MIDDLETOWN, Ohio – Normally, 911 dispatchers are the people called when someone needs help. But now Middletown’s dispatchers are looking for some help.
Middletown officials are looking for qualified applicants to help fill 911 dispatcher positions.
Assistant Chief Mark Hoffman said it can be a hectic job as “a mass if information … comes at them all at once.”
“They’ll have someone call in with a baby choking, or ‘my husband is having a stroke,’ or ‘I think I’m having a heart attack’ — things like that pretty regularly and they have to talk these people through until the squad can arrive there,” Hoffman said.
Despite the stress, serving as a helping hand can be rewarding, Hoffman added. He knows because he started his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher.
To become a dispatcher, applicants must complete the thorough application process. There’s a typing test and a written exam, and officials consider past experience and education before selecting about a dozen applicants to interview. Applicants almost must pass a background check and a polygraph test, and interview with the police chief. The process can take three or four months.
The next test is scheduled for April 26 at 6 p.m. at Miami University in Middletown. The deadline to register is April 22. Check out the full job posting on Middletown’s website for more information.
