Police Communications Dispatcher

 We are 9-1-1!

9-1-1 professionals, also referred to as “dispatchers” or “call takers”, are often the first trained point of contact in an emergency. We are the lifeline between people calling for help and the officers who respond. We complete several tasks at the same time without skipping a beat.

As a Dispatcher, our work shifts can vary; days, evenings, weekends (24/7 operation).  We provide customer service to a multitude of everyday callers and perform a variety of functions including:

• receiving, evaluating, prioritizing and relaying calls for public safety assistance

• dispatching appropriate units and coordinating response of emergency personnel

• operating a variety of telecommunications equipment including radio, telephone and computer aided dispatch systems

There are many satisfying and rewarding aspects of the position, as dispatchers make significant contributions to the safety and welfare of our citizens and police officers.

Come join our team. You belong!

• View the job description, salary range and minimum qualifications for Communications Dispatcher     *Pay for experience may be considered

The Hiring Process

Step 1: Apply on-line 

The recruitment process begins by completing an online application – available on the city’s jobs page.

Step 2:  Pre-employment CritiCall Test

Those who meet minimum qualifications may be invited to complete the CritiCall pre-employment test that measures computer related multi-tasking abilities.

Step 3: Background Process 

Candidates who pass the CritiCall test may be invited to continue in the selection process, which consists of the following steps:

• Panel oral board interview
• Background interview
  
• Sit-along in the Communications Center

Step 4: Conditional Job Offer

Those candidates who successfully complete through steps 1-3 above and meet the standards of the Scottsdale Police Department, may receive a conditional job offer which requires them to complete the last remaining steps:

• Drug Test/Screening
  
• Physical Examination (hearing and vision)
• Psychological Evaluation

Step 5: Final Job Offer

The selection process ends and your new job begins upon successful completion of the conditional job offer requirements and acceptance of your official job offer.  

(The Scottsdale Police Personnel Unit reserves the right to change this process.  All test dates are tentative and subject to change. Test dates may be cancelled on short notice. Invitations to test may be rescinded at any time without advance notice.)

Dispatcher CritiCall Test

The computerized CritiCall pre-employment test used by the Scottsdale Police Department measures underlying skills and abilities a person needs to possess to be successful as a police communications dispatcher.  A test taker does not need to possess any specialized dispatcher knowledge or training to take the test. 

CritiCall tests the skills and computer-related multi-tasking abilities desirable in the dispatching field. The test requires applicants to listen over a headset instead of reading.  

The skills tested include the following:

• Decision Making
• Data Entry Multi-Tasking
• Data Entry Multi-Tasking (Audio)
  

Applicants have 50 minutes to complete the test.  Each section has a test limit. View the CritiCall Test Module Descriptions.

On-the-job training. What can I expect?

On-the-job training is very important to us, and we want everyone to succeed!  Scottsdale Police Communications Dispatchers will receive nearly 1,000 hours of classroom and live training before they work independently in the dispatch center.  The training required for this position consists of: 

• Average training time of 9-11 months
  • 160 hours of classroom
    • Police Codes
    • Abbreviations
    • Geography
    • Policies
  • Up to 480 hours of live, one-on-one call taker training
  • Up to 560 hours of live, one-on-one radio training
• Live one-on-one floor training with weekly evaluations