COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST - 911 CALL TAKER

General Description

Typical Duties

Note: Listed functions, duties, responsibilities, and skills are not intended to be all-inclusive, and the employer reserves the right to assign additional responsibilities as deemed necessary for the operational efficiency of the Sheriff's Office.

• Receives all incoming telephone calls for emergency law enforcement and Fire Rescue services within unincorporated Seminole County and designated cities
• Routes calls to the proper authority, including processing Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) calls
• Receives incoming non-emergency calls and routes to the proper authority or provides the caller with the requested information
• Receives complaints over the telephone; secures appropriate information from the caller; refers the complaint via computer system to the dispatcher for processing.
• Relays information and messages to field personnel as required
• Responds to inquiries from field personnel as to vehicle license tags, driver's license information, vehicle registrations, warrants, names, criminal histories, and special services information such as wrecker services, technicians, and K-9 support
• Utilizes cross-reference materials and documents for transmittal of accurate locations
• Performs all other duties as assigned or required

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma/GED
• Must be able to type 30 correct words per minute. A typing test is required as part of the pre-screening process
• Must obtain a State of Florida 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Certification within one (1) year
• Must obtain FCIC/NCIC and CPR certification within six (6) months of employment
• Internal applicants must have completed the Seminole County Sheriff's Office one (1) year probationary period
• Must possess and maintain a valid Florida Driver's License

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Other

Regular and prompt attendance is mandatory in the performance of an employee's duties for this position, to include scheduled work hours, required training activities, calls for mandatory overtime needs, and calls for service during times of an emergency.

• Knowledge of county geography
• Knowledge of telephone answering techniques
• Knowledge of governmental agencies and community service agencies at a sufficient level to direct callers to the appropriate authority
• Ability to communicate verbally in a distinct, clear, concise, controlled, and pleasant manner in a wide variety of circumstances with good diction in a well-modulated voice
• Ability to type at sufficient speed to accurately complete information for the computer-aided dispatch system
• Ability to simultaneously communicate, interpret, and enter data into a computer terminal with speed and accuracy
• Ability to understand oral and written instructions
• Ability to react quickly and calmly in a variety of life-threatening and emergency situations
• Ability to sit for long periods of time
• Ability to wear department-issued headset equipment
• Ability to work any shift
• Ability to handle irate and hysterical callers in a calm, courteous, and professional manner
• Ability to work under stress and exercise discretion and independent judgment in a variety of situations
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and an economically and ethnically diverse general public

WORKING CONDITIONS

The work environment for this position is in a high volume call center. The incumbent generally performs work in a sedentary position and wearing a headset is required. Incumbents may be exposed to information that may be violent in nature. The incumbent may be required to work any schedule that fulfills the needs of the position.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES REQUIREMENTS

Mobility-Frequent sedentary work; constant use of a computer

Visual-Constant overall vision; constant color perception, constant eye-hand coordination; constant depth perception; frequent reading/close-up work; constant field of vision/peripheral

Dexterity-Frequent repetitive motion and reaching; Foot and hand coordination

Hearing/Talking-Constant requirement to hear normal speech; constant hearing on telephone and radio; ability to hear faint sounds; constant talking on telephone/radio

Emotional/Psychological-Potential telephone contact with hostile individuals; exposure to emergency situations; may be exposed to trauma, grief, and death; frequent public contact; decision-making and concentration

Special Requirements-Ability to behave respectably and with utmost integrity even when off duty. Shift work (days or nights) with rotating days off, including working weekends, nights, holidays, and/or overtime; May be required to respond for any critical incident, manmade or natural

External applicants for employment will submit to a thorough background investigation, which includes, but not limited to, past employment/education verification, driver license review, credit history, prior drug use history, arrest/conviction record, and computerized voice stress analysis (CVSA) testing. A certified examiner administers the CVSA with questions addressing illegal drug use and general questions of honesty and criminal history. Any dishonesty or deception on the Employment Application will disqualify your application.

The background investigation process may take 3-6 months depending upon the complexity of the applicant's background and position for which you've applied. Applicants selected for employment will be provided a conditional offer and required to submit to a medical examination with drug screening.

Candidates must also comply with the Agency’s current Tattoo and Body Ornamentation Policy. A copy of General Order 28 - Dress and Appearance can be accessed here (). An applicant’s tattoos and body ornamentation must be disclosed at the time of application and will be documented as part of the agency’s review process, even if otherwise meeting the Agency’s policy.

