Sheriff's Emergency Services Dispatcher Trainee-26282001

County of San Diego
San Diego, CA


Join Our World-Class Team!

The Sheriff's Office is hiring motivated individuals for the position of Sheriff's Emergency Services Dispatcher Trainee.

This position is eligible for appointment at step 1, $77,126.40 annually. County employees are subject to the County Promotion Rule for Step Placement in Accordance with Compensation Ordinance 1.3.5.

Future Salary Increase

** June 2026 – 6.03% increase to base pay (3.5% Across-the-Board + 2.53% Market Adjustment)

** June 2027 – 5.53% increase to base pay (3% Across-the- Board + 2.53% Market Adjustment)

About the Position

The Sheriff's Communications Center is recruiting individuals for the position of Sheriff's Emergency Services Dispatcher Trainee capable of taking command of situations in a sensitive and straightforward manner while showing consideration and respect to others. The Sheriff's Communications Center provides the highest quality professional public safety services to the residents of San Diego County. Sheriff's Emergency Services Dispatcher Trainees are trained to respond to 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls and are responsible for dispatching deputies in the field. This requires a candidate who can assess situations accurately, make quick decisions and use good judgment to ensure safety of patrol deputies. Learn about the Emergency Dispatcherexperience or read about the job classification for more information.

The Communications Center is centrally located in Kearny Mesa and is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Applicants must be willing to work any/rotating shifts, on holidays or weekends.


Minimum Qualifications
  • Be at least 18 years of age.
  • Possess effective oral and written communication skills in English.
  • Have no felony convictions (Misdemeanor convictions may be disqualifyingdepending on thenumber, recency, and severity).
  • Be willing to work night shifts, holidays, and weekends (24-hour facility - Premium of $.80 per hour for night shift work).

Condition of EmploymentAs part of the County of San Diego’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position.
Application ProcessSTEP 1: Complete the online application form providing correct and complete responses to the Supplemental Questions. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying. Note:The names of qualified applicants will be placed on asix (6) month employment listbased upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

STEP 2: Candidates who are notified they have been placed on the eligible list, will then receive instructions on how to complete the online CritiCall performance exam. In order to be considered, all candidates that are notified that they are placed on the eligible list must take the CritiCall performance exam.

The CritiCall performance exam can be completed online from home and is a work-simulated computer-based performance test covering the areas listed below.Use the CritiCallstudy guide to prepare.
  • Call summarization
  • Character comparison
  • Data entry
  • Cross-referencing
  • Decision making
  • Prioritization
  • Keyboarding
  • Probability
  • Map reading
  • Readingcomprehension
  • Memory recall
  • Sentence clarity and spelling

STEP 3: Candidates who successfully pass the CritiCall performance exam will attend a Pre-Screening Orientation. Candidates may be invited to participate in the background investigation and selection interview processes listed below.

STEP 4: Candidates may be invited to participate in the comprehensive background investigation.
STEP 5: The remaining steps will include a computer voice stress analysis exam, employment interview, and psychology and medical exam.

Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis. The County of San Diego now participates in E-Verify. Read theE-Verifyinformation here.




As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.

Veteran’s Preference PolicyThe County of San Diego offers preferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego. Please read theVeteran's Preference Policy for additional information.

Military Skills Translator
Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help! Please read theMilitary Skills Translator to access the tool.


The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of these is infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data-driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our Strategic Plan (sandiegocounty.gov).


Disaster Service Worker

Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.



The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.


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