Fire Rescue Dispatcher

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School diploma or GED
• At least 18 years of age
• Have a valid Driver's License
• Must be able to work rotating shifts including weekends and holidays and be available to work 24/7 during emergency activations
• Must obtain a 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Certification within the one-year probationary period and maintain it throughout the employee's career

Preference will be given to applicants with an associate or bachelor’s degree in applied science in Emergency Communications or a related degree and Computer Aided Dispatch experience.

Applicants will be subject to an extensive background check. Those applicants who successfully complete the background investigation will be administered a psychological evaluation to determine suitability and compatibility to perform the basic job functions. As a condition of continued employment, the ability to handle stressful emergency communications will be assessed during the training and probationary period.

Applicants must take and pass a typing test with a score of 30 net words per minute, and then
immediately take and pass a computer-based skills test which will assess the ability to follow verbal and written instructions, decision-making, multi-tasking audio data entry, 911 call summarization, character comparison and reading comprehension. The test will take approximately one hour. 

Photo identification, such as a driver's license, is required and must be presented to take the computer skills test.

Here are some resources to help you practice some of the skills you will need for the computer test. Note: The links are just a resource for you to practice and are not identical to the actual test.

• The Practice Test 
• Office Proficiency Assessment & Certification Skills Tests 
• CritiCall 
   

Once hired as a Fire Rescue Dispatcher, you will undergo a “trainee” period that includes 16 to 18 weeks of classroom training and 34 weeks of on-the-job training, including the successful completion of the State of Florida Public Safety Telecommunicator Certification. This is a paid training period.