Recruitment

About High Point 911

High Point 911 is just one of 116 primary public-safety answering points in North Carolina and is the only PSAP in the state that operates within four different counties. Unlike many other communications centers who are typically governed by a police department, fire department, emergency management agency, or an independent consolidated center, High Point 911 is a division of the City's Department of Information Technology.

Being a High Point telecommunicator is a demanding career as our staff must be able to critically think, operate independently, communicate clearly, collaborate as a team, and serve the community responsibly. If you are honest, hardworking, and have a heart for public service, we would love to teach you how to do this job. Rise to the challenge and become a High Point 911 Telecommunicator.

Requirements

The Hiring Process

The hiring procedure for High Point 911 is a comprehensive process where the applicant must provide significant details going back ten years or more. Documentation requirements are rigid and expectations are high; those who are inattentive to details will not pass through the application process.

In order to be successful, a candidate should follow directions, timelines, and keep the hiring manager updated of any changes that occur during the hiring process. For most, this will be a challenging process, unlike anything they have accomplished before. Will you rise to the challenge?

Steps to Success

Evaluate whether or not you meet the minimum qualifications.
Watch the video about High Point 911(Optional)
Apply Online
After receiving the invitation, schedule an observation of our operations center.
1. Out of state applicants, go to Step 5. Step 4 will be scheduled during Step 6 for out of state applicants.
Complete and return the personal history questionnaire and associated recruiting documents.
After receiving the invitation, attend the hiring board interview and complete a typing test.
Accept a conditional job offer.
Complete a polygraph examination.
Attend a psychological interview.
Complete a medical examination and drug screening.
Accept a final offer of probationary employment.

Pay & Benefits

Starting Wages

The base rate, without the 12-hour shift built-in overtime or standby pay factored in, for a High Point Telecommunicator is $44,737.60 per year or $21.50 per hour.

During the first year of employment, new Telecommunicators will be evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months, earning a 1.5% salary increase each time for meeting their training expectations. This equates to a total increase of 4.5% during their first year of employment.

After their first year of probation, Telecommunicators become eligible for the City's performance based increases as authorized by City Council. These performance based increases range between 1% and 4%, with the average being approximately 2.75%.

Additionally, High Point 911 offers a career ladder program upon graduation from training. Once a new Telecommunicator graduates from training, they will begin working towards becoming a Telecommunicator II. From their date of hire, they become eligible for this position after 3 years. They are required to meet certain training requirements, pass an exam, and completed a specialized project. Once complete, the newly promoted Telecommunicator II will earn a 5% increase. Telecommunicator II's will then begin working towards becoming a Master Telecommunicator over the next 5 years. At the conclusion of that 5 year period, and having met the additional training requirements, the newly promoted Master Telecommunicator will earn a 5% increase.

Telecommunicator I
- Entry level position with 4.5% increase at the end of probation.
Telecommunicator II
- 3 years of experience as a Telecommunicator I, earning a 5% increase after meeting the promotional requirements.
Master Telecommunicator
- 5 years of experience as a Telecommunicator II, earning a 5% increase after meeting the promotional requirements.

Throughout their career, Telecommunicators who are interested in leadership opportunities have a variety of options to advance their careers at High Point 911. To be eligible for these opportunities, Telecommunicators must at the very minimum, hold the rank of Telecommunicator II. These positions offer salary increases ranging between 5% and 10%. These opportunities include:

Communications Training Officer (CTO)
Acting Telecommunications Supervisor
Telecommunications Supervisor
Telecommunications Training Supervisor
Telecommunications Manager

Vacation, Holiday, Sick, and Other Leave Benefits

New Telecommunicators earn vacation leave at a rate of 3.08 hours per pay period, or 10 days per year. Veteran Telecommunicators accrue vacation leave in accordance with the city accrual rate as outlined in the City Personnel Resolution. The rates change over time beginning at 10 days per year and increasing to 12 days, 15 days, 18 days, 20 days, and eventually 24 days per year.

In addition to vacation days, the City observes 12 holidays. These holidays are given to Telecommunicators as floating holidays, allowing them to be used much like normal vacation leave through out the year.

Finally, sick leave is earned for all Telecommunicators at a rate of 1 day per month, for a total of 12 days per year.

The City also offers specialized leave for Telecommunicators in two different forms. The first is four hours of paid Parental Involvement Leave per year, allowing Telecommunicators who are parents, guardians, or person standing in loco perentis of a school-aged child, to attend or otherwise be involved at that child's school. The second is Caregiver and Parental Leave, which Telecommunicators become eligible for after 12 months of services. This leave is designed to help our Telecommunicators care for eligible family members who have a serious health condition and are depended upon for necessary care

Retirement and Other Benefits

Telecommunicators are enrolled as a member of the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System (LGERS). This is a pension plan administered by the North Carolina Total Retirement Plans within the Department of State Treasurer.

