Position Detail - Dispatcher

Position Type: Staff Full-time

Hours per week: 40   

Weeks per year: 52

Work Schedule: 5x2 

Department Summary & Job Purpose:

Adhering to the principles of community engagement and community-oriented problem solving, the Dispatcher provides the initial point of contact for emergency response to criminal activity, fires, medicals, fire alarms, intrusion alarms, and a number of service-related calls. In addition, the Dispatcher also provides service to a diverse community as the college’s operator. Dispatchers should treat all persons with dignity and repect.

Core Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Promptly answers emergency lines, business lines, multiple college operator lines. Collects information from a diverse set of calling parties as well as walk-ins to the station in a timely manner and disseminates that information to the appropriate entities.
• Utilizes the National Crime Information Center and Criminal Justice Information System to respond to requests for information from on-duty police officers, e.g. license, warrant, and criminal history checks.
• Monitors fire, intrusion, panic, and other alarms. Monitors cameras on campus.
• Activates the college’s emergency mass notification system as directed by the Director or his/her designee. 
• Provides emergency instructions, calls in personnel after hours, and supports and assists the diverse community as a whole in a supportive and professional manner. 
• Records details in the computer-aided dispatch software (IMC) database. The Public Safety and Service department uses information stored in this system to comply with the state law on Public Police Logs, to keep the administration of the College informed of department activity, to create records of crime and prosecute criminal cases, and to compile statistics for the Federal Clery Compliance document. This information is often highly confidential, and sensitive in nature, and protected by law. 
• Review logs, postings, training, emails, CJIS output at the beginning and throughout your shift. 
• Assist officers with community engagement activities
• Dispatches, via a radio console or other electronic means, emergency and non-emergency incidents requiring fire, medical, or police response according to priority and availability of units. Always maintains strict radio discipline. Complies with FCC regulations and agency/center procedures in the transmission of all radio traffic. 

Qualifications: 

• High School Diploma or Equivalent
• Related experience in law enforcement, security, or dispatching
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and ability to learn new software programs
• Attention to detail
• Strong problem-solving and time management skills, as well as the ability to multi-task
• Demonstrated interpersonal, and written, and verbal communication skills, as well as exercise diplomacy, and function efficiently under extreme conditions
• Requires sensitivity to issues of confidentiality
• Commitment to, experience with, and/or ability to work effectively with a broad spectrum of individuals from a variety of diverse backgrounds

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in Public Safety Dispatching
• Demonstrate good customer service skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasked environment
• Certifications in CPR, CJIS, or APCO

License/Certifications:

Compliance Requirements: 

Physical Demands: 

• Hear and understand sound sources coming through a communications headset and/or radio and/or standard telephone receiver, including the ability to hear and understand other outside sound sources while wearing a communications headset (i.e., the ability to hear sound sources not coming through the headset; ability to hear through both ears).
• Speak and write English clearly.
• Read and discern visual images on a variety of media, including the ability to read and understand maps, and the ability to distinguish between colors on a color-coded computer screen.
• Type accurately on a computer keyboard while conversing with callers and response units.
• Record names and numbers accurately (i.e., not transpose numbers and/or letters).
• Work all shifts of a 24-hour per day period and be available for emergency hold-over overtime and call-in overtime.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk and listen for extended periods of time; use hands or fingers; handle or feel; talk and hear.
• The employee is required to reach with hands and arms. Requires the ability to operate a keyboard and mouse.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distant vision and the ability to adjust focus; requires fully correctable close and distant vision and depth perception.

Working Conditions: 

• Work is mostly performed in an office environment.
• Regular and punctual attendance is a requirement.
• Maintains Communication Center work area and equipment in clean and working condition; performs janitorial functions in the work area as needed.  

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants: 

Apply online; application materials must include:

1. A cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications
2. A complete resume or curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for 3 professional references

Mount Holyoke College is a women’s college that is gender diverse. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. In compliance with state and federal law, Mount Holyoke College does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, ancestry, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state or local law. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender in the recruitment and admission of students to its graduate program.

Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.