Police Communications Officers (Dispatchers)

The Hawaiʻi County Department of Human Resources continuously recruits applicants for police communications officers.

Police dispatcher sitting at desk in front of seven screens

Under direct supervision, receives formal and structured on-the-job training in the methods and procedures of police communications and dispatching operations including call taking and dispatching uniformed personnel utilizing a specialized work station of emergency 911 communications equipment and a Computer Aided Dispatch System (CADS) in a central police communications operation; and performs other related duties as required.

Salary and Benefits

The starting salary for a full time Police Communications Officer I is $52,908 per year.

Benefits	Amount
Vacation	21 days per year
Sick Leave	21 days per year
Holidays	13 days per year + general election day in an election year
Medical, Vision, Prescription Drug, & Dental Plans	Included
Group Life Insurance	Included
Membership Benefits	Membership in the County Credit Union
Flexible Spending Plan	Included
Employee-employer Paid Retirement Plan	Included
Tax-sheltered Savings and Investment Program	Included
Career Opportunity and Mobility in a Merit System for Civil Service Positions	Included

Minimum Qualification Requirements

A combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to:

graduation from high school, and
two (2) years of work experience involving dispatching or public contact which shall have included providing information, answering questions and inquiries, and/or explaining policies, rules and regulations in person or by telephone.

The examination consists of a written test that will be administered on the Island of Hawaiʻi only. Candidates may be examined for their knowledge of office practices and procedures; filing methods and systems; the purposes and uses of standard office equipment; principles and techniques in dealing with people.

Ability to

Type/keyboard at a rate of 35 words per minute (wpm)
Perform multiple tasks while simultaneously using a computer
Learn departmental rules and regulations, policies and procedures of the Hawaiʻi Police Department and Police Communications Dispatch Center, and pertinent laws and ordinances of the State and County of Hawaiʻi
Learn to operate police radio, telephone and civil defense equipment
Learn pertinent laws and ordinances of the State and County of Hawaiʻi
Communicate effectively with police personnel and the general public
Make sound decisions quickly under traumatic or crisis situations
Relate effectively to co-workers
Listen effectively
Exercise patience and tact in dealing with the public
Control the direction and length of calls
Write clear and concise reports

Knowledge of

Principles and techniques in dealing with people
Office practices and procedures, filing methods and systems
Proper usage of English language, including diction, grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Effective verbal and written communication techniques and customer service principles and techniques
Departmental regulations, and policies and procedures of the Communications Division
Communicate clearly and calmly with police personnel and the general public
Operate multiple keyboards and touch screen interfaces from several computerized systems simultaneously
Operate standard office equipment, personal computers and Windows based applications
Geography of the island of Hawaiʻi, including but not limited to, towns, parks, beaches, streets, and businesses

Persons seeking appointment to positions in this class must meet the health and physical condition standards deemed necessary and proper to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

Physical Effort Grouping: Light

Duties

Examples of Duties

The following are examples of duties and are not necessarily descriptive of any one position in this class. The omission of specific duty statements does not preclude the assignment of such duties if they are a logical assignment for the position and are consistent with the class concept.

Receives formal and on-the-job training on the basic functions and missions of the Hawaiʻi County Police Department and police communications operations.
Actively participates in a Call Taker and Dispatcher Training Program under direct supervision to perform the full range of emergency communication duties in the Police Communications Center.
Learns and becomes proficient in operating a specialized workstation comprised of a 911 telephone system, departmental telephone system and geographical mapping system to answer, triage and process 911 voice and text calls from the public for emergency and non-emergency police assistance.
Utilizes the Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) application of the telephone system to communicate with deaf and/or speech impaired individuals. Facilitates language interpretation between non-English speaking callers and interpreters.
Interacts with callers who may be injured, distressed, distraught, emotional and/or belligerent. Maintains professional decorum when interacting with callers and attempts to calm distressed citizens during call taking to ensure effective communications.
Performs call taking and dispatching duties simultaneously when call volume exceeds staffing levels within the emergency dispatch center.
Gathers information from the caller to ensure officer and public safety; classifies, codes and prioritizes cases correctly; inputs data in the appropriate fields of CADS; adjusts to varying types of calls for police assistance; maintains control of the conversations and makes sound decisions during life-threatening situations. Utilizes knowledge of police jurisdictions and geography of the island of Hawaiʻi.
Multi-tasks while communicating clearly, calmly, and efficiently, with the public, departmental personnel, and government agencies while simultaneously using a computer, telephone, and various law enforcement databases.
Receives requests via telephone from officers and field personnel; processes status updates, case dispositions; and relays pertinent case information.
Accurately interprets and communicates critical public safety data from various departmental, county, state and national computer terminals to include but not limited to wanted persons, stolen property, criminal history, and motor vehicle registration, and replies to inquiries when required.
Inputs and updates information in the law enforcement files for stolen, wanted or overdue vehicles, legally towed vehicles, stolen or lost license plates, escapees, missing persons, runaway juveniles, and other law enforcement information. Maintains and updates various record keeping logs.
Notifies supervisor of noteworthy incidents, natural or man-made disaster situations, road closures, and incidents involving HPD personnel.
Utilizes a variety of reference materials, computer systems, and files to assist officers in their work.
Testifies in court and presents evidence in criminal proceedings, as required.
In the event of system failures, implements various manual and emergency back-up procedures to ensure continuity of operations.
Adheres to and applies county, departmental and divisional policies, procedures and training manuals that serve as a guide to operations of the Police Communications Dispatch Center.
Performs other related duties as required.

