Are you interested in a rewarding career in public safety? The San José Fire Department's Fire Communications Division is looking for highly motivated and compassionate people who want to be the first point of contact for those requiring fire or medical assistance. At Fire Communications, you'll have the opportunity to work with great people and make a real difference in your community. 

The Public Safety Dispatcher Trainee (PSRD-T) is the entry-level training classification for a career in public safety dispatching within the City of San José. As a PSRD-T, you are provided with in-house training, both in the classroom and in the Communications Center, to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become a Public Safety Radio Dispatcher.

Dispatcher SALARY & BENEFITS

  • Base salary for the trainee classification is *$94,057.50
    • *This includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing, non-pensionable compensation pay and a (3.75%) Public Safety Radio Dispatcher Certification Pay
    • See the City of San José Pay Plan for more details
  • Shift differential and bilingual payment differential
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • $500 uniform allowance
  • Medical, dental and vision plans
  • City of San José retirement
  • Bargaining unit - Municipal Employees' Federation (MEF)

San Jose Fire Dispatch Center.

Dispatcher QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

  • Successful completion of high school, GED, or California Proficiency Certificate.
  • Three years (6,240 hours) customer contact experience or one year (2,080 hours) of experience receiving, processing or dispatching calls in a radio dispatch or call center.
  • Successful completion of a background investigation.
  • U.S. citizenship or legal authorization to work in the United States upon appointment.

Basic Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

  • Read, write, spell, and speak in concise English
  • Learn correct telephone answering techniques, policies, and procedures 
  • Follow oral and written instructions
  • Learn and interpret maps
  • Proficiency in typing and keyboard skills

Desirable Qualifications

  • Oral fluency in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Spanish, Tagalog, Russian or Mandarin
  • Experience as a Public Safety Dispatcher or equivalent 
  • Experience in utilizing Emergency Medical and Fire Protocols 

Dispatcher hiring process 

The hiring process for the dispatcher trainee classification takes six to eight months from the time applications open to the first day of training. The steps in the hiring process include: 

  1. Application (1/19/2024 - 2/20/2024)
  2. Orientation (2/26/2024 - 3/1/2024)
  3. Personal History Questions (2/27/2024 - 3/5/2024)
  4. CritiCall (2/27/2024 - 3/5/2024)
  5. Oral Board Interview  (3/18/2024 - 3/22/2024)
  6. Dispatcher Control Room Visit (3/29/2024 - 4/27/2024)
  7. Background Check (4/1/2024 - 5/27/2024)
  8. Selection Interview (6/6/2024 - 6/7/2024)
  9. Conditional Offer (6/10/2024)
  10. Polygraph Test, Psychological and Medical Screening (6/17/2024 - 6/27/2024)
  11. Formal Job Offer (7/3/2024)

Dispatcher training 

Our dispatchers are cross trained in both call-taking and radio dispatch for fire and medical related emergencies. The training process has three parts and takes about 18 months. This includes: 

  1. Call-taking academy (eight weeks)
  2. On-the-job call-taking training (12-16 weeks)
  3. Radio dispatch academy (four weeks)
  4. On-the-job radio dispatch training (16-20 weeks)
  5. Probationary period (12 months without a trainer) 

Dispatcher Duties

  • Answering 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls for fire department and emergency medical assistance
  • Obtain information from callers
  • Provide life-saving instructions to callers until responders arrive (this includes providing over-the-phone instructions on CPR, choking rescue and childbirth, along with ensuring caller safety during fire, HAZMAT, and other dangerous incidents)
  • Entering data into a computer-aided dispatch system
  • Complying with call taking and dispatching policies 
  • Accurately deploy responders to the correct location, equipped with the information they need to handle the emergency 
  • Support the needs of responders throughout emergency incidents; they assist incident commanders with managing and tracking resources, mobilizing logistical needs, and ensuring personnel accountability and safety

Dispatcher Schedule 

Public Safety Radio Dispatchers generally work across three shifts; however, they may sometimes be required to work non standard shifts, weekends, or holidays. 

  • Day Shift (6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.)
  • Swing Shift (2:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.) 
  • Midnight Shift (10:30 p.m. - 6:30 a.m.) 

Shifts are based on an alternate nine-hour schedule (every other set of days off includes three days off), or an eight-hour schedule (five days a week), based on the needs of the Department. The Department will assign the shift schedule during training. 

There is a shift differential payment of $2.25/hour for swing shift and $2.50/hour for midnight shifts. During critical incidents, or to maintain staffing levels, mandatory overtime is required.