Dispatchers working at the Ada County Sheriff’s Communication Center enjoy fraternal camaraderie. If you are interested in joining their distinguished ranks then you must prepare yourself to perform under stress – just as the current dispatchers do. Some of the more recent Ada County dispatcher success stories include providing life-saving instructions to:
- A passerby who came upon the scene of a bad car accident
- Someone who performed CPR on a baby, saving its life
- Two fathers who assisted their partners in unexpected births at home
If you are interested in learning how to become a 911 dispatcher in Ada County, follow these steps:
 | Gain Additional Credentials |
 | Apply with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office |
 | The Training Process |
As a 911 operator in Ada County, you will be part of the team that responds to over 137,000 emergency calls annually. You will be responsible for dispatching the appropriate police, ambulance, or fire units. Some of the main cities you will be providing coverage for include:
- Boise
- Meridian
- Garden City
- Eagle
- Kuna
Step 1. Gain Additional Credentials
Before you complete an application for 911 dispatcher jobs in Ada County you should be aware that these positions have a starting pay of $15.50 per hour, so expect a significant number of competing applicants.
Consider studying for an associate or bachelor degree in a field that will lend itself to employment and career advancement as a dispatcher. There are at least four Boise-area colleges, and together with online educational opportunities you’ll find many relevant degree programs in areas such as:
- Emergency Management, covering natural and man-made disasters, EM organization and response
- Law Enforcement, providing you with in-depth knowledge about law enforcement command structure and operations
- Psychology, covering critical areas such as stress management, crisis intervention, and memory
- Communications, where you will study important aspects of the subject including effective listening, intercultural communication, and principles of communicating with the public
Step 2. Apply with the Ada County Sheriff’s Office
Your next important step in the employment process is applying for 911 jobs in Ada County with the sheriff’s office. A preliminary step you can take before doing this is to stop smoking; many applicants are unaware that the Ada County Sheriff’s Office does not hire applicants who have smoked tobacco in the preceding three months.
Aside from this you should not have any surprises in your application process, which is very thorough. To begin with, check if there are any dispatcher vacancies posted by the sheriff’s office. If there are open positions you will find options to make an application and upload your résumé through the job announcement. You will also have to meet certain hiring standards as set forth by the sheriff’s office, including:
- No felony convictions (with few exceptions)
- No recent drug use
- No DUI convictions in the past three years
Step 3. The Training Process
Consider the following post-hire 911 dispatcher training:
- CPR Certification
- Emergency Medical Dispatch Certification
- Police Dispatching Certification
- Fire Dispatching Certification
- School violence active shooter course
- Child abductions
- Emergency management
- Incident management
Once you have made a successful bid for employment and begin working, your thoughts will naturally turn towards making yourself qualified for future promotional opportunities. In the Dispatcher job classification there are five levels, with Dispatcher V earning $22.66 per hour. As you proceed up the scale with the Dispatcher Supervisor classification there are three additional levels, with the top wage currently set at $27.34.
You can add to your qualifications and network with your fellow emergency dispatchers by obtaining continuing 911 operator training and education through agencies such as:
- Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training
- Boise State University Emergency Preparedness
- Disaster Preparedness through the Boise Chapter of the American Red Cross
- Ada City-County Emergency Management