Public Safety Dispatcher

Public Safety Dispatcher

The City of Ames is looking to fill at least one position as Public Safety Dispatcher, within the Police Department. A Public Safety Dispatcher with the Ames Police Department performs work involved in the operation of a complex communications system; receives and handles both emergency and non-emergency communications from a wide range of sources; dispatches appropriate services, personnel, and / or equipment in response to police, fire, or medical emergencies; and performs other related work as required. The work for this position is within a 24 / 7 / 365 environment and is subject to shift assignment and creates occasional mandatory overtime. The starting annual salary for this position is $55,483 ($26.67 per hour) as of July 1, 2025. The hiring wage incentive is $1000, paid in the following increments : 50% upon hire, 25% after 6 months of employment, and 25% after probationary period ends or 12 months of employment (whichever is later). All applicants must submit their online application by the deadline listed on this posting. Your application includes complete responses to the supplemental questions. Applications submitted for this position by the application deadline may be considered for other openings in this classification for up to 10 months. Our comprehensive benefits package can be viewed at : City of Ames Benefits.

Examples of essential job functions include conducting in-depth research, answering emergency and non-emergency calls for service, receiving and relaying messages to appropriate personnel, directing requests for assistance for police, fire, and emergency medical services to the appropriate agency, prioritizing calls for service and dispatching appropriate resources in accordance with established operating procedures, providing emergency medical instruction, operating radio console by receiving and transmitting radio communications, maintaining contact with units at all times during shift assignment, maintaining a continuous record of the status of mobile units, manual / automated logs, and records, including a log of all information received and transmitted, sending / receiving computer terminal messages and routing messages to appropriate destinations, monitoring cameras, alarms, and City Hall doors in case of required emergency lockdown, working with other Police divisions, such as Animal Control and Records, and all other City of Ames departments, operating other equipment essential to the position, regularly exposed to sensitive and confidential information that cannot be discussed or shared outside the workplace, and acting as essential emergency personnel and required to come to work in disaster and bad weather situations.

Qualifications include successful completion of high school, HiSet, or G.E.D., related college coursework and / or two years relevant work experience, including working in a team environment while maintaining effective working relationships within fast paced ever changing environments, obtaining IOWA / NCIC, CPR, and Emergency Medical Dispatching certifications within six months of appointment and re-certifying as required, attending and successfully completing the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy 40-hour training course within one year of appointment, and knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform essential functions, including knowledge of computer aided dispatching software, knowledge of emergency medical dispatching protocols, knowledge of the location of streets in Ames, knowledge of rules governing proper usage of state / federal software applications, knowledge of the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission covering the operation of radio receivers and transmitters, knowledge of the proper use and care of essential dispatcher equipment, skill in entering data quickly and accurately using a computer keyboard, skill in receiving and transmitting information quickly and accurately using a radio console and telephone, skill in communicating with members of the public and department staff both orally and in writing in a professional, clear, and concise manner at all times, skill in problem solving and troubleshooting when system errors and process interruptions arise, ability to work in a team environment and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, personnel from other agencies and departments, and the general public, ability to be amicable with various communication styles and system switches / upgrades within an ever changing fast paced work environment, ability to stay calm and logically think / act through processes and procedures, ability to work and problem-solve quickly and calmly in emergency situations, ability to receive and comprehend multiple conversations simultaneously by telephone and radio while operating dispatch software, ability to multitask, ability to operate complex Public Safety related computer systems, ability to document and record events in a clear, complete, legible, and objective manner, ability to operate equipment common to a complex communications system, ability to speak clearly and concisely, and ability to handle situations firmly, courteously, and tactfully.