Director of 911 Emergency Communications and Public Safety
Job Title:
Director of 911 Emergency Communications and Public SafetyCounty Name:
Centre County
Job Title: Director of 911 Emergency Communications and Public Safety
Department: Emergency Communications 911
Pay Grade: SG-20
Pay Rate: $85,508.80-$102,627.20 (based on experience)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Status: Full-time
Location: 420 Holmes St. Bellefonte, PA 16823
Reports to: County Administrator
Supervises: Emergency Communications 911 staff and Director of Emergency Services
Position Overview:
The Director provides umbrella-level executive leadership for Centre County Public Safety, which includes the 24/7 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Department and the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Department. The Director directly leads 9-1-1 Emergency Communications and provides executive oversight of EMA through the EMA Director, who reports to this position. The Director is accountable for reliable service delivery, workforce stability, employee engagement, fiscal stewardship, technology and facility governance, regulatory compliance, emergency preparedness, and equitable coordination with public safety and community partners.
Essential Job Functions:
Education/Training Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, emergency management, public safety, emergency communications, information technology, organizational leadership, or a closely related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience may be considered.
Work Experience:
At least five years of progressively responsible 9-1-1 emergency communications experience is required, including direct public safety call-taking and dispatch experience and at least three years of supervisory or management responsibility in a 24/7 9-1-1 emergency communications environment.
Preferred Experience and Credentials:
Success improving staffing, retention, schedules, organizational trust, recruitment, or employee-informed operations; coordinating emergency communications and emergency management; and leading major procurements, grants, or mission-critical modernization is preferred. ENP, RPL, CPE, CEM, or comparable credentials are desirable.
Residency Requirement:
Must satisfy emergency-response proximity requirement within six (6) months by residing within Centre County OR a radius of 45 minutes response to the facility, following posted speed limits. This will be determined using www.google.com/maps.
Benefits
Medical Benefits:
Please visit our website for a list of job opening and to apply: https://ccpa.recruiting.pdsvista.com/
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT/ISSUES WITH APPLYING:
If you are having technology issues with the application process, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@centrecountypa.gov or 814-355-6748.
Centre County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Department: Emergency Communications 911
Pay Grade: SG-20
Pay Rate: $85,508.80-$102,627.20 (based on experience)
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Status: Full-time
Location: 420 Holmes St. Bellefonte, PA 16823
Reports to: County Administrator
Supervises: Emergency Communications 911 staff and Director of Emergency Services
Position Overview:
The Director provides umbrella-level executive leadership for Centre County Public Safety, which includes the 24/7 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Department and the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Department. The Director directly leads 9-1-1 Emergency Communications and provides executive oversight of EMA through the EMA Director, who reports to this position. The Director is accountable for reliable service delivery, workforce stability, employee engagement, fiscal stewardship, technology and facility governance, regulatory compliance, emergency preparedness, and equitable coordination with public safety and community partners.
Essential Job Functions:
- Directs safe, reliable, and effective 9-1-1 emergency communications and provides executive oversight of EMA through the EMA Director; establishes aligned Public Safety priorities, service standards, policies, quality expectations, preparedness, and continuity requirements.
- Maintains a regular presence across day, night, weekend, and holiday shifts; learns current call-taking and dispatch workflows; and as appropriate seeks input from staff when making decisions that affect their work.
- Leads direct reports, supervisors, and staff across Public Safety through clear priorities, effective delegation, timely decisions, consistent accountability, recognition, development, conflict resolution, and follow-through on commitments.
- Manages a workforce strategy addressing recruitment, training, staffing, scheduling, overtime, retention, succession planning, and wellness, with meaningful employee involvement in proposed changes.
- Develops and administers operating, capital, personnel, technology, grant, and contract budgets for Emergency Communications and EMA; aligns spending with validated operational and preparedness needs and acts within delegated authority without avoidable delay.
- Oversees the lifecycle, resilience, cybersecurity, interoperability, procurement, and vendor performance of 9-1-1, CAD, radio, addressing, recording, network, emergency operations, facility, and continuity systems; evaluates automation and artificial intelligence based on value, risk, and workforce impact.
