comm center

Anyone know if they are hiring for the comm center? I've checked the city of Clearwater's website and CPD, but nothing posted; yet I'm hearing that they are. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks and be safe!

The comm center is always hiring, go to the human resources department at the MSB building to get an application. Working in the comm center you will have to work weekends, midnights and holidays. Just fyi in case you didn't know. There have been many applicants who applied and then quit because they didn't want to work weekends and holiday or even midnights. Many of this was due to child care issues. So before you apply make sure you can work the schedule given to you. During traning you are switched to different shifts, depending on who you're trainer is. If the trainer you are assigned to works midnights with only Monday and Tuesday off, you will also work that. No ifs, ands or buts...you will have to work holidays, weekends and midnights. I'm not discouraging you from applying, it is a good job. I just want to be sure you know what the job entails before you get into the training program and decide you can't deal with the shift work

Unless your a supervisor (And they have mandatory shift rotation), after you complete training, you will bid by seniority against all other operators for shift selection. Trainees are told up front that they will be on mids from between 5-7 years. Some make it off of mids sooner than others. It all depends on the turnover rate once you start working. There is a healthy turnover rate. It is a good job. Everyday is different. You never know what your going to get so far as the kind of calls for police assistance from the public. Its kind of neat reading about a situation in the paper of which you have first hand knowledge about, and you know the real story. You have to multi-task, which means be able to perform several tasks at the same time. You have to type into a computer at the same time someone is on the phone yelling at you, and transfer what he/she is telling you into some type of logical verbage so that Dispatchers and Officers can understand the text. There is lots more. A good way to find out if you might like the job is to call the communcications center supervisor and ask to "visit". You can get a tour and even spend some time sitting with an Call Taker and Dispatcher and listening into real calls and situations.

how much is the starting salary?

No one knows what a starting Dispatcher makes? I don't have a problem calling the HR department, I just thought there was a someone who'd know.

Pay is different from trainee, to dispatcher.

Get off your computer and do a little footwork.

Do you really want to the job?

Call HR.