911 Dispatcher 1

911 Dispatcher 1

Salary

$26.25 Hourly

Location

130 Kansas City Street, Rapid City, SD

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

01803

Department

Emergency Services

Opening Date

06/23/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description
• Benefits

Position Description

About Pennington County:

We provide quality public services, as determined by law and citizen needs, through innovative leadership and the teamwork of its people, officials, and employees.

Our Employee Value Proposition - Comprehensive Benefits Package:

South Dakota Retirement Plan and Supplemental Retirement Plan, eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave, emergency leave, company paid life insurance, employee assistance program, and competitive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• 911 Dispatch employees receive a pay differential of $2.00/hour for hours worked between 6 pm and 6 am.
• Employees are also eligible for pay at 1.5x their hourly rate for hours worked on designated holidays.

Wage depends on experience.

Position Objective:

The role of the Dispatcher 1 is to work with citizens, first responders, and emergency services personnel during emergencies and non-emergencies in a collaborative effort to protect the lives, health, safety, and property of the public. The Dispatcher 1 uses problem solving, independent judgment, and agency missions to determine the proper responses, while demonstrating the ability to monitor, report, and respond to Officer Safety concerns.

Position Functions

Essential Functions:

• Answer emergency 9-1-1 calls and non-emergency telephone calls from the public, triages the call and rapidly analyzes the information to calculate the appropriate response.
• Research and perform data analysis of information from local, state and federal records systems and databases. Evaluate and interpret the obtained information to identify potential danger and risk to public safety personnel. Determine the appropriate course of action based on the analysis of the information received.
• Expeditiously review, interpret, analyze and prioritize law enforcement calls or requests for service applying agency missions, standard operating procedures, profession best practices and independent judgement to determine the most appropriate resource for response.
• Correctly process emergency medical calls and prepare them for dispatch.
• Demonstrate the ability to maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, members of various user agencies, organizations, and the public.
• Demonstrate the ability to interpret oral and written communications, and apply independent judgement and problem-solving techniques during stressful situations.
• Demonstrate the ability to stay calm and composed and use strong customer service skills to de-escalate highly stressful and emotional situations.
• Demonstrate active listening and communication skills.
• Maintain compliance with all County policies and procedures.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by a supervisor.

Qualifications

Experience and/or Education Required:

• High School diploma or GED required; college and/or vocational training desired
• Keyboard/typing minimum 30 wpm
• Read, write and clearly speak English
• Must successfully pass a job-related specialized skill test
• Must be free of felony convictions; free of misdemeanor convictions for 3 years
• Must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation
• Must be a US Citizen
• Must pass hearing test and drug screening
• Attain certification in National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database system (provided on the job)
• Attend and successfully complete South Dakota Law Enforcement Training (SD LET) Academy 9-1-1 certification training (provided on the job)
• Attend and successfully complete ESCC classroom training in basic call taking skills, computer aided dispatch (CAD) operations and general Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) operations
• Successfully completes supervised field training in basic call taking skills, CAD and PSAP operations
• Successfully complete 200 hours of supervised on the job field training for a Law Enforcement Radio discipline.
• Must possess or be able to obtain a valid South Dakota driver license.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to frequently sit, walk, stand, bend, kneel, stoop, reach and lift, push or pull and use manual dexterity needed to operate a computer, telephone and radio
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position, answer phone calls, and perform data entry and/or keyboarding for the duration of an 8-hour or 12-hour shift
• Must be able to accurately and effectively communicate (hear, talk and comprehend) over the phone, radio, in person and in writing
• Must be physically capable of working rotating day and night shifts 24/7, day and night, rotating shifts

Additional Information

Working Environment:

• Work is performed in a dispatch center while seated in front of multiple computers for the duration of an 8-hour or 12-hour shift where noise and interruptions frequently occur.
• Must be available to work rotating shifts including days, afternoons, nights, weekends and holidays and overtime hours may be required to meet operational needs.
• Some travel may be required for training.

Pennington County Benefit Summary

The following is a summary of benefits available to full-time and part-time benefited employees of Pennington County.

Heath Care Program

Health - Pennington County has a self-funded health care program for employees and their dependents. Health Insurance and Prescription Drug is covered through Wellmark (Blue Cross Blue Shield). Two plans are offered: a traditional PPO plan with co-pay structure and a high deductible plan with higher deductible/out-of-pocket maximums.

Dental - Dental coverage is provided through Delta Dental of South Dakota. 100% of usual and customary charges for preventive and diagnostic procedures are covered, after a $50 deductible per individual / $150 per family. Routine and restorative procedures, endodontics, periodontics, and major services are covered at 50%. There is an annual maximum of $1000 per individual. Orthodontics are not covered under this plan.

Prescription - The Health care program includes retail and mail order (90-day supply) prescription coverage, both requiring an affordable co-pay. Co-pays do not accumulate toward satisfaction of the deductible or co-insurance limit.

Note: Health care program coverage is effective on the 1st of the month following one complete month of employment. The program is available for employees and their dependents.

Life Insurance

Pennington County provides a $20,000 basic life insurance policy for every benefited employee. Optional supplemental life insurance can be purchased for employee, spouse, and dependent children.

Employee Assistance Program

Pennington County employees and family members may receive counseling services for issues relating to financial difficulties, marital and family distress, emotional problems, and alcohol or drug abuse. Generally speaking, as many as three visits annually are provided at no charge. Services are confidential.

Retirement Plan

Pennington County is a member of the South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS). The employee contributes 6% (8% for public safety) of gross wages. The contribution is matched by the County. Upon separation from employment with Pennington County, individuals who are fully vested in SDRS (three years of contributory service) have the right to receive a monthly lifetime retirement benefit at retirement age.

Employees may choose to save additional funds toward retirement on a pre-tax basis through the SDRS supplemental retirement program. Other SDRS benefits include long term disability, family, and spouse benefits.

Supplemental Insurance

AFLAC offers various supplemental insurance policies for employees and family members. These policies are portable and guaranteed renewable. Premiums are deducted from payroll.

Paid Time Off

Vacation - Vacation time accrues per pay period at the rate of 3.077 hours for new employees with incremental increases based on years of service. Maximum hours of accumulation apply.

Sick Leave - Sick leave accrues at the rate of 3.077 hours per pay period. Employees may use up to 80 hours of available sick leave annually for other designated reasons. Sick leave separation benefits are available after 10 years of employment.

Holidays - Employees are eligible for up to 11 paid holidays per year.

All Paid Time Off benefits are prorated based on the number of hours worked or benefit time taken in a pay period for all benefited employees.

This summary is for general information only. Employees have access to complete and detailed policies, procedures, or summary plan descriptions for all benefits cited.

Employer Pennington County

Department Emergency Services Address 130 Kansas City St., Ste. 150

Rapid City, South Dakota, 57701

Phone (605) 718-2911