Communications Dispatcher Trainee

City of Redondo Beach

Job description and requirements

Job Information REDONDO BEACH, CITY OF 415 DIAMOND STREET, DOOR 3 REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA 90277 310-318-0659 http://www.redondo.org Updated: October 16, 2024 Communications Dispatcher Trainee BEFORE TAKING THE EXAM, PLEASE NOTE: ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT A JOB APPLICATION VIA THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. Visit www.redondo.org/jobs to apply. If the post is not currently open, you are still able to submit a test score. We usually accept applications for this position on a quarterly basis, and you may apply when we reopen our recruitment. SALARY $4,793.00 Monthly $57,516.00 Annually LOCATION Redondo Beach Police Department, CA JOB TYPE Full-Time DEPARTMENT Police Department FLSA Non-Exempt BARGAINING UNIT Redondo Beach City Employees' Association DEFINITION The City of Redondo Beach Police Department is looking for dedicated individuals ready to begin their career in public service emergency dispatch! Under the direction of the Police Chief and supervisors, Communications Dispatcher Trainees perform a training capacity to dispatch Police, Fire, and emergency medical services and to receive complaints and calls for service in the City's Communication Center. Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work well under pressure and during periods of high stress, be capable of multi-tasking, and function productively in a fast-paced environment. The ability and/or willingness to work nights, weekends, holidays, and/or overtime if requested is also desired. Communications Dispatcher Trainees receive a flat rate of pay during training. Candidates who successfully complete training will then become Communications Dispatchers and will follow the pay scale for that classification. This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time. Prompt application is highly encouraged. Applications are accepted online only at www.redondo.org/jobs. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS This position is accountable to perform as a team member to assist with operational and support duties and services including but not limited to:  Receiving, updating, and reviewing police, fire, and emergency medical service calls and the status of rescue units; prioritizing incidents and radio traffic; dispatching the appropriate police, fire, or rescue units in accordance with established operational guidelines in a training capacity  Broadcasting information over radio or telephone lines and entering call information into the Computer Dispatch system chronologically; transmitting messages to the appropriate station or location directing unit(s) to respond to calls; announcing information over station paging systems and via radio frequencies; maintaining direct contact with field personnel; updating responding unit status, as necessary in a training capacity  Receiving calls for service from the public and private alarm systems; determining the nature of the complaints, alarms, or codes for computer input; recording the type of incident, locations, and other details; inputting the information into the computer to be routed to the appropriate Police or Fire dispatcher in a training capacity  Working in an environment that requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, read color-coded displays; use a computer terminal for extended periods; hear sufficiently to accurately and completely obtain information from callers; and communicate clearly to effectively dispatch information over the radio/communication system. Frequent lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds and occasionally lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds may be required.  Providing outstanding internal and external customer service, communicating effectively with the public and fellow employees, solving problems and proactively creating sustainable solutions to issues  Conducting duties, responsibilities, tasks, and assignments with a constructive, cooperative, positive, professional attitude and demeanor  Supporting the City's mission, goals, policies, and objectives  Supporting the City's corporate values of openness and honesty; integrity and ethics; accountability; outstanding customer service; teamwork; excellence; and fiscal responsibility  Performing other related duties as required The position requires the ability to work shifts, weekends, and/or holidays, spell and use correct grammar, type a minimum of 45 words per minute, follow oral and written directions, and understand and follow complex written rules and regulations and policies and procedures. Also needed is the ability to memorize and use crime, phonetic alphabetical, and computer codes, react quickly, efficiently, and calmly in emergency situations, maintain effective working relationships with others, and communicate effectively and professionally on the phone and radio. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Requirements and desired qualifications include: EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE  Requires possession of a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent and the minimum age of 18 years at the time of appointment.  Additional college credits and bilingual skills are desirable.  One (1) year of experience as an Emergency Services Dispatcher with a public safety Computer Aided Dispatching system is desirable.  Applicants are required to pass a California Certified Dispatcher School within 18 months of appointment. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES  Computer literacy with knowledge in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel.  Ability to learn the efficient use of the department's Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems, State, County, and local computer databases, and other computer systems.  Ability to communicate using email programs and to understand and adhere to city policies for information technology. EXPECTED COMPETENCIES  Provide sound decision-making skills and critical thinking to professional recommendations, decisions, and completed staff work.  Requires the initiative to achieve positive, timely results for the organization while maintaining interpersonal, customer service, diplomatic skills, and ethical conduct. The position requires meeting the physical employment standards for the classification. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TEST PROCESS Candidates may be required to successfully complete and pass a combination of the following examinations prior to being placed on the Eligible List:  Screening for Minimum Qualifications  National Testing Network (NTN) Emergency Communications Operator ECOMM Exam  Oral Panel Interview Eligible Lists may be valid for up to one year from the date established. Candidates will be contacted from the Eligible List on a timeline at the hiring department's discretion. Once selected from the Eligible List, candidates will be required to complete a full background investigation prior to beginning employment, which may take up to three (3) months. All test process announcements will be sent via e-mail when updates are available. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: 12 months VETERAN PREFERENCE POINTS: Qualified Military Veterans are given an additional five (5) points for a passing score for both open-competitive and promotional recruitments. SELECTION PROCESS: The selection process may include but is not limited to Application review and evaluation, written examination, performance test, and interview. All employment offers made by the City are contingent upon establishing proof of a prospective candidate's legal authorization to work in the United States and successfully passing all components of the pre-employment process, such as reference check, background investigation, fingerprint criminal history check, post-offer drug test, post-offer psychological, and post-offer medical examination, the cost of which will be borne by the City. The City of Redondo Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. Candidates with a disability who may need accommodation during the selection process must notify the Human Resources Department at least five (5) business days in advance of the test date. Note: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice.
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Job Information

