Dallas police holding job fair Saturday to fill 911 call taker, dispatcher needs

DALLAS - The Dallas Police Department is holding a job fair on Saturday to fill a shortage of 911 call takers and dispatchers.

The voice you hear when you call for police assistance is a call taker. That information is sent to dispatchers who send officers when needed.

"If we don't answer the call, you don't get the help you need, period. It is very important for us to always be appropriately staffed so that we can ensure that we can answer the 911 call," said Robert Uribe, a Dallas 911 administrator.

Right now, there is a shortage of both call takers and dispatchers.

"We have a need to fill all these positions as quickly as we can," said Uribe.

On Saturday, the department is having a job fair at Jack Evans Headquarters to try to fill nearly 40 open seats.

Call taker salaries start at just over $42,000. Dispatchers start above $47,000, plus a sign-on bonus.

Jobs will be offered on the spot.

"You just need a high school diploma or GED and at least one year worth of customer service experience," said Uribe.

Robin Christian accepted the challenge of former Chief David Brown after five officers were ambushed and killed in Dallas on July 7, 2016.

Eight years later, she is now a supervisor.

"It can be a lot of pressure, but if you enjoy helping people and if you do have a sense of community, and you want to keep your community safe, it's not that hard," she said.

The job fair is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday at Dallas Police Headquarters, located at 1400 Botham Jean Boulevard.