employees, including a number of jailers and dispatchers. The department also has record clerks and office workers. Clerks need expertise with standard office computer programs, must have good communication skills, and be able to assist the public.
Dispatchers provide communications support for the police and fire departments, ambulance crews, and animal control services. Dispatchers must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, and have special training. Training for dispatchers includes earning an Arkansas Crime Information Center certification.
“ We give much of the training ourselves,” said Mike Peters, Springdale Police Chief.“ Those who already have the training would have an advantage in the hiring process.”
Those wishing to become police officers must meet certain requirements and pass several tests. Criteria include being a U. S. citizen, having a high school diploma or GED, being at least 21 years old, having no felony convictions, having a valid driver’ s license, and being able to read and write English. Applicants must also pass a physical fitness test, a three-hour written exam, background investigation, drug test, psychological evaluation, medical evaluation and a lie detector test. Training includes a 12-week course with the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy and a 14-week field training program. Beginning pay for a police officer is $ 32,902 per year. 8
Springdale Fire Department applicants go through a similar process. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, have a valid driver’ s license, be able to speak and read English, have no felony convictions, and no DWI convictions within the last 12 months or more than one on their record. They must also pass a test, according to Springdale Fire Chief Mike Irwin.
No additional training is required, but applicants who have an Emergency Medical Technician license have a better chance of being hired. Having an Associate Degree in Fire Science would be the best preparation for the job, Irwin said.
“ We can send people to the Fire Academy but we prefer to hire people who have already had that training,” he said.
Beginning pay for a firefighter with an EMT license is $ 32,902. Firefighters who are licensed paramedics start at $ 40,473 a year.
City jobs may pay a little less than similar jobs in the private sector, but the excellent benefits make up for that. Benefits for City of Springdale employees include health, dental, vision and life insurance, paid holidays and vacation time, sick leave, and a retirement savings plan. Information on current job openings and applications are posted on the city’ s website at www. springdalear. gov.