April 30, 2024 |
Photo – Saratoga PD Dispatcher hire information – Courtesy SPD
The Saratoga Police Department is looking to hire two new emergency dispatchers.
The Saratoga dispatch center fields emergency calls for both the town and Encampment. Last November, a shortage of dispatchers caused Police Chief Mike Morris to enact a Memorandum of Understanding with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office. The MOU had sheriff’s department dispatchers operate out of the Saratoga call center in exchange for payment from the town. Having the additional county employees allowed Saratoga to continue providing 24-hour dispatching coverage for the entire Platte Valley.
Yesterday, the Saratoga Police Department announced the opening of one full-time and one part-time position in its dispatch center. Starting pay is listed at $17 an hour, depending on experience.
Qualified applicants should be high school graduates 18 years or older with no felonies. You must be willing to work either day, evening, or night shifts. Prior dispatching experience isn’t necessary.
Candidates must remain calm and courteous while taking potentially stressful emergency calls. They must also have good typing and data entry skills as well as the ability to multitask. Dependable attendance is also required.
Saratoga Police Dispatchers are provided with health and dental insurance for their entire family. The town will pay all out-of-pocket medical expenses. Dispatchers also receive paid vacation, sick, holiday, and training time. Dispatchers also qualify for retirement after 20 years of service.
Applications can be picked up at the Saratoga Police Station, located at 110 East Spring Street. A QR code with a link to the dispatcher application will also be provided with this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.
It is unclear how long Saratoga will need its own in-house dispatchers. After the town’s MOU with the sheriff’s department expired, Sheriff Alex Bakken began investigating the possibility of combining the Saratoga and county emergency call centers into one entity.
Saratoga officials will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 13th to inform residents of why the town is considering a combined dispatch center with the sheriff’s department and discuss the pros and cons of the project.
The public workshop for dispatch services is on Monday, May 13th at 5:30pm in the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga.
