Dispatcher

Description

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

This is the first of four levels in the Public Safety Communications series. Incumbents receive incoming calls for police, fire, medical and other emergency assistance, and dispatch appropriate units via radio and telephone. Responsibilities may include receiving and responding to emergency and non-emergency calls from the public; dispatching emergency units; coordinating and relaying information; entering, updating, and retrieving information from the National Crime Information Center; and maintaining daily radio logs.

• PLEASE NOTE : THIS POSITION WILL REMAIN OPEN THROUGH OCTOBER 22, 2025, OR UNTIL FILLED.

APPLICANTS MUST VISIT THE AMERICAN JOB CENTER AT 523 MADISON STREET SUITE B CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE 37040, TO TAKE A REQUIRED TYPING TEST. WALK-INS ARE WELCOMED, BUT CALLING IN ADVANCE TO ALERT THE CENTER OF WHEN YOU ARE COMING IS ENCOURAGED. THE PHONE NUMBER IS (931) 905-3551. APPLICANTS MUST HAVE A NET RESULT OF AT LEAST 35 WORDS PER MINUTE ON THE REQUIRED TYPING TEST. AN APPLICANT MUST BE REGISTERED WITH Jobs4tn.gov BEFORE VISITING THE AMERICAN JOB CENTER. PLEASE NOTE THAT IF THE APPLICANT HAS TAKEN A TYPING TEST AT THE AMERICAN JOB CENTER IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, THIS MAY COUNT TOWARDS THE APPLICATION. THE APPLICANT WILL NEED TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THAT TEST FROM THE AMERICAN JOB CENTER.

THE AMERICAN JOB CENTER WILL GIVE A COPY OF THE RESULTS TO THE APPLICANT WHICH THE APPLICANT MUST THEN TURN IN TO SHEILA MICHAELS IN THE CITY OF CLARKSVILLE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, EITHER IN PERSON BY VISITING OUR LOCATION AT ONE PUBLIC SQUARE SUITE 200 CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE 37040, AND LEAVING A COPY IN AN ENVELOP WITH THE SECURITY STATION OF THE LOBBY, OR PREFERABLY BY SCANNING THE RESULTS AND EMAILING THEM TO : Sheila.Michaels@cityofclarksville.com.

THE APPLICANT THAT DOES NOT COMPLETE ALL OF THE ABOVE STEPS, TO INCLUDE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION AND TYPING ASSESSMENT, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION. IT DOES NOT MATTER IN WHICH ORDER THE APPLICATION OR ASSESSMENT ARE SUBMITTED.

APPLICANTS WHOSE APPLICATIONS ARE FORWARDED FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WILL BE CONTACTED BY A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CLARKSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND GIVEN A DATE FOR THE WRTTEN EXAMINATION.

APPLICANTS SELECTED FOR THE POSITION WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK TWELVE (12) HOUR SHIFTS, WHICH COULD BE DURING THE DAY, NIGHT, ON WEEKENDS, AND / OR HOLIDAYS.

THE APPLICANT MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD TO APPLY AND BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION.

Example of Duties

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions :

Receives and routes telephone calls reporting situations and incidences of an emergency or life-threatening nature; questions caller and solicits information; receives and routes non-emergency telephone calls; maintains operational records and logs.

Dispatches appropriate units to specific calls utilizing a radio console; tracks calls and notifies appropriate individual(s) of situations requiring their attention.

Monitors the status and location of all public safety units.

Enters, updates, and retrieves information from NCIC (National Crime Information Center).

Performs other duties of a similar nature or level.

Typical Qualifications

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Education and Experience

High school diploma or GED equivalent.

No experience required.

License and Certifications

Police / Fire APCO certification.

National Incident Management System (NIMS).

Communications Training Officer (CTO).

National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

Supplemental Information

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

Knowledge of :

Customer service principles.

City geography.

Computers and related software applications.

Recordkeeping principles.

Computers and related software applications.

Skill in :

Providing customer service.

Remaining calm in stressful situations.

Operating multi-line phone systems.

Using a computer and related software applications.

Reading maps.

Maintaining records and logs.

Using a computer and related software applications.

Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.

Physical Requirements :

The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and / or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required :

Feeling : Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.

Fingering : Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

Grasping : Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

Handling : Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.

Hearing : Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination sound.

Kneeling : Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.

Lifting : Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. It occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.

Mental Acuity : Making rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.

Pulling : Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

Pushing : Using upper extremities to press against something steady to thrust forward, downward, or outward.

Reaching : Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Repetitive Motion : Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and / or fingers.

Speaking : Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.

Standing : Particularly for sustained periods of time.

Stooping : Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. It occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.

Talking : Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Visual ability 1 : sufficient to perform an activity like preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and / or extensive reading.

Visual ability 4 : sufficient to operate motor vehicles and / or heavy equipment, both day and night.

Walking : Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.