- Reviews call allocation, administrative duties, partner requests, and longstanding practices to eliminate, reassign, automate, or redesign work that distracts telecommunicators from mission-critical responsibilities.
- Maintains compliance with applicable laws, standards, grants, personnel policies, records requirements, and health and safety requirements affecting Emergency Communications and EMA.
- Provides executive oversight of Emergency Communications training, certification, and continuing education; ensures program materials, evaluations, records, and reporting remain current and compliant; and holds responsible leaders and coaches accountable for consistent trainee development, assessment, remediation, and operational readiness.
- Reviews bid packages and recommend awards.
- With the intent of providing excellent 9-1-1 and emergency services, represents and advocates for Public Safety, including Emergency Communications and EMA, with County leadership, municipalities, responder agencies, vendors, media, and the public while applying policies and service expectations impartially and without favoritism.
- Uses performance measures and accountable action plans across Emergency Communication and EMA to advance strategic priorities, resolve operational issues, communicate decisions, and verify implementation and results; provide umbrella level executive direction during emergencies, outages , and continuity activations.
Other Duties:
Physical and Mental Conditions:
- Represents Public Safety and its departments on appropriate committees and task forces.
- Maintains professional competence.
- Performs other duties reasonably related to the position as assigned.
- Frequently remains stationary, communicates, and works at a computer for extended periods; occasionally moves throughout operational areas and transports work materials or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Must sustain attention during interruptions and extended incidents.
- Must communicate calmly, exercise sound judgment, and make timely, defensible decisions during conflict, emergencies, system failures, and other high-stress situations.
Education/Training Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, emergency management, public safety, emergency communications, information technology, organizational leadership, or a closely related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience may be considered.
Work Experience:
At least five years of progressively responsible 9-1-1 emergency communications experience is required, including direct public safety call-taking and dispatch experience and at least three years of supervisory or management responsibility in a 24/7 9-1-1 emergency communications environment.
Preferred Experience and Credentials:
Success improving staffing, retention, schedules, organizational trust, recruitment, or employee-informed operations; coordinating emergency communications and emergency management; and leading major procurements, grants, or mission-critical modernization is preferred. ENP, RPL, CPE, CEM, or comparable credentials are desirable.
Residency Requirement:
Must satisfy emergency-response proximity requirement within six (6) months by residing within Centre County OR a radius of 45 minutes response to the facility, following posted speed limits. This will be determined using www.google.com/maps.
Benefits
Medical Benefits:
- Capital Blue Cross Medical Insurance
- Health Savings Account
- Wellness program with wellness incentives
- Capital Blue Cross Vision Insurance
- United Concordia Dental Insurance with two options
- County Retirement Pension
- 5% minimum pre-tax contribution required, with the option of increasing your contribution over 5% up to 15%.
- Fully vested after 5 years of credited service
- Voluntary 457b Deferred Compensation Plans
- Military Time Buy Back Options
- Vacation – Earn from 10 to 24 days annually based on years of service.
- Personal – Earn 2 days annually.
- Sick – Earn 1 day per month, with unused accumulation applying toward extended sick bank.
- 13 Paid County Holidays
- Paid Parental Leave
- Group Life Insurance Plan - $20,000 life insurance provided.
- Education Assistance
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – certain eligibility requirements must be met
- Employee Assistance Program
- Flexible Spending Account
- Voluntary Benefits – Short- and Long-Term Disability, Term and Whole Life Insurances, Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Insurances, Pet Insurance.
Please visit our website for a list of job opening and to apply: https://ccpa.recruiting.pdsvista.com/
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT/ISSUES WITH APPLYING:
If you are having technology issues with the application process, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@centrecountypa.gov or 814-355-6748.
Centre County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Posting Date:
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Expiration Date:
OpenContact Name:
Centre County Human Resources
Address:
420 Holmes St Suite
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Phone:
(814) 355-6748