Southern California Wildfire Response is seeking a small number of highly dependable, capable individuals to serve as Volunteer Public Safety Dispatchers at our West Los Angeles Dispatch Center.

SCWR dispatchers serve as a central communications and coordination point for field operations. They answer and process calls, monitor radio traffic, maintain situational awareness, document incidents, track personnel and resources, communicate with partner organizations, and support field personnel during both routine operations and rapidly developing emergencies.

This is not an introductory communications position. While prior public safety dispatch experience is not strictly required, successful applicants must already demonstrate strong judgment, technological competence, professional communication skills, situational awareness, and the ability to operate independently.

After qualification, dispatchers may staff the Dispatch Center alone and will be entrusted with access to operational systems, facilities, communications infrastructure, and sensitive information.

Essential Duties

Volunteer Public Safety Dispatchers may be responsible for:

  • Receiving, evaluating, prioritizing, and documenting incoming incident reports and requests for assistance.
  • Operating SCWR radio, telephone, CAD, mapping, and communications systems.
  • Dispatching and coordinating SCWR personnel and resources.
  • Maintaining continuous awareness of unit locations, assignments, availability, and operational status.
  • Monitoring radio traffic and maintaining accurate incident timelines and CAD documentation.
  • Communicating with firefighters, officers, partner organizations, public agencies, community partners, and members of the public.
  • Providing field personnel with incident information, updates, location information, hazards, access information, and other operational intelligence.
  • Conducting personnel accountability and monitoring staffing and resource availability.
  • Monitoring wildfire conditions, weather, Red Flag conditions, major incidents, and other events that may affect SCWR operations.
  • Supporting major incidents, heightened fire-weather periods, emergency activations, and special operations.
  • Adding timely, accurate public-facing context and incident information to the LAIT911 platform when appropriate.
  • Maintaining and updating agency contacts, maps, operational references, preplans, and dispatch resources.
  • Reviewing incidents and communications records for accuracy and completeness.
  • Assisting with routine communications-center administrative work during periods of low activity.
  • Testing and maintaining readiness of dispatch phones, radios, CAD workstations, and other communications equipment.
  • Initiating notifications, assignments, resource movements, and other actions in accordance with SCWR policies and procedures.

Operational Authority

SCWR dispatchers are operational personnel, not clerical staff.

Within established policy and their assigned responsibilities, dispatchers may make time-sensitive operational decisions, initiate notifications, assign or redirect resources, request information or status changes from field personnel, and issue instructions necessary to maintain communications, accountability, and operational safety.

At times, dispatch personnel may exercise functional authority over field personnel in matters involving communications, accountability, resource coordination, incident documentation, and dispatch procedures.

Applicants must be comfortable exercising appropriate authority while remaining professional, calm, and within established policy.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Be able to commit to a minimum of two 6-hour shifts per week.
  • Be available for some nights, weekends, holidays, overnight periods, Red Flag conditions, major incidents, and short-notice staffing needs.
  • Be able to work all assigned shifts in person at the SCWR Dispatch Center in West Los Angeles.
  • Possess strong computer and general technology skills.
  • Be comfortable working across multiple computer systems, monitors, communications platforms, maps, phones, and radios simultaneously.
  • Type accurately and communicate clearly in writing.
  • Speak clearly and professionally over telephone and radio.
  • Demonstrate strong situational judgment and the ability to prioritize competing demands.
  • Be able to remain attentive and productive during prolonged periods of low activity.
  • Be able to transition quickly from routine operations to high-tempo incident activity.
  • Be capable of working independently with limited direct supervision.
  • Maintain confidentiality regarding operational, personnel, medical, partner, and other sensitive information.
  • Demonstrate exceptional reliability, maturity, discretion, and integrity.
  • Successfully complete SCWR’s screening and selection process, including background and reference checks.
  • Successfully complete SCWR dispatcher training and qualification before working independently.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference may be given to applicants with previous experience in one or more of the following:

  • Public safety dispatch or emergency communications.
  • Fire, EMS, law enforcement, emergency management, security operations, or another operational communications environment.
  • Emergency call-taking or telephone-based incident intake.
  • Computer-aided dispatch systems.
  • Two-way radio communications.
  • Incident coordination or resource tracking.
  • High-tempo operations centers, command posts, or similar environments.