Additionally, Telecommunicators may elect to participate in the City offered 401K retirement option. So long as the Telecommunicator contributes at least 1% of their salary into the 401K plan, the City will add an additional 3% to their plan.

Other benefits include

Either an Open Access Plus (OAP) medical plan or a Health Savings Account (HSA) medical plan.
An optional Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
An optional Dental Plan.
An optional Vision Plan.
An optional Group Accident Plan.
An optional Specified Disease Plan.
An optional Short-Term Disability Plan.
An optional Long-Term Disability Plan.
An optional Term Life Insurance Plan.
An optional Universal Life Insurance Plan.
An optional Legal Protection Plan.
An optional Identity Theft Protection Plan.
An optional Pet Insurance Plan.

The details of the additional benefits can be found in this Employee Benefits Guide.

About High Point

High Point is North Carolina's ninth largest city, situated in Guilford, Davidson, Forsyth, and Randolph counties - the state's only City in four counties. The community acquired its name because it was located at the highest point of the North Carolina railroad between Charlotte and Goldsboro, at its intersection with the Great Western Plank Road that ran from Fayetteville to Salem. The General Assembly incorporated the town in 1859. Now, the estimated population is 117,00, in a metropolitan area of 555,000 and a larger Piedmont Triad region of 1.6 million people.

High Point's residents enjoy a wide variety of activities on a year-round basis due largely to a mild climate and an abundance of natural recreation amenities. Of the City's two public golf courses, the Oak Hollow course has been consistently rated among the top 75 public courses in the country. Fourteen tennis courts, four indoor tennis courts, two public lakes, and a substantially completed hiking/biking and greenway trail are major attributes of the City's recreational program. The City is also a working partner with community organizations that have created a world-class soccer complex to further enhance recreational sport activities in the area. The City has invested more than $24 million in upgrading the facilities at City Lake Park, which include an updated swimming pool, splash pad, lazy river, three water slides, and a conference and event center.

The High Point Theatre is a year-round performing arts facility meeting the cultural needs of the community. The Theatre features an elegant 929-seat auditorium with continental style seating. Other facilities include three large exhibition galleries for meetings, display, or receptions. The public library, the High Point Museum and Historical Park, and the Rebecca R. Smothers Piedmont Environmental Center are additional City amenities. In April 2022, the Nido and Mariana Qubein Children's Museum opened in Downtown High Point, offering additional opportunities for education and entertainment in the City. The museum was named the Visitor Attraction of the Year by the N.C. Travel Industry Association.

Held on the shores of Oak Hollow Lake, the John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival began in 2011 and has succeeded in bringing the very top names in jazz to High Point. The Festival pays homage to the blues and celebrated the life and musical legacy of the jazz genre's greatest artists. The festival attracts thousands to High Point and enjoys a burgeoning reputation as the destination for Labor Day weekend.

Major highways passing through or near High Point include Interstates 40, 74 and 85; U.S. Routes 29 and 70; and NC Highways 62, 66, 68 and 610. Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) is located less than 15 miles from downtown High Point. Amtrak's Crescent, Carolinian, and Piedmont trains depart from the historic and recently refurbished High Point Amtrak station. Public transportation is available within the City, and to and from other nearby municipalities.

The City of High Point has been known as the "Home Furnishings Capital of the World" for nearly a century. The City hosts the High Point Home Furnishings Market, the world's largest international home furnishings trade show each April and October, and the international "Interwoven" fabric market each May and November. Annually, these markets attract more than 150,000 domestic and international exhibitors and buyers from more than 110 countries around the world. More than 2,000 domestic and international manufacturers and exhibitors currently show in approximately 12 million square feet of permanent and temporary showroom space located in the City's downtown area.

The City also features a network of home furnishings retailers attracting consumers from across the country. Tens of thousands of shoppers travel to the City annually to purchase home furnishings. In addition to furniture sales, the Market has been a positive impact on the City's hospitality industry. A 2018 UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University study found that the High Point Market generates more than $6.73 billion in economic impact to the overall regional economy (the counties within a 75-mile radius from downtown High Point). UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University's Global Value Chains Center, which conducted the study, found that the High Point Market supports 42,427 jobs in the region. North Carolina collects approximately $202 million in tax revenue each year due to the economic activity generated by the High Point Market.

Other major industries include bus manufacturing, distribution and logistics, textiles, customer service, banking, photography and pharmaceuticals. The top ten largest employers are the Ralph Lauren Corporation, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Guilford County Schools (High Point locations only), High Point University, Aetna, City of High Point, Thomas Built Buses/Daimler Trucks, Environmental Air Systems, Marsh Furniture, and Volvo Group North America.

The City Council continues to focus on its strategic vision, including the primary goals of blight reduction, retaining and attracting young professionals, and creating a catalyst project that will transform High Point’s downtown.