COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Salary

$67,433.60 - $87,651.20 Annually

Location

Reno, NV

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

60002210 (0202026)

Department

Sheriffs Office

Opening Date

02/27/2026

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Position Information

Under general supervision, performs a variety of duties involved in the operation of the emergency services systems and various communication devices to receive, route, relay and dispatch calls for emergency and non-emergency law enforcement and other services; and performs related work as required.

This is an Open Competitive/Countywide Promotional recruitment being conducted to fill a current full-time vacancy in the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies as they occur.

For more information on this position, please see the Job Specification at https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/Careers/jobspecs.php

Minimum Qualifications

Two years of full-time call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services; OR six months of dispatching experience; OR three months as a Communications Call Taker in a public safety environment; OR an equivalent combination of training and experience.

License Or Certificate

• Certification on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) is required within four months of appointment and must be maintained thereafter for continued employment.
• FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 700, 800 certification is required within four months of appointment.
• Certifications in Emergency Medical Dispatch (MPDS), Emergency Fire Dispatch (FPDS), Emergency Police Dispatch (PPDS) through the International Academy of Emergency Dispatching, and CPR certification at Healthcare provider level are required within four months of appointment; these certifications require the completion of continuing education units plus recertification every two years for continued employment.

The Ideal Candidate Will

• Demonstrate commitment to public service, and value exceptional customer service.
• Assimilate quickly into the organizational climate; establish critical relationships to ensure success and contribution to the organization.
• Have outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to take ownership of problems to find solutions; share resources, information, and knowledge; and will encourage commitment to the County's mission and organizational goals.
• Be collaborative, hard-working and detail oriented while still being able to see the big picture.

Conditions of Employment

Applicants must:

• Be willing to work rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays

• Be able to remain calm in emergency situations

• Be able to work in a noisy environment and be able to sit for long periods of time

• Be able to pass a data entry test with 2,580 KPH (keystrokes per hour) with 95% accuracy

To be eligible, top candidates must pass a background investigation which includes:

• Submission of a complete set of fingerprints

• Completion and submission of a personal history statement

• Passing a Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) examination

• Passing an audio/hearing test

The Washoe County Employees Association (WCEA) Non-Supervisory Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covers the Communications Specialist position.

Background checks will be conducted on selected applicants through the State of Nevada and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Washoe County requires its employees to reside in the state of Nevada or neighboring California communities such as Truckee, South Lake Tahoe or Susanville as of their first day of work.

Washoe County hires all new employees at the minimum rate of the salary range and eligible employees may receive an annual merit increase of 5% until they reach the maximum salary for the classification. Upon promotion, current Washoe County employees are placed at the minimum rate of the salary range for the higher classification of the new position OR a promotional calculation, whichever is greater.

What Happens Next

1. After your application is screened, you will be notified via the email you provided whether you have met the minimum requirements for the position. Those applicants who do not meet the qualifications have one (1) business day to file an appeal and request a review of their qualifications.

2. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements will receive an email invitation to take the Communications Specialist online exam administered remotely; notices will be delivered within 1 week from the notification that your application has been reviewed and accepted.

Applications submitted between 02/27/2026 and 03/31/2026 will tentatively be invited to test the week of 04/6/2026.

After that, applications will be screened every 2-3 weeks and those candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will tentatively be invited to test the following week.

This exam link will be delivered via email, and qualified candidates will have a time limit to complete the exam, within 4 calendar days. You will be notified if you are eligible to transfer an exam score within 1 week following the screening of your application.

The exam will evaluate your expertise, knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas:

• Data Entry Skills
• Judgment/Analytical Skills
• Multi-tasking
• Attention to Detail

Resources that applicants find helpful in preparing for the upcoming test:

• https://www.opac.com/opac-for-home-use.html (this is a free keyboarding speed and accuracy program)
• https://criticall911.com/company/news/new-hanover-county-911-using-criticall-a-wect-news-6-feature-story -using-criticall-a-wect-news-6-feature-story/ (this is a news report that provides some insight into the testing process and a dispatch center)
• https://criticall911.com/company/news/criticall-dispatcher-applicant (this is an FAQ page for dispatch applicants)

3. After the exam is completed, you will receive an additional email notifying you of the results. If you pass the examination, you will receive your score and rank. This rank will be used to determine which candidates will be interviewed by departments trying to fill a vacancy. Since this recruitment will have multiple examination dates, additional passing candidates will be merged into the existing list, and your rank may change as a result. You are welcome to contact the Human Resources Department periodically to verify your status and rank on the eligibility list.

4. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office will schedule interviews from a list of top scoring candidates. If your name is not sent to the hiring department, it will remain on the list for future opportunities as they become available.

