Communications Dispatcher I/II - Fire & Sheriff

Salary: See Position Description
Location : Santa Barbara, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-1803-02 (O)
Department: Sheriff's Office and Fire Department
Opening Date: 10/09/2026
Closing Date: 10/26/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Description
The Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department are accepting applications to fill multiple vacancies in Santa Barbara.

Both the Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department are looking for committed, compassionate individuals to join our team as Communications Dispatchers (911 Dispatchers). In this vital role, you will be the first point of contact during emergencies-providing clear guidance, critical support, and reassurance to people in their most urgent moments.

If you are driven by a desire to serve your community and want a stable, meaningful career where every call can make a difference, we invite you to join the team that helps protect lives and keeps our community safe.

The Sheriff's Office and the Fire Department will use this recruitment to fill current and future full-time, part-time and extra-help (temporary) vacancies. The work schedule for this position depends upon the needs of the department.

LATERAL TRANSFER: For dispatchers working within a California public agency operating in a personnel merit system in the State of California, who want to be considered as a Lateral Transfer, please submit an online application, CLICK HERE
Communications Dispatcher I

$37.08 - $44.65 Hourly

$77,118.08 - $92,878.24 Annually
Communications Dispatcher II

$40.68 - $49.04 Hourly

$84,606.08 - $102,009.44 Annually

Other allowance incentive, per the Memorandum of Understanding:

• Bilingual
• Education Incentive
• Specialty Certifications

Employees may be promoted from level I to level II after completing the required training, obtaining required certifications, demonstrating required job competencies, and meeting performance standards. This typically takes 1-2 years. Candidates who meet the level II employment standards with the required certifications and experience may be appointed at level II upon hire.
Benefits & Compensation:

To learn more about County benefits, please visit these links:

Health Benefits and Wellness: CLICK HERE

Compensation Summary: CLICK HERE

Retirement: CLICK HERE

Memorandum of Understanding:
General Role Description

As a Dispatcher, your primary responsibility is to respond to emergency calls and provide critical assistance to individuals in distress. Your key job duties include swiftly and accurately answering emergency calls, gathering essential information from callers, and determining the nature and severity of the situation. You will dispatch the appropriate emergency services, such as law enforcement, fire, or medical personnel, while maintaining clear and reassuring communication with callers to provide vital instructions or support until help arrives. In addition to handling emergency calls, you will operate communication equipment and maintain detailed records of incidents.

The ideal candidate for this position should excel in high-stress communication scenarios, demonstrating effective and reassuring communication skills. They must uphold a strong reputation for honesty, trustworthiness, and good moral character, earning the trust and credibility of both colleagues and the public. Dependability, integrity, and sound judgment under pressure are also crucial qualities we seek in our ideal candidate, as they play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community during emergencies.

Hiring Department Information

Please visit the following pages to learn more about the specific roles and requirements in the hiring departments:

Fire Department: Click here to visit the website to learn more about the position and the department.

Sheriff's Office: Click here to visit the website to learn more about the position and the department.

Examples of Duties

1. Receives non-emergency and emergency requests (including 911 calls) for sheriff/fire protection, medical, or emergency services; and obtains relevant information and inputs data, evaluates and prioritizes calls for service and dispatches appropriate personnel and equipment.
2. Using a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, monitors and updates fire, ambulance, and sheriff unit location and status in order to coordinate emergency field operations; provides backup support and information as necessary by operating a two-way radio; requests additional assistance from other agencies as necessary; and obtains computerized law enforcement information from local, state, and federal data banks through a telecommunications terminal.
3. Maintains reference cards, logs, reports, procedure manuals, reference manuals, files, and other documents; and performs other clerical duties.
4. Coordinates communications between multiple units, agencies and jurisdictions, including aircraft responding to fire and emergency medical incidents.
5. Simultaneously monitors and transmits on multiple radio channels and multiple transmitters; and maintains contact with and monitors status of field units.
6. Could be expected to testify in court.
7. Utilizes CLETS to determine and confirm information and enters and removes information. (Sheriff's Office Only)
8. Utilizes established Emergency Dispatch protocols to provide pre-arrival medical and fire instructions to callers and follows established protocols for Priority Medical/Fire Dispatch program.
9. Utilizes System Status Management protocols to ensure optimum geographic coverage through deployment of resources by type; monitors diversion status of area hospitals and specialized units within each hospital.
10. Performs specialized dispatch functions related to the responsibilities of a CAL-EMS Mutual Aid Operations Area Coordinator Dispatch Center, and specialized functions of a CAL-Fire Contract County Dispatch Center. (Fire Department Only)
11. Operates specialized computer systems to prepare, input, and obtain state/regional fire or emergency medical services activity, resource deployments and daily fire weather information through the Weather Information Management System (WIMS) and the Interagency Resource Ordering Capability (IROC). (Fire Department Only)
12. Performs related duties as assigned.

