The King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) is accepting applications from United States citizen and Lawful Permanent Resident! 

Make the difference in someone's life, become a 911 Operator - Communications Specialist! This an excellent opportunity to launch a rewarding and exciting career in Law Enforcement. Communications Specialists serve as Call Receivers and Dispatchers, partnering with our men and women in the field to serve and protect King County residents.  

As a new Communications Specialist you will receive classroom and hands-on training to be able to take both emergency and non-emergency calls in a high volume call center. Call Receivers provide callers with instructions and resources, make referrals and write routine police reports. Complex emergency calls require the appropriate use of de-escalation and interviewing skills to gather the necessary information before routing to the 911 Dispatcher.

After 18 months, Call Receivers may be eligible for additional training to advance to Communications Specialist - Dispatcher. Dispatchers use telephones and radios to provide critical information and communicate directly with and support deputies in the field. Communications Specialist – Dispatcher Salary: $32.74 – $36.00 an hour.

As a King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) Communications Specialist you will handle law enforcement calls only. Requests for fire or EMS assistance are immediately transferred to other agencies.

RECRUITER: If you have questions regarding this job announcement, please contact Civil Service Administrator Brannon Mark, at 206-263-1885 or by email at bmark@kingcounty.gov.

For application instructions and requirements, specific to Sheriff Office positions, please visit; Civil Service Application Requirements (<- click there). 

Be advised, a Letter of Interest (cover letter) specifically addressing this position is required to be considered for this position.

This position is a civil service position, you can access these rules at Civil Service Rules.

WORK SCHEDULE:  This full time position is non-exempt from the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible. The Communications Center operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Applicants must be willing to work any shift or workweek, including holidays, weekends and mandatory overtime.

INFORMATIONAL WORKSHOP: To assist you in deciding if this career choice is right for you, we will be offering recruiting workshops where you can learn all about the hiring processes, expectations, and work in the 911 Communications Center. The workshop dates and times are:

Tuesday, October 8, 2019: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thursday, October 10, 2019: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Saturday, October 12, 2019: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
 
If you would like to attend one of these scheduled workshops, please email kcso911outreach@kingcounty.gov and provide your name, contact number or email, and the date you would like to attend. Space is limited so you must register with us in order to attend.  We will contact you to confirm your registration. 

To learn more check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KingCountySheriff911/ 
 

General job duties are as listed but not limited to the following:

• Working in partnership with deputies in the field;
• Serve as the primary contact for calls coming into the KCSO 911 Center; 
• Interview callers and gather information to be entered into computer system; 
• Assign emergency response priority and route calls for assistance accordingly; 
• Communicate with police units and various emergency agencies using telephones and radios; 
• Write and prepare reports using grammatically correct sentence structure; 
• Monitor pending dispatched call list to ensure units respond when available; 
• Notify callers of delays; 
• Monitor multiple radio frequencies for calls in progress; 
• Serve as a coordination point for multi-jurisdiction responses; 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Successful candidates must demonstrate the ability to make important decisions quickly, communicate effectively, prioritize emergencies, appropriately apply policy and procedures, and maintain a high degree of integrity and professionalism. Additionally, candidates will need to demonstrate the following: 

• Ability to conduct telephone interviews and direct the conversation while obtaining critical information;
• Ability to comprehend and retain training in allotted timeframes;
• Ability to apply general guidelines to specific situations; 
• Ability to learn from written and oral instructions, directions, observations and mistakes, and applying learned knowledge using good judgment;
• Critical thinking skills, ability to act quickly in accordance with established policy and procedures and maintain composure under pressure;
• Demonstrated excellent customer service in a team environment; 
• Ability to communicate with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, including those who speak other languages; 
• Type 35 WPM; 
• Skill in using current office software programs displayed on multiple computer screens; 
• Ability to master proprietary computer programs.

Highly Desirable Qualifications:

• Demonstrated interest in community service through work, school, or volunteering; 
• Experience working successfully in a team environment;
• Experience communicating effectively and efficiently with the public in a fast-paced environment, under stressful conditions.

Requirements Upon Hire:

• Ability to maintain certification in ACCESS (state criminal database), NCIC (National Criminal Information Center) and WACIC (Washington Criminal Information Center) on a bi-annual basis is required.
• Ability to obtain additional licenses, certifications and other requirements determined to meet the business needs of the employing unit.