Do you have good telephone skills? Are you cool under pressure? If so, Montgomery County's Department of Public Safety (DPS) may want to hear from you.

The DPS is hiring for 12 "telecommunicator" positions at its communications center in the Eagleville section of Lower Providence.

The county promises "workstations with individual climate controls, fully paid training," and a typical schedule of "just 173 days a year."

9-1-1 operators are expected to handle every variety of emergency calls that come in from the public, from crimes in progress and life-threatening medical situations to serious motor vehicle accidents. Not all of the calls, however, are not quite so serious.

The county says that its dispatchers answered 770,000 calls last year, dispatching police, fire, and emergency medical services 670,000 times.

The job is not for everyone. The need to repeatedly respond quickly and appropriately to emergency situations has caused some 9-1-1 operators to suffer from symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dispatchers will receive "a very generous medical, dental, and vision benefit package as well as a very competitive salary." The entry level annual salary for dispatchers after training is $41,875, according to John Corcoran, the county's deputy communications director. That compares favorably with dispatchers across the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median salary for 9-1-1 operators in 2010 was $35,370.

Those interested in the positions have until March 1 to apply. Applications are available from the department's website. Interested parties may also call 610-631-3079. Applicants will be tested in mid-March. Those selected will be interviewed for positions during April and May, with training scheduled to begin near the end of June.