Employment Standards

1. Possession of a High School Diploma or GED AND any combination of experience, education and/or training, which demonstrates possession of the required knowledge and abilities listed below.

Additional Requirements:

• Incumbents must be able to type 35 wpm.
• Work rotatingshifts including nights and weekends.
• Work overtime as required to ensure operational stability of the communications center.
• Must be able to pass a work-simulated, computer-based performance test, a background investigation (including a polygraph examination and credit check for the Sheriff's Office), psychological evaluation and medical exam.
• Work is performed in a dispatch center and requires sitting for long periods of time, extensive keyboarding, operation of a mouse, wearing of a headset, and working in a fast-paced and demanding environment.

Desirable Qualifications: Multilingual in languages spoken in the County such as Spanish, Mixtec, Hmong or others relevant languages. IROC and Aircraft training, EMD & EFD certification through Priority Dispatch, and Communications Training Officer.
Additional Requirements for Fire Department: Successful completion of an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) and Emergency Fire Dispatcher (EFD) certification during the training period and maintained throughout employment.
Additional Requirements Sheriff's Office: Successful completion of a California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Certified Basic Complaint/Dispatch course during the one-year probationary period.
Knowledge of: English language; basic customer service practices; and basic office computer applications such as Microsoft Office applications

Ability to: Learn to retain and relay information received under stressful conditions; hear, understand, and speak the English language; respond to calls and radio transmissions quickly and calmly and make sound decisions under pressure; learn to observe, receive, and otherwise obtain information from all relevant sources; learn to analyze information, evaluate results, and choose the best solution; solve problems; learn Federal, State, and local laws, and also local agency policies and procedures, terminology, jurisdictional boundaries, and available types of emergency services; to read maps and provide directions; clearly speak and communicate effectively over the telephone and radio; remain calm in stressful situations; perform multiple tasks simultaneously; learn use of multiple computer and telephone systems; communicate with people of diverse social and cultural backgrounds; follow written and oral instructions; establish and maintain working relationships with other agencies; and operate a telephone, computer, mouse, and keyboard.

Supplemental Information
Please read the SELECTION PROCESS below. Be sure to frequently check your email throughout this entire process, as this is the only way we will be notifying applicants regarding their status and to provide all of the important information throughout the recruitment process.

SELECTION & EXAMINATION PROCESS
1. Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.

2. Online Skill Keyboarding Assessment: Qualified candidates will be notified by email with instructions to complete the online Keyboarding assessment. The deadline to complete the assessment will be clearly stated in the invitation. Candidates must complete and pass the keyboarding assessment to advance in the recruitment process.

3. CritiCall Computerized Exam (Online): Candidates who pass the keyboarding assessment will be invited by email to the online CritiCall exam. The CritiCall exam is a computerized software testing program that tests job-related skills and multi-tasking abilities required in the complex dispatching environment. Candidates are required to pass the exam to be placed on the employment list.
Candidates must receive a percentage score of at least 70% on the CritiCall exam to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.
Incumbents must successfully complete a one-year probationary period.

HIRING PROCESS
The background check process is different for each hiring department. To learn more about the background and hiring process for each department, please review the following information:
Sheriff's Office (only) Background Investigation Includes:

Personal History Questionnaire: The Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ) is a pre-screen background questionnaire. Candidates must pass to advance in the selection process.
Polygraph Examination: Measures the accuracy of information disclosed on the PHQ and during the background investigation.

Fire Department and Sheriff's Office: Upon accepting a conditional offer of employment candidates must successfully complete the following:

• Live Scan: A Live Scan is electronic fingerprint scanning that is certified by the State Department of Justice. Further instructions about when and how to complete the Live Scan will be included in the conditional offer letter.
• Background Process includes an interview and in-depth background investigation of police records, personal and virtual character check, military, and employment histories; inquiry of persons who know you and evaluate whether you respect the law and rights of others; are dependable and responsible; have demonstrated mature judgment in areas such as the use of drugs and intoxicants; are honest; and is a safe driver.

• Psychological Examination is administrated by a licensed psychologist. You will be evaluated on the psychological factors related to successful performance to determine if you are presently suited for the difficult and stressful job of a dispatcher and to otherwise ensure that the candidate is capable of withstanding the psychological demands of the position.

• Medical Examination. The medical evaluation or examination shall commence once you accept a conditional offer of employment. You will be evaluated on the physical factors related to successful performance to determine if you are presently suited for the physically demanding job of a dispatcher.