|  | What does a dispatcher do? Dispatchers exercise a high degree of good judgment and independence while evaluating and handling emergency and nom-emergency situations. Different things are occurring simultaneously that must be kept track of, and at any time an emergency call will require your full and immediate attention. Dispatchers determine priority, nature, and location of calls for service. It is their job to collect pertinent information, process it and deliver it to the proper field units to ensure the correct resources are sent to each call for service. Police, Fire, and EMS units are dispatched using radio, telephones, and computer aided dispatch systems. Dispatchers maintain the status of officers, keep complete and accurate records, logs, and reports on a variety of calls for service. Dispatchers operate a wide variety of computers, radio, and recording equipment. They monitor them for correct functioning while processing reports, arrests warrants, making records checks, and completing computer entries. The work can be very intense at times, and is a very rewarding career.
How much does it cost to take the test?
Nothing - the test is administered free of charge to individuals interested in a career in public safety dispatch. When and where will the test be administered?
The Peninsula Cities 9-1-1 Testing Consortium is no longer administering the POST written Test. Please contact Vicki Colla at the South Bay Regional Training Center at 408-270-6481 to schedule a time you may take the POST written dispatcher test in either San Jose or San Mateo. Is the test valid for agencies not participating in the Testing Consortium?
This test is a standard “P.O.S.T.” certified dispatcher’s test, used throughout the State of California. A certificate from P.O.S.T. showing the date of the test and your test score will be provided to you after the test has been graded by P.O.S.T. Many agencies may accept your test score instead of having you test with them individually. It is important that you contact the agency you are interested in to see if they will accept your results on this test. What if I require special accommodations?
All agencies participating in the Testing Consortium are Equal Opportunity Employers. Individuals requiring special accommodations for testing should identify their requirements at the time they register.
*Note: Special needs requests require documentation of disability/impairment that will require consideration for special accommodation testing arrangements. You will be contacted to verify/discuss appropriate testing arrangements.
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