All Dispatcher I positions, under general supervision, receive incoming telephone calls and evaluate requests for Police services, Fire-Rescue services, Environmental Services, and Transportation and StormWater services.

NOTES:

Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increase: 5% effective 7/1/25. 

In addition to the scheduled general wage increase, the following special salary wage increase is also scheduled to take effect for Dispatcher I:  5% effective Date 1/1/26.

Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

Dispatcher I employees may answer 50-170 calls a day and are required to sit for long periods of time. Please refer to the Supplemental Information section of the job bulletin for a more detailed description of typical Dispatcher I duties and working conditions.

Dispatcher I employees may be required to work extended periods of night or unusual shift work for which they may receive 5% additional pay. 

Dispatcher I positions in the Police and Fire-Rescue Departments work on a Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and are the primary answering point for all 911 and non-emergency phone calls from within the City of San Diego (Fire-Rescue Department has dispatch contracts with Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City, and Poway); elicit essential incident information from callers; determine the nature and extent of the request, the priority of the problem and the need for dispatching police, fire or medical field units; enter appropriate information by typing on a computer keyboard into a dispatch format; answer routine inquiries and refer calls not requiring dispatch to the appropriate department or agency.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

CITIZENSHIP:  You must be a United States citizen or have the current legal right to work in the United States.

AGE:  18 years of age or older, except for high school graduates (or persons with GED equivalency) who are 17.

NOTE:

• Applicants who are age 17 and are high school graduates, or have passed the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) or General Education Development (GED) examination, are not required to have a work permit; however, they must submit a copy of their high school diploma, CHSPE or GED results at time of application.

EDUCATION:  You must meet ONE of the following options:

Graduation from high school.

Passage of the General Education Development (G.E.D.) test.

Passage of the California High School Proficiency Examination (C.H.S.P.E.).

Possession of a two-year, four-year, or advanced degree from a college or university.

NOTE:

Candidates screened by the San Diego Police Department must present proof of education when they submit their Background Investigation Questionnaire.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE:

The ability to communicate and understand any of the following languages: Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Somali, Chinese, Indochinese or Tagalog.

• To be considered for this recruitment, you must apply online at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sandiego/jobs/2623467/dispatcher-i