Full Notification

The Santa Barbara County Public Safety Dispatch Center is celebrating National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, this week, from April 12^th through April 18^th.   

Public Safety Dispatchers are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services.  They provide a vital link for our Sheriff’s Deputies, Firefighters, EMT’s and Paramedics, as well as Custody Deputies, Probation Officers and more.  Dispatchers monitor their activities by radio and provide them with crucial information in a timely manner to ensure their safety.

In the past year, our Santa Barbara County Dispatchers have succeeded in reaching the National Fire Protection Association’s performance standard of answering and dispatching emergency medical and fire calls within 60 seconds, 90% of the time.  They have accomplished this despite continual staffing shortages.  This is a true testament to their dedication and professionalism.

Sheriff Bill Brown expressed his appreciation for the important work they do.  He said, “Our public safety dispatchers aren’t always in the spotlight, but the work they do behind the scenes is critical to what we accomplish in law enforcement as well as in the fire and emergency medical services.  Thanks to their extraordinary skills, professionalism and around the clock dedication to others, many lives have been saved and countless others safeguarded.  We all owe them a debt of gratitude.”

The Santa Barbara County Public Safety Dispatch Center is budgeted for 32 positions which include a civilian Communications Manager, 6 Dispatch Supervisors, 24 Dispatchers and one Map Technician.  Dispatchers work 10 hour shifts, 4 days a week with rotating shifts every four months.  Santa Barbara County is currently holding continuous open recruitment for the position of Communications Dispatcher.  Anyone interested in applying may go to the Santa Barbara County Human Resources website (http://cosb.countyofsb.org/hr/) and select Communications Dispatcher under current job openings.

Thank you to our wonderful dispatchers, we appreciate you.