness check-ins
Peer support teams dedicated to serving employees and their families
A chaplain program
A wellness room
Yearly wellness-related events
Access to an onsite gym
Extra pay differential when working swing shift (4.5%)
Extra pay differential when working night shift (6.5%)
Overtime is paid
Extra leave is granted when working holidays