Lateral - 911 Communications Specialist

WHO MAY APPLY : This position is open to the public. If you are currently an experienced public safety dispatcher, we want you!

Calling all LAW ENFORCEMENT Dispatchers!

Check out the role overview below If you are confident you have got the right skills and experience, apply today.

Serve your community as a Lateral 911 Call Receiver / Dispatcher with King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO). We are seeking individuals with at least two years’ 911 dispatcher experience predominantly with law enforcement.

Qualified lateral candidates will begin as a call receiver at $36.37 (step 4 of the pay scale) and be assigned to dispatcher training within their 12-month probation.

When fully trained and certified, lateral hires will be reclassified as a Dispatcher and receive dispatcher pay. Dispatcher step placement will be based on experience and in accordance with King County compensation schedule.

Call Receiver Annual Salary : $75,649.60 (begins at step 4)

Dispatcher Annual Salary Range : $85,176 $93,641.60 (placement to be determined)

A career as a KCSO Communications Specialist / Dispatcher is rewarding, exciting and an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the King County Sheriff’s Office mission, to being a trusted partner in fighting crime and improving the quality of life for our residents and guests.

The Communications Team supports KCSO’s mission by handling over 537,000 calls annually from unincorporated King County; twelve contract cities, Metro Transit Police, Sound Transit Police, and King County Airport Police.

Over half a million people rely on our call receivers, dispatchers, and other communications personnel.

General job duties include but are not limited to :

• Receive, prioritize, and route emergency and non-emergency calls from the public, transfer calls, and receive calls directly from other agencies.
• Enter event information and dispatch according to priority or transfer / refer to the appropriate agency.
• Triage emergency requests for assistance and relay pertinent information to responders via radio.
• Assign emergency response priority to events by determining whether immediate response could save lives or prevent crimes.
• Route event details to the correct Dispatcher or appropriate agency.
• Retrieve information from State and National computer networks regarding wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and other related information.
• Manage multiple radio frequencies and radio communications simultaneously.
• Communicate effectively with confused, upset, hostile, or distraught people by phone.
• Record information and maintain required logs during periods of computer aided dispatch down time.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR LATERAL APPLICANTS : Lateral candidates must possess a minimum of two (2) years’ experience as a fully qualified call receiver or dispatcher :

• Predominantly centered on law enforcement.
• A minimum of 250,000 incoming 9-1-1 calls annually.
• Less than a two-year break in service.

INCUMBENTS MUST HAVE THE ABILITY TO :

• Complete the KCSO dispatcher training within the probationary period.
• Demonstrate ability to apply law enforcement and emergency management basic principles.
• Critical thinking skills, ability to act quickly in response to instructions.
• Knowledge of police, fire, ambulance and other EMS dispatch operations.
• Experience utilizing a Computer Aided Dispatch System.
• Simultaneously receive emergency calls and gather critical information.
• Establish effective working relationships with other employees and emergency service agencies.
• Provide a high level of customer service.
• Maintain composure and control under adverse conditions.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS :

• Fluency in languages common in King County; Spanish, Vietnamese, Somali, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Amharic, Arabic, Ukrainian.
• Experience in the use of spreadsheets, and / or database management.
• Experience in a communications center supporting a county sheriff’s office.
• Currently certified in ACCESS, NCIC and WACIC.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS :

A Communications Specialist is considered an "essential employee," required to work holidays and during adverse weather conditions.

REQUIREMENTS WHEN HIRED :

• Ability to maintain certification in ACCESS, NCIC and WACIC on a bi-annual basis.
• Ability to obtain additional licenses and certifications as required.
• Complete the dispatcher training within probationary period.

This is a Civil Service position.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS : Applications will be reviewed as received, and they will be screened for clarity, completeness.

Please provide work history from the last ten years.

• Direct apply Click on the "Apply" link towards the top of this job announcement on the right.
• Application Review Applications will be screened for accuracy and completeness.
• Oral Board Exam Qualified candidates will be invited to self-schedule for an oral board examination.
• Civil Service Eligibility List Upon successfully passing the oral board examination, qualified candidates will be placed on the lateral eligibility list.

PREFERENCE POINTS :

Veteran's Preference : a valid copy of your DD214 must be provided.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer.

To Apply : If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

Benefits : For more information about medical benefits go to Benefits summaries - King County. Additional benefits include :

• Longevity Pay
• Merit Pay
• Training Duty Compensation
• Lead Worker / Out of Class Pay

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