911 Dispatcher

Douglas County Sheriff's Office is creating a hiring list for a full-time Communications Officer.

About the role

An employee in this position is responsible for performing quick, efficient, and accurate dispatching of calls and messages with public safety units and personnel in the field. This position works a rotating shift schedule and is eligible for membership with the Douglas County Law Enforcement Association bargaining unit. The role involves receiving emergency and non-emergency calls from the public and relaying information to the proper Public Safety Agency, as well as providing communications and resource information to field units including Police, Fire, Ambulance, and others.

Work is primarily performed in a crowded, noisy office environment. Employees must be able to work all shifts, including nights and weekends. Physical requirements include bending, color identification, gripping with hands and fingers, hearing alarms and voice conversation, keyboarding, kneeling, lifting/carrying up to 14 pounds, pulling, pushing, reaching, sitting, standing, and wearing a telephone headset for long periods of time.

Department Overview

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division dispatches for 8 law enforcement agencies and approximately 26 fire/medical agencies within Douglas County, which spans 5,134 square miles. The county has a full-time resident population of 113,748. The Communications Division answers roughly 231,668 calls a year, of which approximately 53,768 are 9-1-1 calls.

Responsibilities

• Receives calls and dispatches Police, Fire, and Ambulances within a central communication center.
• Answers 9-1-1 and non-emergency lines, assists callers with medical aid instructions as necessary.
• Checks records, warrants, and information updates.
• Creates and retrieves computer entries.
• Answers emergency and non-emergency questions, routes callers to the proper resource.
• Performs emergency and non-emergency radio communications to field units.

Requirements

• Two years of work-related support experience of a progressively responsible nature (e.g., prior experience in communications/dispatch, law enforcement, medical, law office, or clerical) or a satisfactory equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
• Must receive tele-communicator and emergency medical dispatch certifications within one year of employment.
• Minimum typing speed of 35 words per minute.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to simultaneously perform multiple tasks such as listening, talking, and entering information.

Preference will be given to applicants with dispatch or communications experience.

Selection Process

• Initial screening based on minimum qualifications.
• Skills test (Frontline written/video exam).
• Oral interviews.
• Extensive background investigation (including criminal, personal, and work-related elements).
• Psychological exam.
• Chemical detection screen (drug testing).
• Physical exam.
• Hearing exam.

Applications will be further evaluated during the background investigation for honesty, integrity, and maturity. Applicants may be disqualified after unsuccessful completion of any phase of evaluation. Background investigations can average six to eight weeks to complete.

Benefits

• Excellent full-family benefit package.
• OPSRP/PERS retirement.
• Availability of deferred compensation retirement savings.
• Onsite childcare available at a discounted employee rate through Roseburg Professional Childcare (Fowler St. location only). Availability is subject to center waitlist.