REDONDO BEACH, CITY OF
415 DIAMOND STREET, DOOR 3
REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA 90277
310-318-0659
http://www.redondo.org

Updated: October 16, 2024

Communications Dispatcher Trainee

BEFORE TAKING THE EXAM, PLEASE NOTE: ALL APPLICANTS MUST SUBMIT A JOB APPLICATION VIA THE CITY'S WEBSITE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. Visit www.redondo.org/jobs to apply. If the post is not currently open, you are still able to submit a test score. We usually accept applications for this position on a quarterly basis, and you may apply when we reopen our recruitment.

SALARY
$4,793.00 Monthly
$57,516.00 Annually

LOCATION Redondo Beach Police Department, CA
JOB TYPE Full-Time
DEPARTMENT Police Department
FLSA Non-Exempt
BARGAINING UNIT Redondo Beach City Employees' Association


DEFINITION

The City of Redondo Beach Police Department is looking for dedicated individuals ready to begin their career in public service emergency dispatch! Under the direction of the Police Chief and supervisors, Communications Dispatcher Trainees perform a training capacity to dispatch Police, Fire, and emergency medical services and to receive complaints and calls for service in the City's Communication Center.

Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work well under pressure and during periods of high stress, be capable of multi-tasking, and function productively in a fast-paced environment. The ability and/or willingness to work nights, weekends, holidays, and/or overtime if requested is also desired.
Communications Dispatcher Trainees receive a flat rate of pay during training. Candidates who successfully complete training will then become Communications Dispatchers and will follow the pay scale for that classification.

This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time. Prompt application is highly encouraged. Applications are accepted online only at www.redondo.org/jobs.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

