County of Sonoma

Communications Dispatcher II-CONTINUOUS

Recruitment #1005-1692-O

Salary:

$26.21 - $31.87/hour; $4,558.62 - $5,543.04/month; $54,703.44 - $66,516.48/year

Department:

Sheriff

Date Opened:

5/21/2010 5:00:00 PM

Filing Deadline:

7/12/2010 12:00:00 PM

Job Type:

Full Time (40 hrs/week)

Recruiter:

Marina Luna

HR Tech:

David Phillips

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Bulletin

INTRODUCTION

Please note that this is not the entry level position for Communications Dispatcher. This recruitment is being conducted for the purpose of accepting applications from experienced emergency law enforcement dispatch candidates.

POSITION INFORMATION

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office is seeking an experienced law enforcement dispatcher to fill one FULL-TIME position in Communications. This list may also be used to fill future part-time, or extra-help (temporary) vacancies as they occur during the active status of this list.

Under general supervision, the Communications Dispatcher II operates dispatch related equipment; receives complaints and requests for assistance from the public and law enforcement; dispatches safety equipment and manpower in accordance with Sheriff's Office procedures; performs filing and limited record keeping duties; and performs related duties as required. The ideal candidate will have at least one year emergency dispatch experience in a law enforcement agency.

A Communications Dispatcher II is considered to be a fully qualified dispatcher required to handle emergency, law enforcement dispatch situations, and is responsible for dispatching, coordinating and directing emergency manpower and equipment, using independent judgment to develop a course of action in unprecedented situations.

Persons newly hired or reinstated into the class of Communications Dispatcher II shall serve a probationary period of one year.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Working knowledge of: streets, roads, major buildings and geography of Sonoma County; functions of the Sheriff's Department, County Fire agencies and other public safety agencies; applicable rules, regulations and procedures including those of the Federal Communications Commission and their application; dispatch related equipment including two-way radios, computer assisted dispatch, telecommunications, and biotelemetry systems.

Ability to: accurately dispatch, coordinate and direct public safety equipment and personnel; speak clearly and concisely in English; operate a keyboard; react quickly, efficiently and calmly in an emergency situation, and to adopt an effective course of action; handle inquiries from the public in a courteous and effective manner; interpret rules and regulations to others; understand and follow complex written and oral instructions; keep records; and work shift schedule, including nights, weekends and holidays.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: High school graduate or General Education Degree. Any combination of educational coursework and training which provide the knowledge and abilities listed. The ability to read, write, and speak English. The ability to type at least 35 words per minute.

Experience: Any combination of training and experience which would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, one year of emergency law and/or fire dispatch experience in a position comparable to Communications Dispatcher I, would provide this opportunity.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS The information contained in the application and responses to the supplemental questions will be evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the employment process. Applicants should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application and be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions. You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, please list each position separately. Failure to comply with these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS REQUIRE THE MANDATORY SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE BE COMPLETED.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal (Weight 100%). Each application and supplemental questionnaire will be thoroughly evaluated for satisfaction of minimum qualifications and relevance of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position. Candidates possessing the most appropriate job-related qualifications will be placed on an employment list and referred to the department for selection interviews.

How To Apply
Applications are accepted on-line at www.jobaps.com/sonoma. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be RECEIVED by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Continuous recruitments may close without notice at any time that a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma is committed to a policy and actively pursues a program of equal employment and non-discrimination.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION - SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
The Sheriff's Department's policy is that all employees, civilian and law enforcement, are required to successfully complete a thorough background investigation prior to employment. This policy is imperative in order to keep the department's employees and the public safe, and to maintain high standards in the law enforcement community.

The background investigation will include a thorough assessment of a candidate's personal, employment, educational, criminal, and credit history. The investigation may include, but is not necessarily limited to: use of prescription and/or other drugs, reports from former employers, friends, family members, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, credit reports, court reports, public records search, and/or other relevant sources. Candidates must be honest and forthcoming about information that may arise during the background process. Deception during any portion of this process is grounds for disqualification, even after employment.

