Public Safety Communications Director

The City of Salem Fire Department is seeking a Public Safety Communications Director to lead its Communications Division, which includes the Willamette Valley Communications Center and the City’s Radio Shop.

Make an impact: 

Are you an inspiring leader with a strong background in public safety including 911 Dispatch Services?  Do you thrive in an environment that embraces life safety, fire, EMS, police and emergency communication services? Are you ready to join an organization that takes pride in delivering an “all-hazards” response to Oregon’s Capital City? 

The Willamette Valley Communications Center (WVCC) invites you to lead our emergency communications team in providing critical services to our region. WVCC was formed in 1991 through the consolidation of three area dispatch centers: Mid-Polk 11, serving most of Polk County, METCOM (Salem Metropolitan Communications Agency), serving the Marion County Sheriff and Marion County Fire District #1, and the City of Salem dispatch center. 

In July of 2012, Lincoln County agencies previously served by Lincom 911 also joined the WVCC family. WVCC is a division of the Salem Fire Department; Its 168 emergency response personnel and five civilian/admin staff are all employees of the City of Salem. 

Learn and grow: 

WVCC operates under the guidance of a 32-member Advisory Board representing each user agency and the Public Safety Communications Director reports to the Salem Fire Department’s Assistant Fire Chief. This ensures that 911 services meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve. Specialized committees for fire and police services provide operational recommendations to the board. Additionally, the City of Salem’s Radio Communications Division maintains our critical communication infrastructure, including dispatch systems and mobile data communication.

In 2023, WVCC’s collective bargaining agreement with the 911 Professional Communication Employees’ Association (PCEA) was successfully renegotiated for three years, ensuring stability and continued collaboration. The incoming Public Safety Communications Director will be supported by a strong and competent team, appropriate resources, and backing from City leadership, the City Council, and the Advisory Board.

You can learn more about PCEA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement on the City of Salem’s website at: CONTRACT

What you will do:  

The City of Salem is seeking a deeply experienced and highly qualified public safety professional to lead WVCC into its next chapter of public service excellence. This is a sophisticated public safety department, and the Public Safety Communications Director will have the opportunity to improve service provision and response, strengthen relationships, and lead innovation in emergency communication.

Public Safety Communications Director functions as seventh in command within the Salem Fire Department and oversees the day-to-day operations of WVCC’s emergency center. Key responsibilities include:

• Leadership and Strategy: Collaborate with the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief of Business Operations, City Council, Advisory Board, and 32 user agencies to establish public safety policies, programs, and strategic goals.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure WVCC’s workforce and equipment meet community needs, delivering timely and effective emergency and non-emergency response services.
• Community Engagement: Monitor public feedback on WVCC services through community interaction and lead efforts to build community support for revenue growth to expand service capacity.
• Team Development: Provide leadership, mentorship, and direction to a highly skilled team, fostering a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and innovation.
• Collaboration and Policy Development: Work with regional and state partners to strengthen interagency coordination and resolve administrative and policy challenges.

Additional information on job responsibilities:

The Public Safety Communications Director functions as Salem Fire Department’s seventh in command. Under the direction of the Assistant Chief, this position supervises, plans, coordinates and directs the day-to-day operations of the WVCC’s emergency center and must be knowledgeable in current methods and standards of contemporary telecommunications and emergency/non-emergency response, as well as pertinent laws and standards. In addition, the Director of Communications will participate as a member of the Salem Fire Department Management Team in establishing strategic goals, service level priorities, department policies, and organization development plans, coordinate special projects, be skilled in directing personnel and the incident Command System be able to maintain focus and composure under varying levels of stress and deadlines, and meet the City’s standard for customer service and teamwork. 

• Working with the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief of Business Operations, City Council, 32 user agencies and community members in determining public safety policies and programs; monitoring public need and reactions to WVCC services through community groups and interaction with citizens
• Provide administrative framework to provide a fully trained and proficient workforce and effective equipment to deliver the services identified by the community
• Resolve administrative and policy problems for WVCC and work with other governmental agencies in providing 911 dispatch services. 

What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness program.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee health clinic.
• Exercise equipment available to use in the department. 
• This classification is not eligible to work remotely due to the essential work functions to provide direct, in-person customer service and/or field or other location work.
• The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.

