Job Details

Dispatcher I

See NOTES below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities. Applicants are encouraged to apply to other active dispatcher recruitments, as vacancies may be filled utilizing any current dispatcher eligible lists (Dispatcher II and Fire Dispatcher). You will be required to pass a computer-based performance test to be considered for Dispatcher I positions. Multi-tasking skills and the ability to make quick decisions are essential to be a successful dispatcher. For positions in the Police Department, selected candidates will undergo a comprehensive character and background investigation, including a polygraph examination and fingerprint check prior to hire. Felony convictions, domestic violence convictions, or use of any illegal drugs may be disqualifying. For additional information, refer to the following link:

Dispatcher I positions, under general supervision, receive incoming telephone calls and evaluate requests for Police services, Fire-Rescue services, Environmental services, and Transportation services.

Notes:

• Employees in job classifications represented by the Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
• 3.5% effective 7/1/27
• 2% effective 7/1/28
• 2% effective 1/1/29
• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).
• Dispatcher I employees may answer 50-170 calls a day and are required to sit for long periods of time. Please refer to the Supplemental Information section of the job bulletin for a more detailed description of typical Dispatcher I duties and working conditions.
• Dispatcher I employees may be required to work extended periods of night or unusual shift work for which they may receive 5% additional pay.

Notes for Police Department Positions:

• Police Department Dispatcher I employees typical starting hourly rate is $30.48.
• Police Department Dispatcher I employees must obtain a California P.O.S.T. Basic Dispatcher Course Certificate within one year from date of hire.
• Police Department Dispatcher I employees who possess a California P.O.S.T. Basic Dispatcher Course Certificate are eligible for 20% additional pay.
• Police Department Dispatcher I employees assigned as operators in the 911 Police Department Phone Room are eligible for 5% additional special assignment pay.
• Police Department Dispatcher I employees work 10 hours per shift, four days per week, with three consecutive days off.
• Police Department Dispatcher I employees may be required to work overtime.
• Police Department Dispatcher I employees may be required to work during all City holidays.
• The communication center in the Police Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with day, evening, and night shifts. Dispatcher I employees will be rotated to different shifts on a periodic basis.

Notes for Fire-Rescue Department Positions:

• Fire-Rescue Department Dispatcher I employees work 12-hour shifts (44/36 rotation schedule).
• Fire-Rescue Department Dispatcher I employees may be required to work overtime during training, if needed, on cleared positions.
• Fire-Rescue Department Dispatcher I employees may be required to work during all City holidays.
• Fire-Rescue Department Dispatcher I employees are eligible for 17.5% additional pay after successfully completing the paid mandatory Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) certification course.
• All dispatcher classifications in the Fire-Rescue Department are subject to mandated overtime beyond their scheduled shift with short notice to maintain staffing levels.
• The communication center in the Fire Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with day, evening, and night shifts. Dispatcher I employees will be rotated to different shifts on a periodic basis.

Notes for Environmental Services Department and Transportation Department Positions:

• Dispatcher I positions in the Environmental Services Department and Transportation Department receive incoming phone calls and operate radio communications equipment to dispatch and coordinate various City units involved in servicing, maintaining or repairing City property, assets, services or facilities. Positions in these departments do NOT respond to 911 emergency calls.
• The communication center in the Transportation Department operates 24 hours a day and seven days a week, with a staggered schedule of day, evening and night shifts.

Minimum Requirements

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

CITIZENSHIP: You must be a United States citizen or have the current legal right to work in the United States. AGE: 18 years of age or older; except for high school graduates (or persons with GED equivalency) who are 17.

NOTE:

• Applicants who are age 17 and are high school graduates, or have passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) or General Education Development (GED) examination, are not required to have a work permit; however, they must submit a copy of their high school diploma, CHSPE or GED results at time of application.

EDUCATION: You must meet ONE of the following options:

1. Graduation from high school.
2. Passage of the General Education Development (G.E.D.) test.
3. Passage of the California High School Proficiency Examination (C.H.S.P.E.).
4. Possession of a two-year, four-year, or advanced degree from a college or university.

NOTE:

• Candidates screened by the San Diego Police Department must present proof of education when they submit their Background Investigation Questionnaire.

Highly desirable:

• The ability to communicate and understand any of the following languages: Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Somali, Chinese, Indochinese or Tagalog.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

Screening Process

The screening process will consist of the following components:

1. APPLICATION REVIEW: Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met.
2. PERFORMANCE TEST: The performance test is a computer-based work simulation test that measures the general aptitudes needed to be a Dispatcher. No prior dispatch experience is necessary to pass the test. The test includes the following fourteen (14) test modules and ten (10) decision-making scenario prompts that activate during the administration of the test modules. The prompts measure the ability to make decisions quickly and accurately in a multi-task environment and to correctly signal the response using a computer:

• DATA ENTRY: The ability to read written data and accurately enter that data using a keyboard.
• DATA ENTRY (AUDIO): The ability to hear audible data and accurately enter that data using a keyboard.
• CALL SUMMARIZATION 1: The ability to hear, comprehend, and summarize audible information.
• CALL SUMMARIZATION 2: The ability to hear and comprehend audible information while accurately entering that information using a keyboard, and to subsequently use that information.
• CROSS REFERENCING: The ability to locate information, requested in writing, on a written list and to correctly/accurately respond using a keyboard.
• CROSS REFERENCING (AUDIO): The ability to locate information, requested audibly, on a written list and to correctly/