9-1-1 Dispatcher

Job Description

9-1-1 Dispatcher | Ingham County Sheriff’s Office

The Tone:
This is an early career role at Ingham County Sheriff’s Office, located in Ingham County, MI. The Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to ensuring public safety and emergency response within the county by providing crucial services around the clock. This dispatcher role is essential for serving as the primary link between the community and emergency services, coordinating critical responses that directly impact the safety and well-being of residents. You will operate in a 24-hour work environment, handling high-stakes situations.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Ingham County, MI

• Team: Reports to Director or designee
• Mission: Serve as the initial point of contact for emergency and non-emergency calls, rapidly assessing situations and dispatching appropriate public safety resources to ensure community safety.
• Tech Stack: Computer Aided Dispatch system (CAD), public safety radio talk groups, radios, mobile data terminals, telephones, pagers, local court systems, public safety systems, PC/laptop.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Call Management: Receive, evaluate, and prioritize emergency calls from the public, determining the precise location and nature of incidents to ensure appropriate service dispatch.
• Emergency Response: Dispatch necessary emergency units, including law enforcement, fire, medical, or other services, coordinating their deployment efficiently.
• Public Assistance: Provide pre-arrival emergency medical instructions to callers, guiding them through critical moments until professional emergency personnel arrive on scene.
• Information Coordination: Coordinate vital information exchange between the public and emergency personnel using the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, radios, mobile data terminals, and other communication devices.
• System Monitoring & Query: Monitor multiple public safety radio talk groups and actively query local court or public safety systems to process and retrieve criminal justice information, such as vehicle registrations, driving records, and outstanding warrants.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Entry-level professional with a High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Experience: Prior experience in law enforcement, fire service, EMS, a high-volume customer service center, or emergency response dispatch is strongly preferred. This role requires the ability to work 12-hour shifts, including mandatory overtime and scheduled days off.
• Skills: Pass a data entry/keyboarding test. Achieve and maintain LEIN processing status. Demonstrate effective communication skills by engaging, interacting, and working with all individuals to ensure clarity and understanding in all interactions. Ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress, remaining calm and effective when others are panicked or afraid.
• Bonus: College coursework in Criminal Justice, Emergency Services, Public Safety, or a related field. CPR, EMD, or advanced first-aid training. A general knowledge of local streets and traffic patterns.