What are the minimum qualifications?

• Must have an Oregon Driver license and have a driving record that meets the City of Salem's standards.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Police Science, Fire Administration, Criminal Justice, or Public Administration and ten (10) or more years of experience in a related field; or any combination of education, experience, and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the class.
• Successful completion of a background check and drug screening.

Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job advertisement.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working in public safety communications or a 911 dispatch center for an organization of comparable size, complexity, and population served.
• Bachelor’s degree in communications, Emergency Management, Public Administration, or a closely related field.
• APCO Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) or Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) credentials.
• NENA Emergency Number Professional (ENP) certification.
• Completion of advanced leadership programs related to emergency communications, such as the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) Center Manager Certification Program (CMCP).
• Experience in technology implementation and interoperability initiatives in a multi-agency dispatch environment.

What you will bring along: 

• Must be energetic, enthusiastic, and well-rounded bringing knowledge and experience of best practices in public safety/emergency call center service, with a proven history of building effective relationships with staff, the City’s executive leadership team and external stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively lead, mentor, and coach a large emergency services operation, while serving as an active and engaged team member in the broader City enterprise.
• Demonstrate genuine and exceptional communication skills, financial acumen, consistent and effective labor relations practices, and the ability to leverage opportunities for growth and innovation while honoring and maintaining the department’s past success and advancements.
• Possess the skill to work collaboratively with regional and statewide partners, expanding the participation and presence of Salem Fire.
• Consistent, creative, adaptive, and tactful communicator and leader with a proven record of building and maintaining trust with a significant degree of autonomy.
• Must be able to thoughtfully consider adaption for services, both in traditional and non-traditional roles. 
• Excellent listening and interpersonal skills and a strong commitment to the growth and wellbeing of personnel. 
• Fostering an environment where feedback is valued and considered, providing clear communication of expectations and goals, and working regionally on panning, resource management, training, and personnel attraction and retention are highly desired initiatives.
• Ability to manage and grow a sophisticated emergency management operation. 

Key success measurements:

• Recruit and select vacant staff and create a well-functioning forward focused team.
• Champion efforts to create a diverse workforce reflective of our community.
• Play a leadership role in efforts to build community support for additional revenue to grow service capacity to better meet community needs. 
• Continue to build an “At Your Service” culture through WVCC.
• Maintain and build on the collaborative working relationship with bargaining units. 
• Bring a “first team mentality” to the Executive Leadership Team.
• Be willing to explore innovative approaches to service delivery to better meet the needs of all members of our community.
• Be an active and visible member of the community.

How big is WVCC? How many agencies does WVCC serve? How many calls does WVCC handle?

WVCC currently employes 63 Communication Specialists, seven Communication Shift Supervisors, one Training coordinator, one Operations Center Manager, one Technical Services Manager, one Management Analyst, two Administrative Analysts and two Technical Services Staff. 

WVCC is the second busiest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) in Oregon, dispatching 29 police, fire and medical agencies across Lincoln, Marion and Polk Counties. WVCC handles emergency services for roughly 421,311 people. 

In 2024, WVCC handled 209,104 emergency 911 calls and 215,599 non-emergency phone calls.

How big is the WVCC Service Area?

Roughly 2,906 square miles.

Lincoln: 980

Marion: 1,182

Polk: 744

As WVCC look to the future, the incoming Director of Communications will play a pivotal role in enhancing our services and leading exciting initiatives, such as planning for a new state-of-the-art call center. 

About us:

Salem is the second largest city in Oregon and the capital city. Centrally located in the Willamette Valley, Salem is 49 square miles in size and extends across to counties, Marion and Polk. The community has well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings with wide diversity and a family-friendly ambiance. The city is home to nearly 180,000 residents. For a full community profile detailing demographics and housing statistics, visit the City of Salem website.

The City of Salem organization has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community Planning and Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City of Salem employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members and works collaboratively with five labor unions.

Where can I find out more about the position?

Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Director, Public Safety Comm.

How can I apply?

The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community. 

To apply, click on the green “Apply” button to complete your application.

Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.

You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City of Salem through the Job Interest Cards – sign up today!

For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our website at www.cityofsalem.net/jobs.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN IMPLIED CONTRACT AND MAY BE MODIFIED OR REVOKED WITHOUT NOTICE