Public Safety Dispatcher

This is a full-time union represented position typically working a combination of 8-hour and 12-hour shifts for 40+ hours per week.  Shifts regularly include work during the evening, overnight, weekends, and holidays.   Employees receive extra pay differential when working swing shift (4.5%) and night shift (6.5%).  Overtime is paid, and extra leave is granted when working holidays. Work assignments and personal leave are bid and scheduled based on seniority.

The Communications Center is located at the Juneau police station on Alaway Avenue in the Lemon Creek area and has plenty of free, convenient parking available in a secure parking lot.

Typical Responsibilities

You will be answering phones, 9-1-1 lines, managing radio channels, providing customer service, solving problems, sharing information with the public, and tracking all of this activity in a computer-aided dispatch system. Duties quickly fluctuate between performing data entry, talking to callers during their times of need, and making critically important decisions in support of the community, Juneau Police Department, and Capital City Fire/Rescue responders. Most calls for service involve either police, community service, fire, EMS, the Mobile Crisis Team or Sobering Center responders, with some calls getting all of the above.
  
It is important to be able to work with considerable independence, use good judgment, and take actions based on policy while taking into account different situations and conditions on the fly. Tasks are constantly prioritized, re-evaluated, and re-prioritized. There are times of very heavy workload, and there are also periods of down time when administrative tasks are performed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: High school graduation or the equivalent.

Experience:   The required experience listed below may be gained concurrently and must have been obtained within the last ten (10) years. 
 

Twenty-four (24) months of general administrative, communications or technical work experience requiring gathering, analysis, categorization and documentation of information; and

Twelve (12) months of experience using computer systems to input, research, maintain and retrieve information; and

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.
 

Other: At least 18 years of age at the time of appointment.
 

SPECIAL NOTES: Appointment to Public Safety Dispatcher positions will be made conditionally pending 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 (this includes: new hires, short term temp, long term temp, transfers from another CBJ department, or former JPD employees who have been separated from JPD employment for more than 30 days). All information provided by the applicant will be verified. Applicants who materially misrepresent any information provided in the employment process will be excluded from consideration or dismissed if already employed. 
 

Audiometric testing shall be performed on each candidate who has received a conditional job offer. This test will detect any physical or medical condition that could adversely affect the candidate’s ability to safely perform all essential job tasks. Audiometric testing will be administered by a licensed physician and will occur prior to employment. Former Juneau Police Department dispatchers are required to submit to this test.
 

NOTE: Although marijuana usage is legal in Alaska, such drug use is not federally legal. Furthermore, according to departmental policy and Alaska law, an applicant with marijuana use in the past one (1) year will be automatically disqualified.

APSIN NOTIFICATION: Please be aware – this position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN).  A security clearance issued by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is necessary to use APSIN.  DPS will deny security clearance for any applicant who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor in this state or another jurisdiction, or who may be a fugitive from justice.  Additionally, security clearance will be withdrawn if DPS discovers that material information was falsified or omitted at the time of the initial application for security clearance. With written consent (see supplemental document), a criminal history report will be obtained prior to any testing or interviews in order to evaluate a candidate’s suitability in obtaining an APSIN clearance.
 

Physical Requirements:  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. 

Department Requirements:   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.

Supplemental Information

All applicants are subject to an extensive background investigation to determine suitability for police support work and the maintenance of confidential records. The background investigation includes a criminal background review, fingerprinting, and investigative interview. All information provided by the applicant will be verified. Applicants who materially misrepresent any information provided in the employment process will be excluded from consideration or dismissed if already employed.