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Emergency Communications Officer Description
Using a computer-aided dispatch system, an E911 Officer receives emergency calls from the public requesting police, fire, medical, or other emergency services. The operator must determine the nature and location of the emergency, determine priorities, and dispatch police, fire, ambulance, or other emergency units as necessary and in accordance with established procedures.
An E911 Officer maintains contact with all units on assignment, including the status and location of police and fire units. The operator must be able to enter, update, and retrieve information from a variety of computer systems and process requests for information such as vehicle registration, driving records, and warrants, and respond with pertinent data.
The officer must be able to monitor several complex public safety radio frequencies and operate a variety of communications equipment, including radio consoles, telephones, and computer systems.
At the completion of training, all Cobb E911 Officers receive the Basic Communications Officer Training certificate for the State of Georgia by the Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). They are also CPR certified through the American Heart Association (AHA). All operators receive certification as Emergency Telecommunicators, Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatchers (EFD), and as of January 2019 Emergency Police Dispatchers (EPD) through the International Academics of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), which enables them to offer life-saving instructions to the caller until help arrives.
Cobb E911 Officers also become TDD (Telecommunications for the Deaf) and TTY (Teletypewriter) certified, and the center subscribes to the AT&T Language Line which allows operators to access translation services for over 140 different languages.
Within a 6,000 square foot communications facility equipped with the 800-Megahertz System, the Cobb County 911 Center receives, and dispatches emergency calls for service for the Cobb County Police Department, Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services, City of Marietta Police, City of Powder Springs, and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Department. Fire and Medical calls are also handled for the cities of Acworth, Kennesaw, and Powder Springs.
Minimal Qualifications
To be considered for employment as an Emergency Communications Officer with the Cobb County E911 Department, you must be at least 18 years of age, possess a high school diploma or GED, and be a U.S. Citizen.