All candidates will be required to take a polygraph and pre-employment medical examination. A pre-employment medical examination will be conducted including drug and alcohol testing as part of the pre-employment medical examination for all applicants and for all current employees who are offered employment within the Sheriff's Department. Additionally, candidates for Deputy Sheriff, Correctional Officer, and Communications Dispatcher will be required to take a psychological evaluation. Candidates for Deputy Sheriff, Correctional Officer, Communications Dispatcher, and Detention Assistant will also be required to take a pre-employment physical abilities examination. The results of the investigation shall be confidential and shall not be available to the candidate for review. Failure to pass the background investigation will eliminate a candidate from the employment process.

Any issues that arise during the investigation process will be assessed and judgment and discretion will be used to determine the employability of the candidate.

If a job candidate has any prior history of controlled substances, the Sheriff's Department has established guidelines to evaluate and determine a candidate's suitability for employment. Where there is evidence of a candidate's past use of controlled substances, many factors shall be used to determine the employability of the individual such as pattern of use, kind of drug used, circumstances of the start of the drug use, treatment, behavior and attitude since discontinuance, etc. Please note that a history of using controlled substances does not result in automatic disqualification from the selection process. Prior to disqualifying any candidate whose profile falls within the provisions of the policy, the candidate shall be given the opportunity to present any and all evidence of mitigating facts which the candidate feels should be considered by the hiring authority.

For specific details on the drug policy, please click on the following link:

http://www.sonomasheriffjobs.org/includes/Drug_Guidelines.pdf

In an effort to mitigate the impact of budget reductions on the County workforce, the County of Sonoma implemented a program of 5 days of mandatory time off for the current fiscal year. The amount of pay deducted for the unpaid furlough time was determined by the employee’s regularly allocated work schedule and the number of pay periods remaining in the current fiscal year in order to accomplish a 40 hour contribution by June 28, 2010.

In order to minimize the impact of the unpaid furlough on employees, a deduction is being withheld each pay period from the date of hire through the end of the fiscal year in June 2010. The 40 hour deduction is being amortized over the period between date of hire and the end of the fiscal year in June 2010.

Employees hired after January 3, 2010, and prior to the end of the fiscal year in June 2010, will accrue unpaid leave hours (MTO) on a pro-rated basis. Deduction of the accrued MTO hours will be amortized over the remaining pay periods in the fiscal year. Hours accumulated as a result of this deduction shall be used as time off prior to the use of any accumulated vacation leave, by mutual agreement of the employee and their department head or designee. MTO for part-time employees will be pro-rated, based upon their assigned FTE.

Due to continuing budget issues, the County is considering extending the MTO/furlough program into fiscal year 2010-2011. The program could be up to 12 MTO days. This is not official and will need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors, but job candidates should note the possibility of this program. If an offer of employment is made between now and the program being approved and made official, the appointing authority will inform job candidates of the status.

SONOMA COUNTY BENEFITS

COUNTY OF SONOMA BENEFITS: GENERAL*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

GENEROUS PAID TIME OFF:

Vacation Leave: Generous vacation accrual based on years of County service
Sick Leave: No limit on accumulation
Holidays: 11 paid holidays plus 8-10 hours annual compensatory time

COMPREHENSIVE RETIREMENT:

Retirement Plan: 3% @60 general retirement tax deferred contributory system under the County Retirement Act of 1937. Fully integrated with Social Security. 3% @50 for most law enforcement job classes
Deferred Compensation: 457 plan
Retiree medical: The County provides a reimbursement program to assist in funding health benefits upon retirement.

EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH AND WELFARE PLANS:

Insurance: Vision and employee long term disability plan paid by the County. Dental coverage and choice of three health plans with generous portions of premiums paid by the County

Cash Allowance: Effective May 2009 a cash allowance of approximately $600/month that may be used towards health contribution accounts, deferred compensation, or as cash
Group Term Life Insurance for $10,000 paid by the County
Textbook & Tuition reimbursement: For approved job-related training and educational course work (This benefit is temporarily suspended due to budget issues through June 30, 2011.)
Tax exempt health/dependent care reimbursement program

AND MORE......

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process, more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331.

*The benefits listed herein are intended to give job applicants a general sense of the excellent overall benefit package County of Sonoma employees enjoy. Benefits may vary depending on bargaining unit and applicants should confirm benefits for a particular position during the hiring process. Additionally, benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Updated 01/12/10