TOWN OF ONONDAGA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — They’re the first people to respond to any emergency call. The Onondaga County 911 Call Center is looking to hire more employees.
They’re able to take every call, but there’s a strong need to onboard 15 to 20 new call takers and dispatchers.
Jake Carlson has been dispatching calls at the Onondaga County 911 call center since 2013. It’s a career he’s always been interested in.
“I’ve always been in public safety. I started off as a paramedic for 10 years at some local ambulance corps and was kind of always intrigued by what was happening on the other side of the radio,” Carlson explained.
He made the career switch and has never looked back. Carlson is now one of two directors of the training division at the county call center. He’s responsible for teaching every new hire the ins and outs of being a 911 dispatcher.
“It’s a challenging job, but one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
JAKE CARLSON, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING, ONONDAGA CO. 911 CALL CENTER
Requirements for applicants include:
- Public telecommunicator (call taker) position: Minimum high school diploma
- Starting salary: $43,000
- Public Safety Dispatcher position: College degree (preferably in criminal justice or a related field)
- Starting salary: $51,000
- Passing the civil service exam required
We are the first responders for every call. When you see a police officer, a fireman, or EMS, that call starts with us. It is so rewarding and even when you talk to some of our dispatchers, you can hear from them just what that rewarding experience is like for them. They’re saving lives right over the phone before services even arrive.
JULIE CORN, COMMISSIONER, ONONDAGA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
Recruitment efforts to fill the positions have been amplified. Regina Morris is the supervisor of dispatch operations, and also a 35-year retired dispatcher of the call center.
“Reaching out to various community groups, organizations, high schools, colleges, and speaking about the wonderful opportunities we have here for employment.”
REGINA MORRIS, SUPERVISOR OF DISPATCH OPERATIONS, ONONDAGA CO. 911 CALL CENTER
Training for new hires is a total of 20 weeks, including 8 weeks of lectures and 12 weeks of shadowing mentors and getting hands-on experience before heading out on the floor to field real emergency calls.
“We do anything from delivering babies to talking people through bleeding control, CPR over the phone…It’s nice to know that you actually make a difference. There’s so much more than answering a phone.”
JAKE CARLSON, DIRECTOR OF TRAINING, ONONDAGA CO. 911 CALL CENTER
The deadline for applications is January 10, 2023. The next Onondaga County civil service exam is scheduled for Saturday, February 25. For more information, click here.
