The process took 5 weeks. I interviewed at Lexington County Sheriff
Interview
it can take awhile to get rolling, and your left in "limbo" for a good portion. However towards the end you will finish the hiring process quickly. Make sure your references are reachable, and know to expect a call from the employer.
I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Lexington County Sheriff in Jan 2009
Interview
I had no experience in law enforcement, EMS, dispatch, so I probably did not have much of a chance. It just looked interesting at the time. The written personality test and skills test took about two hours. Questions like: Do you think about killing yourself?; Have you planned or thought about killing someone else? And many other strange questions. I think they are looking for people with experience and who prefer working on a phone for 12 hours per day rather than constant face to face interaction with co-workers and/or the public, i.e. border line recluses. I may be wrong.