About the Tempe Police Communications Bureau
 

Our bureau is comprised of:

Police Dispatcher I/II's  - the training period is up to one year.  During that time, dispatchers are initially trained to answer 10 incoming 911 trunk lines, 5 non-emergency phone lines and up to 23 information lines.  Dispatchers  answer a wide range of calls from loud music to shootings that just occurred. They are taught to remain calm and gather information for the responding officers.  Some types of calls require the dispatcher to keep the caller on the phone until the officers arrive on scene.   Dispatchers are concerned for both the safety of the caller as well as the police officer(s) that are responding to the scene.  To learn more about how you can help, see How to Call for Police Assistance.

The second and third phases of training teaches the dispatcher how to assign requests for calls for service to police officers.  Police units are required to advise  the radio dispatcher every time they pull over a vehicle, stop for a security check, as well as when they view a crime in progress.  Radio dispatchers are required to multi-task, which means they must do several things at one time quickly  For instance a radio dispatcher  must talk on the radio to the officers on the road while also talking on the phone to citizens.  Once this phase of training has been successfully completed, the Police Dispatcher I will be promoted to a Police Dispatcher II. Police Dispatchers are required to complete all three phases of training prior to their promotion.

Communication's Training Supervisor is responsible for all classroom training for the Police Dispatchers.  The Communications Trainer is also responsible for overseeing all training while the trainees are on the phones or radio with a trainer.   The Communication's Training Supervisor also brings in outside training for Police Dispatchers and provides training for other PD employees as well as other city departments.

Communications Shift Supervisors (CSS) oversee the daily operations of the Police Dispatchers.  The CSS's are also available to assist the PD I's and II's in their job duties. 

Communications Manager oversees the operations of the Communication's Bureau.  The Communication's Manager is responsible for the Communications budget, the operations of the 911 system, Computer Aided Dispatch and the radio system.