Public Safety Dispatcher

Centrally located in the heart of Iowa, Ames is a vibrant, progressive community with more than 66,000 residents providing an excellent quality of life. Home to Iowa State University, Ames offers year-round recreation opportunities, diverse cultural offerings, a stable economy, safe neighborhoods, and a high-achieving school district.

General Information

Examples of Essential Job Functions

• Conducts in depth research by utilizing multiple various resources.
• Answers emergency and non-emergency calls for service.
• Receives and relays messages to appropriate personnel.
• Directs requests for assistance for police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) to the appropriate agency.
• Prioritizes calls for service and dispatches appropriate resources in accordance with established operating procedures.
• Provides emergency medical instruction.
• Operates radio console by receiving and transmitting radio communications.
• Maintains contact with units at all times during shift assignment.
• Maintains a continuous record of the status of mobile units, manual/automated logs, and records, including a log of all information received and transmitted.
• Sends/receives computer terminal messages and routes messages to appropriate destinations.
• Monitors cameras, alarms, and City Hall doors in case of required emergency lockdown.
• Works with other Police divisions, such as Animal Control and Records, and all other City of Ames departments.
• Operates other equipment essential to the position.
  
  Other Job Functions:
• Regularly exposed to sensitive and confidential information that cannot be discussed or shared outside the workplace.
• Act as essential emergency personnel and are required to come to work in disaster and bad weather situations.

Each employee is expected to continually strive to bring shared values to life through our Excellence Through People organizational culture. ETP values include: committing to continuous improvement; inspiring creativity and innovation; being customer driven; making data-driven decisions; championing employee involvement; striving for excellence; having fiscal stewardship; acting with honesty and integrity; exhibiting leadership; choosing a positive attitude; respect and dignity for one another; promoting safety and wellness; and cultivating teamwork. For leaders, this includes creating a work culture that brings these values to life. For all employees, this includes maintaining a Total City Perspective. The purpose of ETP is to deliver exceptional services to the public at the best price, and for employees to experience an enjoyable and stimulating work environment.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Successful completion of high school, HiSet, or G.E.D. is required.

Applicants with related college coursework and/or two years relevant work experience, including working in a team environment while maintaining effective working relationships within fast paced ever changing environments, may be preferred.

Licenses and Certificates: Must obtain IOWA/NCIC, CPR, and Emergency Medical Dispatching certifications within six months of appointment and re-certify as required. Must attend and successfully complete the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy 40-hour training course within one year of appointment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required to Perform Essential Functions:

Must be able to maintain confidentiality with regard to work. Must be able to work in customer-oriented environment and demonstrate customer service principles, including exercising skill in responding to difficult customers. Must have high level of accuracy with work product. Must be reliable and able to adapt to shift work.

Public Safety Dispatchers must acquire competency in the following areas:

• Knowledge of computer aided dispatching software.
• Knowledge of emergency medical dispatching protocols.
• Knowledge of the location of streets in Ames.
• Knowledge of rules governing proper usage of state/federal software applications.
• Knowledge of the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission covering the operation of radio receivers and transmitters.
• Knowledge of the proper use and care of essential dispatcher equipment.
• Skill in entering data quickly and accurately using a computer keyboard.
• Skill in receiving and transmitting information quickly and accurately using a radio console and telephone.
• Skill in communicating with members of the public and department staff both orally and in writing in a professional, clear, and concise manner at all times.
• Skill in problem solving and troubleshooting when system errors and process interruptions arise.
• Ability to work in a team environment and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, personnel from other agencies and departments, and the general public.
• Ability to be amicable with various communication styles and system switches/upgrades within an ever changing fast paced work environment.
• Ability to stay calm and logically think/act through processes and procedures.
• Ability to work and problem-solve quickly and calmly in emergency situations.
• Ability to receive and comprehend multiple conversations simultaneously by telephone and radio while operating dispatch software.
• Ability to multitask.
• Ability to operate complex Public Safety related computer systems.
• Ability to document and record events in a clear, complete, legible, and objective manner.
• Ability to operate equipment common to a complex communications system.
• Ability to speak clearly and concisely.
• Ability to handle situations firmly, courteously, and tactfully.
• Ability to adapt to varied working hours.

Supplemental Information

Required Physical Activities: Stooping, reaching, finger dexterity, talking, hearing, and repetitive motions.

Physical Characteristics of Work: Work is primarily sitting at a communication workstation requiring the exertion of negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Requires exertion of up to 10 pounds of force frequently and 25 to 50 pounds of force infrequently.

Vision and Hearing Requirements: The minimum standard for vision is equivalent to those whose work deals largely with preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, and extensive reading. The minimum requirement for hearing is the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, or to make fine discrimination in sound, such as when making fine adjustments on machined parts.

Environmental Conditions: The work is performed inside and may include being exposed to confined spaces, limited ventilation, and variable lighting conditions. Employees must be able to concentrate in an environment of noise and distraction.

Equipment Essential to the Job: Multi-line telephone, radio console, mapping software, copy machine, fax machine, pager, equipment for communicating with the hearing impaired, recorders, microphone, headset; computers, peripheral equipment, and software (such as "text to 911"); various operational manuals (both electronic and printed).

Work Hours
The work for this position is within a 24/7/365 environment and is subject to shift assignment and creates occasional mandatory overtime.

Residency Requirement
All employees governed by the PPME contract (which includes Public Safety Dispatchers) are required to reside within an area bordered by State Highway 65 on the east; and on the west, County Road R27 north of Boone and the Des Moines River south of Highway 30 on the west, Story County line on the north, and Polk County Road F-22 on the south. Communities intersected by the borderlines shall be considered within the area. For further details of what area this includes, please view the Ames Employee Residency Map link here: MAP.

Selection Process:
The selection process consists of an evaluation of education/experience; a preliminary background check; a written exam; simulation testing; a behavioral assessment; oral board interview, Chief's Interview, job shadowing, reference check, an extensive background investigation (including criminal history, financial and employment verification), psychological exam (MMPI) and physical exam (including a drug test). Candidates must successfully pass each component to continue in the process.

All candidates will be notified by email of their application status.

**Preference may be given to applicants possessing qualifications above the minimum.**

Written Exam and Simulation Testing:
Written exam is set for June 8, 2026, with Criticall testing to follow on June 11-12, 2026 for those who pass the written exam. Further details will be emailed to those candidates who qualify for the testing components prior to each date.

Interviews will commence the following week after Criticall testing for candidates with passing scores.

E-Verify Process:

The City of Ames participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each applicant’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. All candidates who are offered a position with the City of Ames must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity on their first day of employment. Please be prepared to provide required documents on your first day of employment. For additional information regarding acceptable documents for this purpose, please contact Human Resources at 515-239-5199 or go to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services web page at: http://www.uscis.gov.

NOTE: Applicants with disabilities may submit requests for ADA testing or interview accommodations to the Human Resources Department prior to the test or interview.

The City of Ames is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Human Resources Department at 515-239-5199.