9-1-1 Emergency Dispatcher

About Red Deer:

Red Deer sits at the heart of Central Alberta along the QEII corridor, perfectly positioned between Calgary and Edmonton. With more than 100,000 residents and a regional reach of over 300,000, it’s a growing hub for business, services, and opportunity.

Here, big-city amenities meet small-city ease. Enjoy abundant parks and trails, vibrant arts and culture, excellent recreation and education, and a strong sense of community.

With easy access to lakes, outdoor adventures, and the mountains, plus a thriving economy and high quality of life, Red Deer is an inviting place to live, work, and grow.

About The City of Red Deer Municipal Government:

The City of Red Deer is a dynamic municipal organization with a $480M operating budget, a $60M capital program, and a workforce of nearly 1,700 employees. It is focused on growing with purpose by attracting talented, community-minded people who want to make a difference.

Guided by the vision “Our City, One Voice,” Red Deer is building a thriving, inclusive, and connected community, with priorities centered on a vibrant economy, community wellbeing, and strong engagement.

At its core, the City values its people, embracing diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared success

The Opportunity:

Working in a team environment, the incumbent is responsible for receiving, evaluating, coordinating and dispatching various requests for assistance or response of local and/or regional emergency services and other related agencies. This position demands the use and operation of a variety of communications and computer equipment. Additionally, the incumbent provides required data entry and generates required reports.

Top Key Responsibilities:

• Answer and assess 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls; determine appropriate response and coordinate dispatch
• Transfer and coordinate calls between internal teams and external emergency agencies as required
• Maintain clear, accurate, and timely communication with responders and partner agencies
• Operate and troubleshoot communication systems (CAD, radio, telephone, and records systems)
• Accurately enter, manage, and review incident data and records
• Track and communicate the status of emergency resources (personnel, equipment)
• Support incident coordination within an Incident Command System (ICS)
• Notify and activate appropriate personnel and resources during emergencies
• Perform administrative and clerical duties, including reporting and documentation
• Ensure confidentiality of all sensitive information
• Comply with organizational policies, procedures, and health & safety requirements
• Participate in required training and contribute to a collaborative team environment
• Work independently while adapting to changing and high-pressure situations

As our preferred candidate, you will have:

• Demonstrated effective ability to communicate verbally under emergency situations whether communicating over a telephone, radio system or face to face.
• Ability to act calmly and with accuracy in decision making and recording of information in an emergency.
• Ability to deal effectively with conflict situations, deal with and work under high stress.
• Ability to prioritize, assign and organize emergency resources as appropriate under stressful circumstances.
• Must have a grade 12 education (or equivalent)
• Excellent ability to speak, read and write clear and concise English.
• Ability to understand and follow moderately complex oral and written instructions.
• Ability to effectively and rapidly communicate in writing using electronic mediums.
• Demonstrated respect for and discretion with private information accessed through the job.
• Must possess current certification as an Emergency Fire Dispatcher.
• Previous experience/use of: telephone switchboard systems, computer systems with various software, two way radio systems and equipment, and filing/records management systems. Typing skills must be at minimum 40 words per minute corrected for errors.
• Possess a minimum 20/20 vision, with corrective lenses if required, and have no degree of colour blindness
• Demonstrate adequate hearing in the normal setting - with corrective devices if required (must successfully complete a hearing in noise test).
• Must have the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the general public and the ability to work effectively as a team member.
• Must pass a criminal record check.
• Must successfully complete an emergency communications skills evaluation (critical aptitude assessment)
• Must possess a valid Alberta Driver’s license and have reliable transportation.
• The following would be considered additional assets:
  • Certifications in Emergency Medical Responder (or higher), rescue, HAZMAT, fire and other related areas of emergency services work.
  • A thorough working knowledge of the names and locations of the streets and principal buildings within the city of Red Deer.
  • A general working knowledge of Central Alberta communities – their locations and the rural addressing system.
  • Versed in the use of electronic mapping systems and conventional maps for both urban and rural settings.
  • General knowledge of the operations of Emergency Services (Police, Fire, EMS)

Affiliation:

International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 1190

Status:

Regular Part-Time

Remuneration:

$44.00 to $55.29 per hour.

Hours of Work:

The normal schedule of work for part time employees will be at least 48 hours biweekly with scheduled 12 hour shifts. During the initial training period successful applicants will work Monday to Friday for 4 weeks for training.

Additional Information:

More than one position will be filled from this posting.

The City of Red Deer does not permit the use of unauthorized internet resources or Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (for example, Copilot, ChatGPT or any other form of AI) during interviews or any supervised or timed assessments. Any violation may be investigated and result in serious consequences, including the rejection of your application.

We thank you for your application. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.