Applicants not selected for employment will receive notification from the Human Resources Division, to include justification based on the following disqualifiers: negative background, failure to meet minimum qualifications as outlined in the specific job description, or any additional information discovered during the interview process. Applicants will be eligible to reapply with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office after one year from date of notification.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office is committed to a diverse work force, is a drug free workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly support our military veterans and their families, and encourage them to consider applying to agency job announcements for which they may qualify. Preference-Eligible Applicant service members and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled. Additionally, certain Preference-Eligible Applicants may also be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements in employment.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office offers a complete benefits package to full-time employees, including:

Paid Time Off and Holidays
Full-time employees accrue 200 hours of PTO per year, which increases over time based on length of service with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), and is utilized for both sick and vacation leave. Full-time employees receive eleven (11) paid holidays plus a paid personal day off annually.

Medical, Dental, Vision and Supplementary Insurance Plans
SCSO pays 100% for full-time employee-only Medical and Dental coverage through UnitedHealthcare (UHC). Full-time employees can also cover themselves and eligible dependents under one of three options of comprehensive Medical and Dental insurance for an additional charge. One of the Medical options is a Health Savings Account (HSA) Compatible Plan, which offers a tax-advantaged way to save and pay for qualified medical expenses. SCSO also offers Vision and supplementary UHC Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospitalization coverages at an additional cost to the employee.

UHC creates and publishes the Machine-Readable Files on behalf of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. To link to the Machine-Readable Files, please click on the URL provided: https://transparency-in-coverage.uhc.com/.

Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)
SCSO provides for full-time employees’ Basic Life insurance at no cost to employees, which includes Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance, with coverage equal to one time the employee’s annual salary. SCSO also offers Voluntary Life insurance for employees, spouses, and/or children at a minimal cost to the employee. Sworn and certified personnel are provided with additional Line-of-duty Death benefits at no cost.

Temporary Disability (TDB) and Long-term Disability Insurance
SCSO pays for Long-term Disability coverage for all full-time employees. In lieu of Short-term Disability insurance, employees are provided a Temporary Disability Benefit (TDB) leave designed to assist employees who are unable to work due to certain defined circumstances such as Maternity/Paternity Leave, Catastrophic Medical Conditions, or a serious Minor Child Illness. The TDB benefit provides employees 65% of their normal pay for a limited time in order to protect their standard of living in a time of need. Employees may choose to utilize their accrued PTO to make up the other 35% of their normal pay while on approved TDB Leave.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
SCSO offers a Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that allows employees to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for various, qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses. FSA accounts can pay for medical expenses the employee or the employee’s dependents incur even if they are not enrolled in SCSO’s medical insurance plan.

Educational Assistance
SCSO’s Educational Assistance Program is designed to financially assist full-time employees in good standing who have completed their initial new hire probationary period and are pursuing a college-level degree (i.e. Associates, Bachelors, Graduate Certificate, Masters, Professional Graduate and Doctoral). The program provides up to a $4,000 annual allowance on a reimbursement basis for college-level courses when grade requirements are met.

Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plans
Employees can choose to participate in a Nationwide 457(b) deferred compensation plan, which allows employees to put aside pre-tax money from each paycheck toward retirement. Contributions are tax-deferred, meaning employees do not pay income taxes on the contributions or earnings until they retire and/or begin to take payments from the account. An after-tax Nationwide Roth contribution plan is also available.

Retirement Plans
SCSO participates in the Florida Retirement System (FRS), which offers two plans for all full-time and part-time employees: The Pension Plan and the Investment Plan. Under each plan, employees contribute a small percentage of their gross salary toward the plan and the SCSO contributes, as well. These contribution percentages are subject to change annually based on the FRS guidelines and are not determined by the SCSO. For more details, please visit http://www.myfrs.com.

Non-Probationary Classified Service employees are entitled to certain rights under the Civil Service Act. For more information, please see the Civil Service Rules of ProcedurePDF Download (Download PDF reader). Please note that not all positions within the Seminole County Sheriff's Office are considered Classified Service Positions.

Note: Information on employee benefits is current as of March 2026.
Applicants are encouraged to confirm benefit details prior to accepting employment.