In Kenton County, 911 calls are processed through the Kenton County Emergency Communications Center (KCECC). This agency processes calls from almost all of the cities and unincorporated areas within the county, including Covington and Independence. The exceptions are Elsmere, Crescent Springs, and Erlanger.
Thirty telecommunicators work for the KCECC and process 911 calls and non-emergency public safety calls. These 911 operators dispatch fire, police, and EMS responses to emergencies.
Here is a step-by-step guide that will show how you can serve the citizens of Kenton County by becoming a KCECC 911 dispatcher:
 | Meet Kenton County Requirements |
 | Obtain a Relevant Education |
 | Complete the Kenton County Application Process |
 | Undergo Training and Obtain Certification |
Step 1. Meet Kenton County Requirements
Here are the requirements that you need to meet to become a 911 dispatcher in Kenton County:
- Have a high school education
- Be able to lift at least 40 pounds to a height of four feet or higher
- Have vision that is correctable to 20/20
- Having hearing that is within the range of 20-25
- It is okay if you can meet this with a hearing aid
Step 2. Obtain a Relevant Education
Requirements for 911 Dispatcher jobs in Kenton County state that your high school education should be supplemented by having experience in police, fire, and/or EMS emergency operations. The county does permit a substitution of training and experience if it provides the desired skills, knowledge, and abilities.
One way you can obtain this training is to get an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a field that will enhance your skills with 911 dispatching. Given the high level of competition for 911 dispatcher positions, getting such a degree should help distinguish you from the competition. Potential applicable degrees include the following:
- Fire science
- Police science
- Criminal justice
- Communications
- Emergency medicine
You can obtain this type of education from schools located within Kentucky. Another option is to enroll in one of the many accredited online institutions that offer this type of training.
Step 3. Complete the Kenton County Application Process
You can apply for telecommunicator jobs when they are posted on the job opportunities site of Kenton County’s Department of Human Resources. When you apply, you will need to either mail or drop off a hard copy application with Kenton County Human Resources.
The application process includes a background check on the following areas of your life:
- Criminal records
- Educational history
- Employment records
Once you have been selected as a candidate, the county will test you to ensure that you do not have illegal drugs in your system.
Step 4. Undergo Training and Obtain Certification
After you have been hired, you will be thoroughly trained to handle 911 calls through Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT). This agency has a special 175 hour program to train and certify law enforcement telecommunicators. In addition to learning how to answer and dispatch calls, you will spend a week to learn to use the following systems:
- LINK (Law Enforcement Network of Kentucky)
- NCIC (National Crime Information Center)
Once you have returned to work at the KCECC, you will be responsible for entering the following information into these systems:
- Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs)
- Emergency Protection Orders (EPOs)
After you have started working as a dispatcher, the state of Kentucky requires that you take part in eight hours a year of in-service training a year.