Job Requirements

Emergency Communications work is difficult but rewarding. It involves the need for great focus and attentiveness because the cost of mistakes are serious and/or life threatening. The work is fast paced and ever changing, and allows employees to truly make a difference. Keys for successful applicants include the ability to:

  • Reason clearly, analyze situations rapidly and accurately
  • Follow instructions quickly and accurately
  • Hear and distinguish between several voices at the same time while acquiring and retaining information
  • Function efficiently and calmly under pressure
  • Communicate effectively with irate persons and handle emotional situations
  • Operate complex computerized equipment rapidly and accurately
  • Monitor at least four screens simultaneously
  • Speak clearly, distinctly, and concisely
  • Read and understand maps

Salary and Benefits

Emergency Communications team members begin their career as Call Takers. Team members are then eligible for promotion to a Dispatcher I position and finally to a Dispatcher II position. Shift differential pay is provided for second and third shift team members. Sedgwick County offers an excellent benefit package that includes health and dental insurance plans, vacation and sick leave, retirement, and opportunities to participate in deferred compensation plans and reimbursement accounts. Apply and search available positions

Current rates of pay - 

  • Emergency Service Call Taker - $20.10
  • Emergency Service Dispatcher I - $22.17
  • Emergency Service Dispatcher II - $24.43

Schedule

9-1-1 is a 24-hour department, with eight-hour shifts. There is no guarantee on shift assignment or how long an employee will spend on a particular shift. Each employee receives two consecutive days off, granted by seniority, which may be changed when departmental scheduling requires. The department maintains a rotating on-call schedule, as well as a rotating forced overtime schedule.

Dispatch Shifts

  • 1st Shift: 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • 2nd Shift: 2:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
  • 3rd Shift: 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Call Taker Shifts

  • 1st Shift: 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • AM Shift: 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • 2nd Shift: 2:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
  • PM Shift: 6:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
  • 3rd Shift: 10:30 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Application Process

  • Have a high school diploma or GED
  • Submit application to Sedgwick County
  • Pass a keyboard test at 35 words per minute
  • Complete a two-hour observation in the Communications Center
  • Pass extensive criminal background check
  • Attend panel interview
  • Pass physical exam and drug screen

Training

  • Call Taker Trainee:
    • Five-week academic phase
    • Four weeks of on-the-job training with a Communications Training Officer
  • Dispatcher I Trainee:
    • Two-week academic phase
    • Four weeks of on-the-job training with a Communications Training Officer
  • Dispatcher II Trainee:
    • One-week academic phase
    • Four weeks of on-the-job training with a Communications Training Officer

Successful completion requires:

  • Pass each written exam with a score of 80% or better
  • Pass practical exam with a score of 80% or better
  • Become certified in emergency medical dispatch
  • Become certified in CPR
  • Receive clearance for the National Crime Information Center database

Be a Part of the Team

The area of public safety communications is an important link between citizens and emergency services in Sedgwick County. Each year, the Sedgwick County Emergency Communications office processes approximately 650,000 calls for service. Sedgwick County Emergency Communications provides services for over 30 agencies.

For current employment opportunities visit https://careers.sedgwickcounty.org/. To be notified about new job positions, send an email with your name, email address, and phone number to workfor911@sedgwick.gov. A member of Sedgwick County Emergency Communications will contact you when a job position is posted online at https://careers.sedgwickcounty.org/, so you may start the application process.