The Kentucky State Police are looking to hire two dispatchers in western Kentucky.
The jobs are located at the Kentucky State Police Post in Henderson County. The position includes answering emergency calls, administrative calls, complaints via social media, and KSP app complaints received electronically.
The position also includes dispatching Kentucky State Troopers, Commercial Vehicle Officers and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife officers to calls in the six-county region (Daviess, Hancock, Ohio, McLean, Henderson and Union Counties).
In 2019, KSP Post 16 handled more than 17,000 complaints.
Supervisor Blake Smith said the candidate they are looking for to fill these positions is someone who is looking for a career, not just a job.
“This position takes dedication to the 911 dispatch center and the Kentucky State Police,” he said. “The ideal candidate must be willing to learn and apply what they learn to the position. This position is not just a Monday through Friday job. We are a 24/7 emergency agency, that is staffed at all times.”
The candidate they are looking for must be able to attend a five-week academy in Frankfort. Employees are provided a vehicle, lodging, meals and uniform during the training academy and able to come home on the weekends.
“We are looking for someone with great customer service who can both do the job efficiently and also be the front door of the agency,” Smith said. “What I mean by that is, when someone calls the Kentucky State Police, the first person they talk to is the Police Telecommunicator. They may just have a simple question that can be answered over the phone. Essentially, that may be the only interaction the person may have with the Kentucky State Police. We want that to be a positive one.”
KSP includes 16 posts across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As an agency, statewide, they are experiencing a shortage of approximately 15 percent. At the Henderson Post, Smith said they are currently 30 percent short of what they are allotted to be fully staffed.
“I hear so many people say, my job is so boring, I sit at a desk all day, push papers and it gets so monotonous,” Smith said. “I also hear people say, I would love to have a less physical job but still be exciting. As a police telecommunicator, every day is a new day. You may help deliver a baby over the phone or you may dispatch a trooper through a high-speed multi-county chase with a felony offender.”
The starting yearly salary for police telecommunicator is $24,096.76 a plus an additional $5,500 in stipends. Health, dental, retirement and life insurance benefits as well.
“It is a rewarding job,” Smith said. “You really are the first, first responder.”
