Fire Dispatcher

Salary : $76,772.80 - $92,830.40 Annually
Location : City of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Varies by Position
Job Number:
Business Area: 1912 - Fire-Rescue
Opening Date: 06/20/2025
Closing Date: Continuous

JOB INFORMATION
See NOTE(S) below for additional compensation opportunities.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PASS A COMPUTER-BASED PERFORMANCE TEST TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FIRE DISPATCHER POSITIONS.

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:
  • 3.5% effective 7/1/27
  • 2% effective 7/1/28
  • 2% effective 1/1/29
• 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:

1. Graduation from high school.
2. Passage of the General Education Development (G.E.D.) test.
3. Passage of the California High School Proficiency Examination (C.H.S.P.E.).
4. Possession of a two-year, four-year, or advanced degree from a college or university.

EXPERIENCE: You must meet ONE of the following options:

1. 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.
2. One year of experience as a Dispatcher performing emergency dispatch for a medical transport company or department.

NOTES:

• Fire Dispatcher employees must obtain and maintain National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch (NAEMD) certification within six months from date of hire.
• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE:

• The ability to communicate and understand any of the following languages: Spanish, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, Somali, Chinese, Indochinese, or Tagalog.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.
SCREENING PROCESS

The screening process will consist of the following components:

1. APPLICATION REVIEW: Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met.

2. PERFORMANCE TEST: The performance test is a computer-based work simulation test that measures the general aptitudes needed to be a Fire Dispatcher. No prior dispatch experience is necessary to pass the test. The test includes the following fourteen (14) test modules and ten (10) decision-making scenario prompts that activate during the administration of the test modules. The prompts measure the ability to make decisions quickly and accurately in a multi-task environment and to correctly signal the response using a computer:

• DATA ENTRY: The ability to read written data and accurately enter that data using a keyboard.
• DATA ENTRY (AUDIO): The ability to hear audible data and accurately enter that data using a keyboard.
• CALL SUMMARIZATION 1: The ability to hear, comprehend, and summarize audible information.
• CALL SUMMARIZATION 2: The ability to hear and comprehend audible information while accurately entering that information using a keyboard, and to subsequently use that information.
• CROSS REFERENCING: The ability to locate information, requested in writing, on a written list and to correctly/accurately respond using a keyboard.
• CROSS REFERENCING (AUDIO): The ability to locate information, requested audibly, on a written list and to correctly/accurately respond using a keyboard.
• CHARACTER COMPARISON: The ability to compare and contrast written data.
• MEMORY RECALL: The ability to learn and later recognize associated information.
• MEMORY RECALL - NUMERIC (AUDIO): The ability to hear data (number sequences), memorize it, and then use a keyboard to accurately enter the data.
• PRIORITIZATION: The ability to evaluate and analyze information in order to prioritize or categorize incidents.
• MAP READING: The ability to use maps for determining routes and locations.
• SPELLING: The ability to correctly spell words according to the context in which they are being used (i.e., homonyms).
• SENTENCE CLARITY: The ability to select the written passage that is the most clearly written.
• READING COMPREHENSION: The ability to read and comprehend written passages.

NOTE:

• For additional information regarding the performance test review:

Performance Test Scheduling: Approved applicants will be notified regarding the opportunity to schedule themselves for the performance test.

Performance Test Scoring: This is a pass/fail test. The test module scores are weighted to account for correct responses to the decision-making scenario prompts. Applicants must pass ALL 14 test modules to successfully complete the performance test and be placed on the eligible list. Performance test weight: 100%.

Reexamination Eligibility: If you fail the performance test, you may reapply a month (30 days) after your most recent test date.

Candidates who pass the performance test will be placed on the Fire Dispatcher eligibility list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

SUPPLEMENTAL JOB INFORMATION: A career as a Dispatcher offers many satisfying and rewarding opportunities to help others and make a sufficient contribution to public safety. This challenging, fast-paced work requires quick thinking and problem solving abilities, and excellent public relations skills. The job, however, also has some demands that you may find less appealing. The factors listed below describe aspects of the job of which you may not be aware. It is important that you consider these conditions before you accept employment in this job classification. This information is not provided to discourage you from seeking employment in this capacity; it is presented only to help you decide if this would be a good job choice for you.

• There will be times that you will be unable to leave your work station for long periods during your shift. Therefore, you must be able to work in a confined area for your entire shift. You may be required to wear a headset.
• You may be required to change your work shift (includes weekends, nights and holidays) and/or cancel days off or holiday plans on short notice. There may be times you will be mandated to work overtime.
• You must respond courteously, calmly, and effectively to telephone calls when someone is rude, drunk, irrational, difficult to understand, confused, using obscene language, and/or screaming at you. You must also be able to respond to calls when a violent or highly emotional situation is taking place.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may constitute cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.
Rev. 2 December 8, 2025 (Reexamination Date Updated)