This position is accountable to perform as a team member to assist with operational and support duties and services including but not limited to:
 Receiving, updating, and reviewing police, fire, and emergency medical service calls and the status of rescue units; prioritizing incidents and radio traffic; dispatching the appropriate police, fire, or rescue units in accordance with established operational guidelines in a training capacity
 Broadcasting information over radio or telephone lines and entering call information into the Computer Dispatch system chronologically; transmitting messages to the appropriate station or location
directing unit(s) to respond to calls; announcing information over station paging systems and via radio frequencies; maintaining direct contact with field personnel; updating responding unit status, as necessary in a training capacity
 Receiving calls for service from the public and private alarm systems; determining the nature of the complaints, alarms, or codes for computer input; recording the type of incident, locations, and other
details; inputting the information into the computer to be routed to the appropriate Police or Fire dispatcher in a training capacity
 Working in an environment that requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, read color-coded displays; use a computer terminal for extended periods; hear sufficiently to accurately and completely obtain information from callers; and communicate clearly to effectively dispatch information over the radio/communication system. Frequent lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds and occasionally lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds may be required.
 Providing outstanding internal and external customer service, communicating effectively with the public and fellow employees, solving problems and proactively creating sustainable solutions to issues
 Conducting duties, responsibilities, tasks, and assignments with a constructive, cooperative, positive, professional attitude and demeanor
 Supporting the City's mission, goals, policies, and objectives
 Supporting the City's corporate values of openness and honesty; integrity and ethics; accountability; outstanding customer service; teamwork; excellence; and fiscal responsibility
 Performing other related duties as required

The position requires the ability to work shifts, weekends, and/or holidays, spell and use correct grammar, type a minimum of 45 words per minute, follow oral and written directions, and understand and follow complex written rules and regulations and policies and procedures. Also needed is the ability to memorize and use crime, phonetic alphabetical, and computer codes, react quickly, efficiently, and calmly in emergency situations, maintain effective working relationships with others, and communicate effectively and professionally on the phone and radio.


MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Requirements and desired qualifications include:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
 Requires possession of a high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent and the minimum age of 18 years at the time of appointment.
 Additional college credits and bilingual skills are desirable.
 One (1) year of experience as an Emergency Services Dispatcher with a public safety Computer Aided Dispatching system is desirable.
 Applicants are required to pass a California Certified Dispatcher School within 18 months of appointment.


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
 Computer literacy with knowledge in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel.
 Ability to learn the efficient use of the department's Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems, State, County, and local computer databases, and other computer systems.
 Ability to communicate using email programs and to understand and adhere to city policies for information technology.


EXPECTED COMPETENCIES
 Provide sound decision-making skills and critical thinking to professional recommendations, decisions, and completed staff work.
 Requires the initiative to achieve positive, timely results for the organization while maintaining interpersonal, customer service, diplomatic skills, and ethical conduct. The position requires meeting the physical employment standards for the classification.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
TEST PROCESS
Candidates may be required to successfully complete and pass a combination of the following examinations prior to being placed on the Eligible List:
 Screening for Minimum Qualifications
 National Testing Network (NTN) Emergency Communications Operator ECOMM Exam
 Oral Panel Interview
Eligible Lists may be valid for up to one year from the date established. Candidates will be contacted from the Eligible List on a timeline at the hiring department's discretion. Once selected from the Eligible List, candidates will be required to complete a full background investigation prior to beginning employment, which may take up to three (3) months.

All test process announcements will be sent via e-mail when updates are available.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD: 12 months

VETERAN PREFERENCE POINTS: Qualified Military Veterans are given an additional five (5) points for a passing score for both open-competitive and promotional recruitments.

SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection process may include but is not limited to Application review and evaluation, written examination, performance test, and interview. All employment offers made by the City are contingent upon establishing proof of a prospective candidate's legal authorization to work in the United States and successfully passing all components of the pre-employment process, such as reference check, background investigation, fingerprint criminal history check, post-offer drug test, post-offer psychological, and post-offer medical examination, the cost of which will be borne by the City.

The City of Redondo Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. Candidates with a disability who may need accommodation during the selection process must notify the Human Resources Department at least five (5) business days in advance of the test date.

Note: The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice.

About this opportunity

Application timeline

This is a continuous filing that has been listed for 80 days since CA Public Jobs first observed it.

Posting history

This posting appears on National Testing Network. CA Public Jobs first observed it on August 17, 2026. It was last verified open on November 4, 2026.

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