PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER

Position Information

Salary and Benefits

• Starting salary of $48,297.60;
• Eligibility for overtime and specialty pay as assigned;
• Opportunities for advancement;
• Excellent health, dental, vision, and life insurance options;
• Paid vacation, holidays, sick leave, and shift differential;
• Retirement savings plans with pre-tax contributions and matching employer contributions;
• Deferred compensation plans available;
• Tuition reimbursement available.

Minimum Qualifications

To be eligible for employment as a public safety dispatcher with the Punta Gorda Police Department all applicants:

• Must be at least 18 years of age;
• Must be a citizen of the United States;
• Must have graduated from high school or have a GED from an accredited learning institution;
• Must have good communication skills;
• Must have strong computer and data entry skills;
• Must be able to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and work well with others;
• Must successfully complete the hiring process including new hire testing, background investigation, psychological examination, and drug screen.

Hiring Process

All applicants must participate in the Punta Gorda Public Safety Dispatcher new hire testing process. The process consists of a written exam, CritiCall exam, and staff interview.

• CritiCall Exam: CritiCall is a computerized exam that tests applicants for critical skills and abilities necessary for success in a dispatch environment. The CritiCall examination is comprised of 10 sections: Decision Making, Data Entry, Data Entry (Audio), Call Summarization, Character Comparison, Cross Referencing, Memory Recall (Numeric), Prioritization, Sentence Clarity, and a Personality Test. Candidates must receive a passing score on each of the graded sections to pass the exam. The Decision Making and Personality Test portions are not graded. This exam is meant to ensure basic skills needed for success as a Public Safety Dispatcher, but prior dispatch experience is not necessary
  
  
• Staff Interview: The Chief of Police will select applicants from those who have successfully completed the CritiCall examination for the staff interview. Applicants may then be selected for a background investigation. Those who successfully pass the background investigation process may receive a conditional offer of employment and must complete a psychological examination and drug screen prior to employment.

For more information on joining the PGPD family, please contact:

Glen Ritta
Employee Development Coordinator
(941) 575-5571
gritta@pgorda.us

The City of Punta Gorda is a Drug Free
Workplace, Equal Opportunity, and
Veterans' Preference Employer.

It is the policy of the City of Punta Gorda to recognize and fulfill its commitment to the community in the area of Equal Employment Opportunity through an affirmative action plan that will increase both the quantity of minorities and females employed; and the level of responsibility of jobs held by minorities and females employed within the City government.  The City will not knowingly permit discrimination in hiring, promotion, or other conditions of employment with regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or disability.  Those charged with the daily administration of this policy will be responsible for guarding against under-utilization of minorities and females within the organization and will work toward the eventual goal of full representation of minorities and females at all levels in the organization. All elements of the selection process shall be job related.