They’re the people you depend on in times of crisis – and you could be one of them.
"You have to want to help people,” said Kristen Molander, training supervisor for Mesa’s public safety communications office. “That’s a big thing, you have to care,” she said.
Mesa is looking to fill five, full-time 911 operator positions. The salary ranges from $36,000 to $51,000 a year. Operators spend four weeks in the classroom before three months of one-on-one, on the job training.
"I think the more difficult calls are the kid calls, when their parents are fighting or they don’t know where they’re at,” said Adrienne Sheppard, who’s worked as an operator for four years.
The most rewarding part of the job?
"When you can look at the calls and know that that person is OK and our officers are OK," Sheppard said.
In 15 minutes at Mesa’s call center, she was taking calls for a possible suicide and gas line break. Dispatchers deal with everything from reports of a violent crime to people locked out of their cars.
Mesa is second-largest dispatch center in the Valley, fielding 800,000 calls a year, including 230,000 to 911.
To apply in Mesa, visit their website.
Phoenix also has postings here.