Selection Process

The Department of Human Resources will refer names of applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements.

The Hawaiʻi Police Department, in turn, will administer the following as part of their selection process in filling Police Communications Officer I positions.

These four steps will take approximately 3 months to complete.

The realistic job preview questionnaire will provide a realistic view of what police communications officers face during employment. Applicants are required to be in attendance for this first phase of this recruitment process.

For applicants who meet the employment requirements, the Hawaiʻi Police Department will verify information obtained from the employment application through an intensive background investigation.

Formal panel interview with staff of the Hawaiʻi Police Department.

Applicants whose completed background investigation conforms to employment standards may be given a conditional offer of employment after a formal panel interview is conducted.

Applicants who pass all four phases and are selected to continue to the final stage of the selection process must pass a pre-entry medical examination with the County Physician before being hired. A credit check will also be conducted and considered before being hired. The Hawaiʻi Police Department will determine the date of hire for applicants selected.

Training

Police Communications Officers will attend classroom training, call taker training, and radio training at the Hawaiʻi Police Department in Hilo, Hawaiʻi.

During the classroom training period, the following academic standards will apply:

Pass weekly examinations in the classroom on all subjects presented.
Note-taking is required during all phases of instruction, including call taker training and radio training.
Observation and shadowing by a veteran dispatcher will be part of the classroom training environment. Hawaiʻi Police Department training staff will assign accordingly.
Other requirements, as specified by the Hawaiʻi Police Department.

Attend sixteen (16) weeks of call taker training.
For the first eight (8) weeks, work under the direct supervision of a Trainer and learn the essential foundation of receiving, extracting, and disseminating information.
Learn the required equipment and how to navigate and utilize various software programs needed for the job.
Upon successfully completing the first eight (8) weeks of call taker training, begin the next eight (8) weeks working independently as a call taker under the general supervision of a Supervisor.

Upon successfully completing sixteen (16) weeks of Call Taker Training, PCO’s will attend eight (8) weeks of radio training.
Work under the direct supervision of a Trainer and learn the basic concepts of dispatching.
Learn the essential foundation of standard and manual dispatching, area coverage, and unit assignments.
Learn the various equipment and software programs required for the job.
Upon successful completion of all training; the employee will be assigned to work independently.

For further information regarding the Police Communications Officer I training program, please call the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s Technical Services Division at (808) 961-8808.

Testimonials

Why I Enjoy Working at Hawaiʻi Police Department Dispatch Center.

How to Apply

Please read the minimum qualification requirements carefully. Be certain to list all pertinent training and experience. It is essential that the applicant describe fully the duties and responsibilities of each position held, specify the date of each position held (from and to, month and year), and indicate the number of hours worked per week.

Attach all required documentation (e.g. official transcript, professional license(s)/certification(s), DD-214, etc.) at the time of submitting your application.

Note: In-person interviews and/or further testing in Hawaiʻi County may be required at the discretion of the hiring department/agency. If in-person interviews and/or further testing are required, applicants who are referred to the hiring department/agency must be available to participate in person and at their own expense at that phase of the selection process.

See Dispatcher Job Listing

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