Command Centers

The Oregon State Police has two Command Centers, a Northern Command Center (NCC) located in Salem, Oregon, and a Southern Command Center

(SCC) located in Central Point, Oregon. These centers coordinate communication between field officers, local and county law enforcement and emergency services, state agencies, and the public within a large geographic area encompassing multiple counties, cities, and towns. The public calls our Command Centers for non-emergent needs. The type of public calls that OSP's Command Center covers included but are not limited to reporting highway traffic safety issues, highway hazards & obstructions, minor crashes, hunting or fishing violations, reporting a poacher, reporting suspicious activity, and requests for assistance.

The Northern Command Center covers Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, and Yamhill Counties.

The Southern Command Center covers Baker, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Jackson, Josephine, parts of Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa Counties.

OSP's Command Centers are staffed by Telecommunicators, Supervisors, and Directors. The day-to-day duties of these Telecommunicators include answering multiple phone lines, and monitoring and responding to multiple radio channels all while simultaneously entering information into our computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. Having two Command Centers ensures that OSP can have failover capabilities if one of our Centers goes offline.

Telecommunicator Hiring Steps

The hiring process for telecommunicators is extensive. The time from application to appointment can exceed several months. Those steps include:

CritiCall Testing - A computerized pre-employment test used to measure the applicant's underlying skills and abilities before any training they might receive if they are hired as a public safety telecommunicator or call-taker.
Interview – A interview panel will consist of the Dispatch Center Supervisor(s) and may include a current Telecommunicator and the Center Director. An interview is scheduled in 60-minute increments.
Background Check – Applicants must be willing to sign several waivers allowing OSP to conduct a thorough background investigation. A background investigator will schedule a one-on-one interview. Some factors considered during a background investigation include but are not limited to:

Driving history
Criminal history Fingerprint check
Personal references
Employment history
Military Service Records – Discharge Status
Job references
Personal references
Prior contact with law enforcement agencies
Financial status (to include credit history)

Medical Screen – The applicant will be responsible for scheduling a medical screen with an OSP-contracted clinic. This will include an eyesight and hearing test.
Applicant must be fingerprinted for CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Systems) clearance
Applicants will be required to obtain a Basic Telecommunicator Certification with DPSST (Department of Public Safety Standards and Training) within 18 months of the hire date. This includes a 3-week academy at DPSST located in Salem, Oregon. Applicants must also receive and maintain First Aid and CPR certifications.

Minimum Qualifications:

Three years of public contact experience in any position which includes gathering, relaying, and providing information to others, in addition to evaluating activities and/or incidents and determining an appropriate course of action;
AND Keyboard (typing) speed of at least 35 words per minute;
AND High school diploma, a GED certificate, or equivalent.

Automatic Disqualifiers

Oregon State Police has determined there are some past and present behaviors that will determine if an applicant is not a desirable fit for our agency. The below list is not all-inclusive, it is meant as a guide.

A felony conviction under state or federal law. A misdemeanor conviction relating to domestic violence, sex crimes, fraud, or moral turpitude. Other misdemeanor convictions within the last five years.
Each applicant must be of good moral fitness (moral character). The following are indications of a lack of good moral fitness.
Illegal conduct involving moral turpitude.
Conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.
Intentional deception or fraud or attempted deception, or fraud in any application, examination, or other documents.
Conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Acts or conduct which would cause a reasonable person to have substantial doubts about the individual's honesty, fairness, respect for the rights of others, or for the laws of the state and/or the nation.
Conduct that adversely reflects on the individual's fitness to perform as a law enforcement officer.

Benefits and Additional Pay Opportunities

A comprehensive competitive benefits package: https://www.oregon.gov/OHA/PEBB/Pages/index.aspx

Pay is adjusted based on experience.

Additional applicable incentives:

3% Associates Degree or Intermediate DPSST certification

6% Bachelor's Degree or Advanced DPSST certification

Possible 5% differential for foreign language proficiency

7% differential for Telecommunicator trainers will be paid at a rate of seven percent (7%) per hour at the employee's regular pay rate for hours when coaching duties are performed.

20+ years of consecutive service as an OSP Telecommunicator will receive two point-five percent (2.5%) of their regular base pay for all hours worked.

Leave accrual starts at 24 hours per month with the additional opportunity to accrue compensatory leave for overtime worked.

Retirement

Full retirement is available as early as age 58 with 30 years of service. Eligible to retire with reduced benefits at 55.

Oregon PERS is transferable if you are a current member.

Visit PERS for more details: State of Oregon: Public Employees Retirement System - PERS Home

Command Centers

Hiring Steps

Minimum Qualifications

Automatic Disqualifiers

Pay and Benefits