Dispatcher (Emergency Communications Operator I)

Salary: $21.68 Hourly

Location : Sheriff Department 701 Ball Avenue NE Grand Rapids

Job Type: Full-time

Job Number: -REF

Department: Sheriff

Opening Date: 05/03/2024

Closing Date: 5/31/2024 11:59 PM Eastern

Job Responsibilities

Are you looking for a career where you are making a positive impact and helping those around you? If you answered yes, then working in dispatch may be the career for you.

Kent County Sheriff's Office dispatch center strives to preserve and protect the safety and security of our residents. We provide courteous and professional dispatching service to thirty-eight police and fire agencies within Kent County.

Kent County is seeking candidates in the challenging, yet rewarding, career of public safety communications. This customer-focused position will answer a variety of police and non-police related inquiries. You will receive top notch on the job training.

The successful candidate will be required to quickly obtain necessary information to determine the nature of the call and to properly respond and determine a probable course of action. Operation of a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system to quickly and accurately receive and transmit information of an emergency nature to an Emergency Communications Operator II is an essential function of this position.

Other duties will include entering warrants, personal protection orders and other legal documents, as well as receiving and transmitting messages in local, state and national networks such as wanted persons, driver's license status and motor vehicle checks.

Please note: the shift for this position may be nights which is a 7p-7a shift or days 7a-7p.

Additionally, candidates must be available to work all shifts, varied hours and holidays, seven days a week and you must live within 24 miles of the Kent County border within 1 year of employment.

Please note: In order to be considered for this position, a keyboarding test must be completed. After submitting your application, please monitor your email for further instructions. If you do not see this email, please check your junk/spam folders. If you have taken the keyboarding test within the past year (from date of application), you will NOT need to take it again.

Minimum Qualifications

High school graduate or equivalent combined with a minimum of one year of work experience in a public service and/or clerical function or other predictor indicating an ability to work under stressful situations in a competent and responsible manner.

Must be able to multi-task; communicate effectively with individuals from widely divergent backgrounds; and assertively control conversations in order to quickly and accurately gather pertinent information and communicate this information professionally and precisely to the proper recipient.

Must be able to speak clearly on radio and phone equipment and have good listening skills.

Must have the ability to learn and communicate life saving procedures such as CPR and poison control.

Must be able to type a minimum of 25 wpm.

Desire bilingual ability.

Additional Information

*Notices will come via email so please be sure to monitor the email address indicated on your application*

Kent County takes pride in living our values to foster a true sense of belonging among all of our staff. Please take a moment to review our Core Values.

Don't take our word for it that Kent County is a great place to work and thrive. Watch this video on why our staff have made us their employer of choice.

Kent County Human Resources

Benefit Summary

Fraternal Order of Police

Effective January 1, 2023

Benefits

Full-time

Medical and Prescription Plans

Health Care Premium

Health Care Providers - BCBS Wellness PPO or Blue Care Network HMO

Prescription Provider - Capital Rx

20% of total health care premium per month - pretax

Eligible for non-smoking and wellness exam incentives

Medical benefits will become effective first day of the month after hire.

BENEFIT ELECTION FORM MUST BE RETURNED TO

HUMAN RESOURCES WITHIN 4 DAYS OF HIRE.

Dental Plan - Varipro

Class I - 100% of incurred charges (2 cleanings and 1 x-ray per person, per year)

All other services - 50% of reasonable costs (including Orthodontics)

Up to $2,500 annually per family

Vision Plan - VSP

No charge for WellVision Exam; $20 materials co-pay with participating doctors

Life Insurance

$50,000 Term Life Insurance

Supplemental Life Insurance

Self-pay in increments of $5,000; Minimum - $15,000/Maximum -$150,000

Flexible Spending - Varipro

Pre-tax contributions for Health and Dependent Care

Vacation Leave

8 hours per month (96 hours per year), for less than 6 years employment

First paycheck of each month

See contract for subsequent accruals

Sickness and Accident Plan

1st day of accident or 8th day of illness

67% of gross wages

26-week benefit

Eligible after 6 months of service credit

Eligible for one-time S&A Supplement Bank of 48 hours

Paid Time Off

Pay period following 6th month - 40 hours

Pro-rated based on remaining months in the year for employees completing 6 months of service during the year.

May accumulate up to 120 hours.

Unused paid time off in excess of 120 hours will be added to the employee's Retirement Bonus Bank.

Disability Plan

Upon exhaustion of accumulated sick leave, 60% of monthly salary up to $2,500 for work related disability

Holidays

Hire - Pro-rated based on the number of holidays remaining in the year

January 1 of each year - 80 hours holiday

Probation Period

First 12 months of employment

Overtime

1 times regular straight-time rate for hours worked in excess of 40 per week

Compensatory Time

In lieu of overtime pay at a rate of time and one-half for over time hours worked

Call in Pay

Guaranteed 2 hours paid at time and one-half

Merit Increases

See contract for merit levels

Clothing Allowance

Non-uniformed law enforcement officers will receive up to $1,200 per year, paid quarterly

Tuition Reimbursement

$315 per credit hour; maximum of 9 credit hours per year (see policy for eligibility)

Mileage

Published IRS Rate

Deferred Compensation

Enrollment first of each month with a minimum investment of $25 per pay period

Retirement

Mandatory participation in a Contributory Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

Employee contribution is 12.55% of pre-tax earnings

Sick Pay Conversion

Employees who retire will receive pension service credit for their retirement bonus bank. (Hours can only be used for service credit in calculating pension benefit, not to establish retirement eligibility) (Deferred Retirements not eligible)

Supplement to Medical Benefits Premium

Based on years of service, employees may be eligible for a medical benefits premium supplement

*The above is a summary of benefits. For specific benefits information consult the collective bargaining agreement and the summary plan descriptions.

01

The shift for this position may be nights, which is a 7p-7a shift. Are you able and willing to accommodate this shift?

Yes

No

Required Question