Emergency Communications Officer

The KU Emergency Communications Center operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including holidays. Communications personnel work four-day work weeks for three different work shifts: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., 2 p.m. – 12a.m. and 10 p.m. – 8 a.m, Sunday through Saturday. Shifts are assigned with rotating days off. Overtime is available and/or required for special events, major incidents and shift coverage.

KU Police Department within KU Operations builds partnerships within the KU community to promote a safe and secure campus environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors. KU Operations supports KU’s mission of learning, scholarship, and creative endeavor by providing the visible and behind-the-scenes services that make possible the university’s academic and research missions.

KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation per year, 96 hours of sick leave earned per year, nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a retirement program, medical & dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options, and State of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers employees educational and professional development opportunities. Tuition assistance offers up to 12 credit hours per year for employees and Employee Dependent Tuition Assistance Scholarship (EDTAS) award opportunities! Details available at: https://humanresources.ku.edu/tuition-assistance.

KU’s excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other’s success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard, and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.

KU is not able to provide immigration sponsorship for this position.

The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.

Job Description

All duties are performed in accordance with department and state regulations, Federal Communication Commission regulations and the National Crime Information Center policies. Responsibilities include:

35% Emergency Communications and Dispatch Operations:

• Operate a radio base station sending and receiving messages with emergency service personnel and agencies in accordance with FCC regulations and established procedures.
• Hear and understand the content of simultaneous/multiple voice transmissions while monitoring multiple radio frequencies to include University of Kansas Police Department, Lawrence Police, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical, Douglas County Sheriff, Kansas Highway Patrol and other University departments.
• Identify frequencies by observing multicolored light indicators on the radio console or hearing and distinguishing voices and/or tones.
• Use proper methods of transmitting that involves activating buttons located on the radio console and relaying information to responding units and shift supervisors in an accurate and concise manner.
• Log pertinent information and monitor the status and location of on-duty units.
• Answer police department telephone business lines, administrative lines and 911 emergency lines for the University.
• Use proper communication techniques in answering inquiries dealing with complaints. Prioritize by importance.
• Uses communication techniques to calm excited and/or verbally abusive callers to gather incident specific data.
• Dispatch emergency services to include police, fire and medical, as needed.
• Make telephone notifications to personnel and administrators relaying pertinent information, as appropriate or as requested.
• Log telephone calls as required.
• Manage a text telephone for TTY/hearing impaired.

35% Communications Systems and Information Management:

• Utilize multiple computer systems to include computer-aided dispatch (CAD), telephones, alarms and emergency notification systems.
• Make rapid, accurate and complete data entries.
• Follow established policies and procedures.
• Report software/hardware problems to the supervisor and perform minor adjustments and basic maintenance.
• Monitor and/or operate alarm systems to include intrusion, fire, armed robbery, anti-theft, National Weather Service and Civil Defense warning systems.
• Route emergency information to proper personnel.
• Operate a highly technical data transmission and retrieval computer using proper codes to send, relay and receive information from other criminal justice agencies.
• Use appropriate computer codes, formats and policies.
• Provide general information, as requested, by emergency service responders, administrators and the general public.

25% Administrative Support & Training:

• Coordinate communications in routine and emergency situations.
• Manage the total communication operation that frequently involves multi-tasking the following: answer and prioritize multiple phone calls; rapid and independent dispatch decisions based on appropriate rules, regulations, policies and procedures; monitor and record in a computer data base radio transmission system; coordinate emergency response units.
• Ensure established deadlines are met, as applicable. Maintain logs, records and reports in conformance with appropriate policies and procedures.
• Participate in training as directed by supervisor and/or the department. May be requested to work special/emergency assignments including but not limited to major crime scenes, large University events and/or disaster sites.
• May assist the public by providing information concerning the University, department policies/procedures and job-related topics.

5% Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

1. Must possess a valid form of identification for background check and hiring requirements (e.g., driver’s license, passport, birth certificate).
2. Must be at least 18 years of age.
3. Must pass a thorough background check.
4. Must be free of any diversions for or convictions of felonies or their equivalent and free of any diversions for or convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence or their equivalent.
5. Become NCIC certified prior to the end of the initial six-month probationary period.
6. Must be able to work assigned 10-hour shifts with rotating days off.
7. Hearing correctable to a range that will allow normal radio and telephone conversation with field units with or without accommodation. Must submit to a hearing examination.
8. Vision correctable to a range that will allow reading of computer display terminals, maps, and printouts quickly and accurately.
9. Ability to perform all essential job functions and not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of self or others.
10. On occasion, be available to be called in to work or held past the normal shift schedule with little or no advance notice.

Physical Requirements

Primarily sedentary work, involving sitting for extended periods.

Required Qualifications

1. High school diploma or completion of a G.E.D. equivalency.
2. No previous experience required; however, a new employee receives a minimum of 12 weeks in-house training and is not released to work independently until competence is proven.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience in an emergency/non-emergency communications network operation.
2. Experience in using multiple phone systems.

Additional Candidate Instructions

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

1. A cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met.
2. Resume or curriculum vitae.
3. Name and contact information for three professional references.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application review begins Tuesday, September 8th 2026 and will continue until all positions have been filled.

Contact Information to Applicants

Sandy Patchen spatchen@ku.edu

Advertised Salary Range

$41,912.00

Application Review Begins

Tuesday September 8, 2026

Anticipated Start Date

Monday September 28, 2026

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