Dispatchers Wanted

[Radio_Lady]

CHP is accepting applications for Public Safety Dispatcher through at least July 13th. Salary range is $3097 - $3762, plus an additional $300/month "retention differential" for those assigned to Golden Gate (Vallejo), Los Angeles, Sacramento, Capitol Operations Center, Monterey, and Border (San Diego) Communications Centers.

Info: http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/html/communications.html
Flyer: http://www.chp.ca.gov/recruiting/images/psd2_20060615.pdf
Application: http://spb.ca.gov/employment/documents/capp.pdf

LAPD is also hiring dispatchers, "Police Service Representatives." Application period is essentially continuous. Salary Range is $3627 - $4508 and up.

https://personline.lacity.org/job_list/index.cfm?FuseAction=Showspec&CC=2207 (online application required, link is there).

Job preview/description at http://www.lacity.org/per/2207pre.pdf but ignore the "windowless facility four floors below street level" part of item #5, that was for the old dispatch center.

No doubt there are others around the state hiring as well.

 

[mmartinfan]

LA nice place to visit, not a place for me to live.

 

[mlevin]

It's almost like they are trying to convinve you not to take the job. lol

 

[Radio_Lady]

It's almost like they are trying to convinve you not to take the job. lol

Do you mean the LAPD "Job preview/description at http://www.lacity.org/per/2207pre.pdf " part? Not exactly, but you're pretty darn close. The problem is, and I'm sure LAPD isn't unique, that people apply for the job after having watched TV shows like "9-1-1 Emergency" and have absolutely no clue about the stressors built into the position. They often fancy they'll be handling just one incident at a time, like on TV, when the reality of course is you sometimes have 20 or 30 units and 50 or more active and pending calls going on simultaneously. That's EACH dispatcher.

And even after the City started requiring that form as part of the lengthy application/testing process, there would still be people who would walk in the door expecting "Well, since I have three kids I know you'll let me just work night shift, and I WILL get Christmas Eve and Mother's Day off, won't I?" UM, no; don't expect it for your first couple years. When I was in the training unit, my spiel on their first day was to "stock up on McDonald's coupon books starting about October, because you're likely to be working almost ALL the holidays your first two or three years."

They really try to dissuade folks who don't have at least a basic idea of what they're getting into, and redirect them to other job openings. The City spends a lot of time and money training new dispatchers... starts off with 6 weeks of classroom training (laws, procedures, CAD simulator), then 16-20 weeks on the radio consoles one-on-one with an instructor. Then once they qualify on the radio, it's back to the classroom for two weeks (I think it's two) of training in call-taking. Then to the 9-1-1 and non-emergency phone positions, again one-on-one with an instructor, for six to eight weeks until they (hopefully) qualify.

GREAT job, though, for people who are cut out for it, and the pay isn't bad for not having any specific educational requirements.

 

[Dlight97]

GREAT job, though, for people who are cut out for it, and the pay isn't bad for not having any specific educational requirements.

Salary range is $3097 - $3762

<$40k/year in LA--- Holy shyte that would be impossible.

 

[Sac916]

And even after the City started requiring that form as part of the lengthy application/testing process, there would still be people who would walk in the door expecting "Well, since I have three kids I know you'll let me just work night shift, and I WILL get Christmas Eve and Mother's Day off, won't I?" UM, no; don't expect it for your first couple years. When I was in the training unit, my spiel on their first day was to "stock up on McDonald's coupon books starting about October, because you're likely to be working almost ALL the holidays your first two or three years."

Another thing, the smaller the agency, the harder it is to get time off, holidays off, vacation etc. As long as staffing is adequate, larger agencies have an edge on staffing models because of the sheer numbers and flexibilty.

The whole, I have kids thing really irks me. Sorry, I've been here for 11 years and I think I've earned my time off and shift bids.

 

[avtarsingh]

the chp dispatcher job is ONLY for a dispatcher II job in Bishop and Susanville

 

[OpSec]

the chp dispatcher job is ONLY for a dispatcher II job in Bishop and Susanville

Better than L.A.

 

[mkewman]

HA! CHP? yeah... i really wanna work for an agency that's organized with such care.

NOTE: the preceeding was sarcasm.

 

[Sac916]

Now hiring.....

Sacramento County Sheriff's Dept

911 Call Dispatcher = work phones, no radio

Communications Dispatcher = work phones and radio

Continuous filing, current list ends July 27th.

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/sacramento/default.cfm?

http://www.saccounty.net/

 

[trooperdude]

Another thing, the smaller the agency, the harder it is to get time off, holidays off, vacation etc. As long as staffing is adequate, larger agencies have an edge on staffing models because of the sheer numbers and flexibilty.

Ah but some smaller agencies are enlightened and you get every other Saturday/Sunday or every other weekend off, so you can ALMOST have a real life.

Not something the highly structured large agencies can do. And they wonder why there are retention problems. :roll: