Fire Dispatcher positions receive and evaluate requests for fire and emergency medical service; dispatch appropriate fire and/or paramedic units to the incident; and perform other duties as assigned.
Fire-Rescue Dispatchers work on a Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and are the primary answering point for all 911, 10-digit emergency, 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.
NOTES:
Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
- 2% effective 1/1/25
- 5% effective 7/1/25
In addition to the scheduled general wage increases, the following special salary wage increase is also scheduled to take effect for Fire Dispatcher:
- 5% effective 1/1/25
- 5% effective 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).
- Fire Dispatcher employees work 12-hour shifts (44/36 rotation schedule).
- Fire Dispatcher employees may be required to work overtime during training, if needed, on cleared positions.
- Fire Dispatcher employees may be required to work during all City holidays.
- Fire Dispatcher employees are eligible for 17.5% additional pay after successfully completing the paid mandatory Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) certification course.
- Fire Dispatcher employees are subject to mandated overtime beyond their scheduled shift with short notice to maintain staffing levels.
- The communication center in the Fire-Rescue Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with day, evening, and night shifts. Dispatcher I employees will be rotated to different shifts on a periodic basis.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.
AGE: You must be 18 years of age or older.
CITIZENSHIP: You must be a United States citizen or have the current legal right to work in the United States.
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.
EXPERIENCE: You must meet ONE of the following options:
- One year of full-time experience receiving and dispatching requests for fire and emergency medical services to fire and paramedic units by voice radio or telephone.
- One year of experience as a Dispatcher performing emergency dispatch for a medical transport company or department.
HIGHLY DESIRABLE:
- The ability to communicate and understand any of the following languages: Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Somali, Chinese, Indochinese, or Tagalog.
For official details and additional information please visit our website.