DISPATCHER

JOB TITLE: Emergency Communications Officer/911 Dispatcher DEPARTMENT: Sheriffs Office REPORTS TO: Dispatch Supervisor BENEFITS: Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance paid for employee, PERSI Retirement, Sick Leave, Vacation after 1 year, Holiday Pay, and Funeral Leave SUMMARY A 911 dispatcher plays a critical role in emergency response by handling incoming calls for law enforcement, fire, and medical emergencies, serving as a critical link between the public and emergency services, ensuring effective and timely responses to emergencies. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Answering Calls: Receive emergency calls from the public and gather essential information such as the nature of the emergency, location, and any immediate threats or risks. Prioritizing and Dispatching: Assess the urgency of each situation, prioritize calls, and dispatch the appropriate emergency responders (police, fire, or medical) to the scene. Providing Instructions: Offer instructions to callers on how to manage the situation while help is on the way, such as CPR guidance, fire safety steps, or how to stay safe during a law enforcement situation. Monitoring and Coordinating: Maintain communication with responders during an emergency, providing updates, additional information, and coordinating responses between various agencies. Documenting: Accurately log call details, actions taken, and dispatch times for legal documentation and reporting. Maintaining Calm: Stay composed in high-stress situations, offering reassurance and clear instructions to help manage panic or chaos. Duties and Responsibilities: Radio and paging software operation GIS map and AVL map operation Admin, 911, TDD telephone software operation Audio recording software operation, Computer Aided Dispatch software system operation Sheriffs Office Dispatch records management Civil Protection Order, No Contact Order, Arrest Warrant, Missing persons, Stolen Article and Vehicle NCIC entry and on-going record entry, modification and other management. Answering all in-coming Sheriffs Office administrative and 911 calls from 12 trunk lines Operation of radio software program to communicate with law, fire and EMS personnel Operation of computer aided dispatch software (CAD) Operation of mapping software applications Operation of Idaho Law Enforcement Telecommunications (ILETS) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) systems Gathering, analyzing, and reporting critical information to first responders during routine and life and property threatening situations such as crimes in progress, medical emergencies, and fire/rescue incidents Providing pre-arrival instruction to callers by directing callers through procedures such as CPR, childbirth, controlling of blood loss, personal safety, scene safety and other instruction measures while emergency medical services are responding Managing communications of emergency personnel responding to incidents and assisting with incident operations during events such as code blue (persons not breathing), injury and non-injury accidents, armed persons, officer down responses, structure and grass fires etc. Taking protective actions for first responders by providing life-safety information during responses Analyzing conflicting and/or limited location information to direct first responders to the scene Negotiating with suicidal callers or hostage takers Deploying to the scene of planned events, major emergencies, or ongoing incidents. ECOs must efficiently multi-task, have quick decision-making skills, use critical thinking, active listening, and have proficient written and verbal communications skills. ECOs must possess conflict resolution & problem-solving skills. Appear in court as subpoenaed Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES Must type minimum 35 wpm The Dispatch Center is staffed 24/7/365. Shift schedules are generally 4 days per week / 10 hours per day REQUIREMENTS Training and Certification Requirements: Must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent Must have no adult felony charges and some misdemeanor charges may also disqualify an applicant for POST certification eligibility. Criminal history background check will be conducted every 2 years as required for criminal justice certifications. Idaho POST certified Emergency Communications Officer certification. Training for POST certification provided by agency. Yearly on-going training hours required. Idaho Law Enforcement Telecommunications / National Crime Information Center Operator. Training for certification provided by the agency. Re-certification required every 2 years. CPR, Emergency Medical, Fire, Law Enforcement protocol certifications. Training for certifications provided by agency. Re-certification required every 2 years. National Incident Management System (NIMS 100, 200, 700.) Training for certification provided by agency. FEMA Integrated Public Alert & Warning System local operator. Training for certification provided by agency 480 hours in-house Dispatch training DISCLAIMER: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential functions satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being assigned to this job. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of individuals in the job. This job description is not an employment agreement and/or an expressed or implied employment contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.