Department:

Benton County Emergency Services

Division: 

SECOMM Operations General

Starting pay for this position is $30.53 per hour and is set by a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Teamsters, Local No. 839.

Position Salary Range: $30.53 - $42.08

*PLEASE READ INFORMATION BELOW CAREFULLY BEFORE APPLYING

Note to Applicants: Candidates that pass the initial typing test and CritiCall testing process will be certified and merged onto a current eligibility list, and shall remain on the list for one year. The pace at which we can move candidates forward depends on the number of open positions available at any given time. As new vacancies arise, we will continue advancing applicants whose qualifications align with those opportunities.

ABOUT US

Located in Richland, WA, the Southeast Communications Center (SECOMM) is the 911 center for Benton and Franklin Counties in Eastern Washington.  Additionally, we provide dispatch service to all law enforcement, fire/EMS, and emergency response agencies within both counties along with Walla Walla Fire District #5 in Walla Walla County. SECOMM averages about 28,000 calls per month, including both emergency and non-emergency calls.

Richland is located at the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima Rivers in southeastern Washington in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Richland and its sister cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland make up the Tri-Cities MSA with a population of 312,000. Richland is the third largest city in the region with a population of approximately 62,500 residents. The city and its citizens are proud of the community’s excellent quality of life, which includes educational opportunities, outstanding health care providers and facilities, and cultural and recreational amenities.

Top reasons you want to work at SECOMM:

• You have a sense of service to your community. You want to help by working closely with first responders.
• You want to support your local law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS professionals by helping them arrive on-scene and safely deploy emergency response. 
• Stable full-time employment with a defined benefit retirement plan. We aren’t going anywhere! 
• Career growth and advancement potential. 
• Your values align with ours; Teamwork, Integrity and Excellence. 

SECOMM offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Generous paid time-off starting with 152.04 hours of vacation accrued per year; 96 hours of sick leave accrued per year.
• Holidays – 10 recognized holidays per year
• Pay: $30.53 per hour on day one of training, with union negotiated increases every six months for the first year, annually thereafter through Step 7.
• Benefit plans – Medical, dental, vision and time loss plans through the United Employee Benefits Trust (UEBT). Employer paid life insurance and long-term disability. 
• Employee Assistance Program for public safety professionals
• WA State Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS), Deferred Compensation contribution, matched by employer (shown below):
  • Pension Plan - Vested in PSERS after 5 years of employment
  • Deferred Compensation – After completion of probation, employees will receive up to a 3% contribution match to their choice of a 401(1) or 457 plans, including a ROTH plan option. 

GENERAL INFORMATION:

As part of the public safety team, the successful candidate will contribute to the safety and welfare of fellow emergency responders and the citizens of both Benton and Franklin counties.

Please consider the information below when determining if this is a career for you. 911 Dispatchers support law enforcement and go through a similar background process. Our recruitment process typically takes about 90 days from the date of application to hire date. 

The first six months of training require significant internal resources. Vacations and time off are not guaranteed during this time. Employees are expected to be available and willing to work 12-hour rotating shifts, which includes day shift, night shift, and mandatory weekends and holidays. During training, an effort will be made to expose the trainee to both day and night shifts.

Watch video message from retired Kennewick Police Chief Ken Hohenberg about the exciting and rewarding career of being an Emergency Communications Dispatcher here.

To hear from current 911 Dispatchers, watch this 911 Dispatcher testimonial prepared by Washington State here.

Dispatching is often compared to being an Air Traffic Controller – very stressful. Part of our training is to learn to cope with that stress and take care of ourselves.

Some types of calls we deal with (and are trained to handle) include:

• Routine calls of crimes not occurring at the time of the call.
• Calls of crimes occurring during the time of the call.
• Calls from people who are intoxicated, hysterical, irrational, confused, demanding, or screaming at you, people threatening suicide, having a minor or serious medical issue, victims of violent crimes, or reporting a lost child or a lost animal.
• Use technology and interview skills to determine callers’ location, should they be unable to provide it.

There is no way to cover everything an Emergency Communications Dispatcher does every day – every day is something new and usually exciting. We encourage you to arrange to participate in an Observation (a voluntary sit-in with a dispatcher) to let you see what this job really entails.

Please view the Hiring Brochure and Hiring Standards for more information and job details.

Click here to view the complete job description, to include essential functions and working conditions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• One (1) year of customer service experience involving substantial customer interaction in a fast-paced environment.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Outlook and Word.
• Data-entry skills with speed and accuracy, and ability to type 35 wpm with accuracy.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS & OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Obtain and maintain ACCESS Level I or II certification within one (1) year of hire date.
• Obtain CPR and Emergency Medical Dispatch (or equivalent) certifications within one (1) year of hire date.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior successful experience in a fast-paced and multi-tasked public contact environment (e.g. medical intake, bank teller, server, or barista) or a public safety communications environment.
• Knowledge of Benton and Franklin County streets, locations, and landmarks.
• Excellent oral communication skills to include a clear and confident speaking voice with good diction.
• Demonstrated background providing excellent customer service with tact, patience, and courtesy while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor with callers who may be verbally abusive, emotionally upset, uncooperative, or frightened.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Final candidate(s) selected will be required to successfully complete and pass a comprehensive background/reference process to include a job suitability assessment, fingerprinting, polygraph, psychological evaluation, and a pre-employment physical examination (including drug/alcohol screening) commensurate to the position.

Example Recruitment process timeline:

Step 1 – Submit application

Step 2 - Typing test

Step 3 – Emergency Call Simulations Test (previously CritiCall testing)

Step 4 – Job suitability assessment

Step 5 – Fingerprinting

Step 6 – Background and reference checks

Step 7 – Interview with the Executive Director

Conditional offer of employment

Step 8 – Polygraph

Step 9 – Psychological evaluation

Step 10 – Pre-employment medical exam (to include drug and alcohol screening)

Final offer of employment

The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a highly qualified and diversified work force.  Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age (over 40), martial or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, and local laws.
 
In accordance with the American with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities will be provided for participation in the application and selection process, if requested.  Persons with a disability who need assistance must notify the Human Resources Department about the accommodation needed at the time of application and prior to the closing date by calling (509) 942-7392. 
 
The provisions of job announcements listed on this website do not constitute an expressed, or implied, contract of employment with the City.  Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.