Public Safety Telecommunicator I Trainee: 911 Operator/Dispatcher

Are you looking for an exciting and rewarding career where you can be a part of a team that helps save lives every day?

Are you able to stay calm while providing excellent customer service in emergency situations?

If so, why not make a positive impact on others by answering the call that will make a difference in someone's life as a Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 Operator/Dispatcher0

Under general supervision, the selected candidate for Public Safety Telecommunicator will be responsible for receiving, processing, relaying, and responding to emergency and non-emergency calls for assistance, as well as providing information and referrals for police, fire, emergency medical services, and other public safety-related matters; works on an assigned/rotation shift and overtime when operations necessitate; attend and successfully complete the Basic Dispatch Academy and On-The-Job (OJT) training for the Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 Operator/Dispatcher) to include achievement of all required certifications and completion of OJT as designated by the Department of Criminal Services (DCJS) within a twenty-four (24) month period.

This is an Alpha classified position requiring employees to work during inclement weather, catastrophic events, and major/emergency situations regardless of the City's operational status and is subject to respond immediately for duty.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

• Operates a multi-line emergency telephone system for receiving and processing calls for Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS);

• Utilize emergency telephone system as a telecommunication device for the deaf and hearing impaired (TDD/TTY) to receive and respond to a variety of emergency and non-emergency services and complaints; calms, reassures, and verbally interrogates callers to interpret, analyze and anticipate the effect of situations in order to resolve problems, provide requested information, or refer callers;

• Apply professional communication techniques to calm emotional, irrational, irate, or reluctant callers; translates information to appropriate codes utilized by the agency; determine and assign level of priority and enter data to a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system for radio dispatch;

• Performs Emergency Medical Dispatch and crisis intervention using Emergency Medical Dispatch software and/or cards to ask vital questions and provide pre-arrival instructions for emergency medical calls;

• Monitors and operates a radio console and various radio frequencies to dispatch and coordinate public safety responses ranging from routine to critical; determines priority to dispatch calls; identifies appropriate number and type of equipment or apparatus to dispatch; queries, enters, modifies, and clears information in local, state, and national computerized databases to include Virginia Crime Information Network (VCIN), National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) pertaining to arrest warrants, driver record and history, stolen property, other similar data and transmits relevant information to field units;

Monitors and responds to a variety of other technical systems and functions to include GPS equipped bait car, financial institution electronic pursuit tracking system; fire station alerting system, radio interoperability channels, and local/regional/national alerting and disaster notification systems; performs any other duties as assigned.

Performance Standard:

Demonstrate proficient knowledge of operations of telephony and computer-aided dispatch systems, and thorough knowledge and understanding of operating procedures, operational orders, directives, policies, and procedures along with their application; maintain required certifications.