9-1-1 Emergency Dispatcher / Trainee Dispatcher / Lateral Dispatcher

About Us

We are a forward-thinking public safety agency located just North of Seattle, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  We are grateful to be surrounded by mountains, water, city life, and an abundance of outdoor recreation and cultural activities. People who work here are dedicated to serving our community and making a positive, meaningful impact. By joining our team, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your work directly benefits the safety and wellbeing of our community of over 800,000 Snohomish County residents.  We are seeking individuals that have a desire to be a part of our public safety community and provide the help during emergency needs. 

Top Reasons you want to work at Snohomish County 911. 

• You have a sense of service to your community. You want to help by working closely with first responders.
• You want to support your local law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS professionals by helping them arrive on-scene and safely deploy emergency response. 
• Stable full-time employment with a defined benefit retirement plan. We aren’t going anywhere! 
• Career Growth and advancement potential. 
• Your values align with ours; Integrity, Vision, Excellence, Empathy, and Proactive. 

What we offer: 

Snohomish County 911 offers an attractive compensation and benefits package that includes:

• Generous paid time-off starting with 192 hours of PTO (accrued per year and pro-rated the first year).
• Holidays – 13 recognized holidays per year with an additional longevity holiday for employees who reach ten (10) years longevity or more. Employees will accrue eight (8) hours of PTO for each holiday that they are in a paid status. Additional PTO hours accrued for employees who work between the hours of 3pm on December 31 and 3am January 1 and / or 3pm July 4 and 3am July 5.  
• Pay: $34.84 per hour on day one of training, with union negotiated increases (as of July 1, 2025).
• Benefit plans - Medical plans through Regence (PPO) OR Kaiser Permanente (HMO). Dental through Delta Dental. Vision through VSP. Employer paid life insurance and long-term disability. 
• Employee Assistance Programs – Access to two EAPs through Association of Washington Cities and Public Safety EAP.   
• WA State Public Safety Employees Retirement System (PSERS), Deferred Compensation contribution, matched by employer (shown below):
  • Pension Plan - Vested in PSERS after 5 years of employment
  • Deferred Compensation - Employees will receive a 3.5% contribution and a contribution match of up to 2.9% to their choice of one of four plans: 457 and 403b plans available, including a ROTH plan option. 
  • Employees may contribute the maximum allowed by law under each of the plans (one 457 and one 403b) 

Job Summary

Join a vibrant and energized group of highly trained professionals who are dedicated to making a positive difference in all communities within Snohomish County. We pride ourselves on the level of dedication our teams bring to the table and we want you to be a part of it!

If you want to make a difference in your community, then let us help you shape that passion through our fully paid training program and turn it into a career of a lifetime!

We are a driven organization and our teams leverage technology to connect directly with police officers, firefighters, EMS, search and rescue teams and members of the public. A 911 Dispatcher’s job is much more than answering 911 calls and includes supporting responses with more than 43 public safety agencies.

Responsibilities and Duties

Snohomish County 911 is a consolidated 9-1-1 communications center providing Police, Fire & EMS services to the community and first responders. Snohomish County is home to nearly 800,000 and is the third largest county in Washington State. Public Safety 911 is a rewarding career where our teams have opportunities to make lasting differences in people’s lives each and every day. Trainee Dispatchers learn how to take 9-1-1 calls and non-emergency calls, dispatch law enforcement, and dispatch fire departments / EMS. Upon completion of the extensive training program, you will become a Cross-Trained Dispatcher (current top step $41.55/hr) and perform duties as a call-taker, police dispatcher, and fire dispatcher. 

Qualifications and Skills

• High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED) are required
• Must be ACCESS Level II certified, or be certified within six months of commencement of employment
• Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatcher Certification through International Academy for Emergency Dispatch (IAED), or be certified within six months of commencement of employment
• Current CPR Certification desirable
• Pass CritiCall Dispatcher Test OR Pass Public Safety Testing Dispatcher Exam with score of 85% or higher
• Type 40 wpm at 90% accuracy (verified through CritiCall or PST Dispatcher Exam).
• Positive attitude and ability to work through rapidly unfolding situations
• Desire to assist police and fire, as well as members of the public who may be in distress
• Desire to work with modern technology with a focus on providing a fantastic customer experience
• Ability to successfully complete the applicant testing process, polygraph, background investigation, psychological exam, and drug screening

Snohomish County 911 is an equal opportunity employer. Snohomish County 911 will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, or selection practices. Reasonable accommodations may be requested for Snohomish County 911’s application process for applicants with disabilities by contacting our office via email or phone during normal business hours.

Salary : $69,680 - $89,024