911 - EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Emergency Communications Officer

Are you looking for an exciting and rewarding career? Consider a position as an Emergency Communications Officer. Base rate: $21.50 per hour $5,000 bonus to be paid after completion of initial training. The Emergency Communications Officer is a critical part of accomplishing the public safety mission for the City of Lynchburg. This is a fast-paced, 24/7 operation and requires applicants to be available to work any shift, including holidays, evenings, and weekends. Applicants must also be able to multi-task and prioritize demands. Applicants must be able to type a minimum of 38 words per minute. To see if you can type 38 words per minute (or to practice), click here. The City of Lynchburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages all qualified candidates to apply.

The 911 Emergency Communications Dispatcher is responsible for receiving emergency and non-emergency calls for service and dispatching Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services in a fast-paced, high-stress environment. This position plays a critical role in public safety by gathering accurate information, prioritizing calls, and coordinating appropriate emergency responses while maintaining professionalism, accuracy, and composure.

Essential Duties

• Process 911 and non-emergency calls for police, fire, EMS, rescue, and public works
• Assess calls by obtaining crucial and pertinent information, frequently from hysterical or irate callers, in order to classify and prioritize problems and to determine and coordinate the appropriate response by emergency personnel and equipment
• Provide necessary Emergency Medical Dispatch instructions to callers experiencing medical crises
• Monitor public safety units and maintain status of each to effectively coordinate response
• Handle and determine dissemination of time-sensitive and confidential information
• Operate various complex communications equipment, such as NCIC, 800 MHz regional radio system, and computer aided dispatch system
• Send, receive, and disseminate messages to and from other agencies and jurisdictions through the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN)
• Execute extensive file searches and updates relative to location history, hazard information and record management data
• Administer appropriate notifications, such as alarm notifications, wrecker service, etc., as requested by public safety responders' performance outcomes.

Additional Duties

• Other duties to provide direct or indirect service to the citizens may be assigned
• When unusual situations occur and/or the City Manager declares a State of Emergency, all City employees may be required to accept special assignments and perform as needed to ensure appropriate service delivery
• Provide testimony in criminal court proceedings
• Coordinates daily with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the National Warning System (NAWAS)

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Minimum Education and Experience Required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or GED, and customer service and/or telemarketing experience required. Associate's degree with major coursework in communications and/or public safety preferred.

Additional Requirements

• Must pass a thorough background examination, a polygraph, and a credit investigation.
• Ability to be certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia as a Dispatcher through successful completion of state-mandated training
• Ability to obtain NCIC/VCIN certification
• Ability to be certified in CPR and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) during the initial training period

Must successfully complete IS100 and IS700 National Incident Management (NIMS) training within 90 days of employment. May also be required to complete higher levels of NIMS training as determined appropriate for the position.

Benefits

The City offers an array of benefits combined with direct salary/wages in order to establish a total compensation package that supports the City's goals of attracting, rewarding, and retaining employees who are both representatives of the community and are also able to deliver exceptional services.

• Employees in full-time positions are eligible for the following benefits:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS); the City's contribution is based on a rate determined bi-annually by the VRS Board and employees pay 5% of base pay (pre-tax) towards their VRS benefit
• Life insurance at no cost to the employee
• Optional benefits such as 457 deferred compensation, Roth IRA, flexible spending accounts, etc.
• Eligibility for parental leave and tuition assistance
• Paid Time Off
• Employees in hourly and part-time positions may be eligible for benefits depending on the position

Employees of the City of Lynchburg may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for federal student loans

Additional information about City benefits can be found on our website and in the Employment Policies & Procedures