5. Please be advised you can log in to your NeoGov account and select:

• "Applications" to view a list of the recruitments which you have applied for, your submitted application for each recruitment, a copy of the job listing, and your applicant history for each recruitment.
• "Inbox" to view the notices which have been sent to you for each recruitment
• "Account" to update your contact information. Please note to update your phone number on previously submitted applications you must contact careers@washoecounty.gov.

If you have any questions regarding the Online Application Process you can find additional information at the following link: https://www.washoecounty.gov/humanresources/faq/online/index.php

Questions: Alicia Agrella

aagrella@washoecounty.gov

775-328-6383

Veteran Point

Eligible veterans who were honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces shall receive one (1) bonus point upon passing Open Competitive examinations only. In order to be given a bonus point, applicants must attach proof of Honorable Discharge (DD-214 with Classification of Discharge) to the Online Application at time of submission.

Washoe County is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce that creates a sense of belonging for all employees and citizens, thereby encouraging persons from all backgrounds and experiences to apply for employment.

Washoe County will recruit, hire, train and promote into all job levels without regard to race, religion or belief, gender, marital status or domestic partnership, familial status, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, genetic information (GINA), veteran status, political affiliation, membership in an employee association or union or any other protected class under applicable federal or state law.

• Nevada PERS Retirement - Washoe County pays 100% of the PERS contribution for each benefit eligible employee.
• Health, Dental, Life and Vision Insurance - Washoe County contributes 100% of the premium for each employee. Washoe County also contributes 50% of the premium for dependent coverage. Note: New employees are automatically enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account. Washoe County contributes up to $2,500 annually (based on benefit effective date and coverage tier) into the employees Health Savings Account (HSA). Newly hired employees become eligible for health benefits after 30 days of employment. Benefits Link - Click Here
• Deferred Compensation plans available
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Vacation Accrual (120 hours per year, increasing with continued employment)
• Sick Leave (120 hours per year, increasing with continued employment)
• Longevity Pay
• Merit Increases - Full-time employees eligible to receive an annual merit increase of 5% until the position classification's maximum salary is reached.
• Cost-of living adjustments - historical annual COLA increases for 2017-2025 have ranged from 2.5% - 5.0%
• There are no Social Security deductions (although a 1.45% deduction for Medicare is required)
• Nevada does not have state or local income tax*

01

Human Resources evaluates your eligibility for the position by assessing the minimum qualifications based on the experience you describe in your application. A resume cannot be substituted for a complete application, and writing "See Attached Resume" is not acceptable. To be considered, you must thoroughly document your qualifying education and experience in the designated sections of the application, including: the "Education" section; the "Work Experience" section; and the "Certificates and Licenses" section (when applicable). For each job listed, provide a detailed and specific list of duties. These responsibilities will be carefully reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum requirements of the position. Applicants who do not clearly demonstrate they meet these qualifications or who submit a blank or incomplete application may not be considered for employment. Please certify you have read and understand the above statement.

• Yes
• No

02

The following questions must be answered accurately to further clarify your experience and training. Note: your responses must be aligned with the details provided on your application. Your work history must be listed on your application with all application fields completed thoroughly. If your application does not include enough information or reflect that your answers below are accurate and truthful, it may result in a disqualification. Please certify you have read and understand the above statement.

• Yes
• No

03

I have the following number of full-time months/years of dispatching experience. I have provided detailed information to demonstrate this experience within the work history section of my application. Please select the option that most accurately represents your training & experience from the answer choices below.

• I have less than six months of full-time dispatching experience.
• I have at least six months but less than 1 year of full-time dispatching experience.
• I have 1 year or more of full-time dispatching experience.
• I do not have any dispatching experience.

04

I have the following number of full-time months/years of experience as a communications call taker in a public safety environment. I have provided detailed information to demonstrate this experience within the work history section of my application. Please select the option that most accurately represents your training & experience from the answer choices below.

• I have less than 3 months of full-time experience as a communications call taker in a public safety environment.
• I have at least 3 months but less than 6 months of full-time experience as a communications call taker in a public safety environment.
• I have at least 6 months but less than 1 year or more of full-time experience as a communications call taker in a public safety environment.
• I have 1 year or more of full-time experience as a communications call taker in a public safety environment.
• I do not have any experience as a communications call taker in a public safety environment.

05

I have the following amount of full-time call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services. I have provided detailed information to demonstrate this experience within the work history section of my application. Please select the option that most accurately represents your training & experience from the answer choices below.

• I have limited and less than six months of call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services.
• I have at least six months but less than 1 year of call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services.
• I have at least 1 year but less than 2 years of call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services.
• I have 2 years, but less than 3 years of call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services.
• I have 3 years or more of call center experience or clerical experience to include customer service, routing calls, public interaction, or emergency services.

Required Question

Employer Washoe County

Address 1001 E. Ninth St., Bldg. A Rm. 220

Reno, Nevada, 89512

Phone 775-328-2081

Website https://www.washoecounty.gov/