Prior experience is helpful but does not substitute for good judgment, reliability, technological competence, or professional maturity.

Technology Expectations

Applicants should already be comfortable learning and operating modern communications and information systems.

This position is not intended for applicants requiring basic computer training. Dispatchers should be comfortable independently navigating unfamiliar software, managing multiple applications, troubleshooting routine user-level issues, using digital maps, entering structured information accurately, and learning new systems quickly.

SCWR will provide training on its specific systems, procedures, terminology, and operational practices. The organization does not expect applicants to arrive knowing SCWR’s systems, but applicants should arrive with the baseline skills necessary to learn them efficiently.

Scheduling and Availability

Dispatchers are expected to complete at least 12 hours of service each week, generally as two 6-hour shifts.

Public safety operations do not occur exclusively during normal business hours. Applicants should expect that scheduling may include:

  • Day shifts
  • Night shifts
  • Overnight shifts
  • Weekends
  • Holidays
  • Red Flag and elevated fire-weather periods
  • Major incidents
  • Short-notice staffing requests

Applicants unable to provide dependable recurring availability should not apply.

Independent Duty

Following training and qualification, Volunteer Public Safety Dispatchers may be assigned to operate the SCWR Dispatch Center independently.

Independent dispatchers may be the only SCWR member physically present in the facility during portions of their shift. Accordingly, qualification for independent duty requires demonstrated trustworthiness, sound judgment, reliability, adherence to security procedures, and the ability to function without continuous supervision.

Independent duty is earned through successful training and demonstrated performance and is not automatically granted upon appointment.

Training

Selected applicants will receive training specific to SCWR operations, including:

  • SCWR dispatch procedures
  • CAD operations
  • Radio procedures
  • Telephone operations
  • Incident documentation
  • Personnel and resource accountability
  • Fire and emergency-services terminology
  • Mapping and location procedures
  • Public information and LAIT911 incident updates
  • Operational notifications and escalation
  • Communications-center security
  • Major incident operations
  • SCWR policies and procedures

Training is intended to qualify already capable applicants for SCWR-specific operations rather than teach foundational computer, communication, or professional workplace skills from the ground up.

Professional Expectations

Dispatchers are expected to:

  • Report for scheduled shifts on time and prepared to work.
  • Maintain professional conduct and appearance.
  • Follow the chain of command and established operational procedures.
  • Treat field personnel, partner agencies, callers, and other members professionally.
  • Protect confidential and sensitive information.
  • Maintain accurate and objective documentation.
  • Avoid speculation or unnecessary commentary in incident records and public updates.
  • Remain at or immediately available to the dispatch position while responsible for communications.
  • Maintain the Dispatch Center and equipment in a clean, secure, and operationally ready condition.
  • Immediately report security concerns, equipment issues, unusual activity, or policy violations.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidate is someone who is calm, sharp, technically capable, dependable, and comfortable carrying significant responsibility.

They do not need constant activity to remain engaged. They can spend several quiet hours maintaining readiness and then immediately manage a rapidly developing situation without losing composure.

They understand that dispatch is not simply answering phones or talking on the radio. It is maintaining the operational picture, protecting field personnel through good communications and accountability, documenting what is happening, and making sound decisions when information is incomplete.

SCWR intends to maintain a small, highly capable dispatch team rather than a large roster of occasional volunteers. Applicants should be interested in becoming a trusted and consistent member of that team.

Position Development

Volunteer Public Safety Dispatch is a dedicated operational discipline within SCWR.

Strong performers may be considered for increased communications responsibilities, senior dispatcher or supervisory assignments, additional operational training, and other positions within the organization as opportunities become available.

Appointment to another SCWR operational role is not automatic and remains subject to the requirements and selection standards of that position.