Public Safety Dispatcher

Who we are looking for

We are looking for someone who

• Communicates very well and will provide excellent customer service even in difficult circumstances.
• Remains calm in tense or fast-paced situations and emergencies.
• Has exceptional attendance, reliability, and dependability.
• Has great attention to detail while summarizing and performing data entry.
• Has excellent recall with ability to switch from one task to another in rapid succession.
• Wants to participate in helping the community from behind the scenes.

Do you enjoy helping people while working in a fast-paced environment where multitasking is essential and attention to detail is critical? Working as a Public Safety Dispatcher for the Juneau Police Department is a personally rewarding and challenging career that has a significant positive impact on the community.

New dispatchers receive about 7 months of on-the-job training to learn call processing, computer systems, and radio procedures. Dispatchers provide service to the public and to responders over the phone and radio as part of a big team of people who serve the community. We work together through good times and during crises, emergencies, and difficult events. Most days are fun and challenging.

Some are stressful and can be emotionally draining. Between your coworkers’ support, structured training and Wellness program, you will develop coping skills that will help you be able to bounce from the tough calls.

On any given day, dispatchers may start with a parking complaint, then give someone CPR instructions, help solve an argument between a caller and their partner, conduct research and data entry, provide general information about city services, and sometimes help to deliver babies over the phone.

• 10 free sessions per year with a qualified mental health professional for you and your family
• 10 free group sessions for employees and their families
• Initial and ongoing resiliency training for employees and their significant other
• Annual wellness check-ins
• Peer support teams dedicated to serving employees and their families
• A chaplain program
• A wellness room
• Yearly wellness-related events. Employees also have access to an onsite gym.

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. 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.

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 fluctuate between data entry, talking to callers during their times of need, and making critically important decisions in support of the community, the Juneau Police Department, and Capital City Fire/Rescue responders.

Most calls involve police, community service, fire, EMS, the Mobile Crisis Team or Sobering Center responders, with some calls involving multiple units.

It is important to work with considerable independence, use good judgment, and take actions based on policy while considering different situations on the fly. Tasks are constantly prioritized, re-evaluated, and re-prioritized. There are times of very heavy workload and times of down time for administrative tasks.

• 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,…