Public Safety Telecommunicator I/II/III

Public Safety Telecommunicator

The City of Westminster welcomes diverse candidates from the broadest base possible. Our goal is to find the best candidate for the jobsomeone who belongs, not just fits. We value life and professional experiences, recognizing equivalent combinations of knowledge skills and education. Aligned with our city SPIRIT values, the successful candidate will have a passion and commitment to serving a diverse population of residents and must respect and uphold the principles of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for this role, even if you believe you have a less traditional background than described we invite you to apply.

Position Purpose / Important Application Information

Westminster 9-1-1 is a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) responsible for emergency and non-emergency call processing and priority dispatching for law enforcement, fire apparatus, emergency medical services, animal management and other city services. Westminster's Public Safety Communications Center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and requires shift work by all employees to include holidays, nights and weekends. The Public Safety Telecommunicator I/II/III is a professional, technical position that is responsible for answering and triaging 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls and documenting critical information in the integrated computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. This critical role serves as the vital communications link between the public and emergency services. Public Safety Telecommunicators administer care by providing pre-arrival medical instructions while field responders are en route to the scene. Public Safety Telecommunicators manage emergency resources on multiple radio channels, to include police and fire personnel, and assist with incident operations. Public Safety Telecommunicators take protective actions by thoroughly interviewing callers and providing life-safety information. Public Safety Telecommunicators work in a highly specialized, safety sensitive position that requires proficiency in managing multiple internet protocol (IP) based communications and call delivery systems and manipulating a variety of computerized software systems in a fast-paced environment, with the objective of keeping all participants safe. Hiring for the Public Safety Telecommunicator position involves a lengthy process that includes an online assessment and questionnaire, phone screen, in-person panel oral board, job suitability assessment, psychological evaluation, complete background investigation, and vision, hearing and substance screenings. It may take in excess of three months to complete the hiring process.

Organizational Competencies And Cultural Values/General Competencies

The City's work culture encourages passionate, positive and enthusiastic employees who, along with our City Council and City Manager, are strong supporters of our mission: The City of Westminster provides high-quality core services and fosters resilience in order to promote a safe and thriving community. Westminster is a city of beautiful, safe, well-maintained neighborhoods and destinations with a vibrant, diverse economy, rich and resilient environment and a strong sense of community belonging. Our core values are embodied in our SPIRIT (Service People Integrity Respect Innovation Teamwork). This position supports the goals of the Police Department, which is: Enforcement and education of laws and the apprehension of those who seek to disrupt the quality of life within our community. The Department is responsible for enforcement of State Laws and Westminster Municipal Ordinances pertaining to criminal and traffic issues and to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the State of Colorado, and the Charter of the City of Westminster. The Department is primarily focused on public safety, maintaining peace and order, prevention of crime and the apprehension of criminals. This position also promotes the mission and values of the City of Westminster by supporting the goals of the Fire Department, which is responsible for providing timely emergency response to fire and emergency medical calls; ensuring the safety of personnel, citizens, and visitors to the community; and educating residents and business owners on fire safety, emergency medical prevention, and emergency preparedness.

• Demonstrate a high level of customer service; encourage others to focus on the customer; foster an environment where customer service is a priority
• Communicate with customers to ensure that, where possible, they are satisfied, and that their needs are being addressed; solicit and evaluate customer feedback
• Act as an ambassador by understanding and fostering the organization's mission and vision
• Exhibit pride in self, the department, the city, and the community; conduct self in a professional manner
• Demonstrate integrity and build trust through credibility, reliability, commitment, loyalty, and ethical behavior
• Address difficult or contentious issues in a constructive manner
• Support/promote change; demonstrate flexibility, and take calculated risks when appropriate
• Participate in personal growth opportunities, and attend trainings designed to enhance capacity to bring new skills and ideas to the job and the organization
• Work to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service or product being delivered
• Demonstrate support for team efforts by accepting new roles and responsibilities, and helping others achieve objective
• Value diversity; demonstrate an awareness of differences; demonstrate sensitivity, and adapt behaviors and communication to accommodate these differences

• Establish effective interpersonal relationships through honest, open communication and follow-through on commitments
• Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses, and target areas for personal self-development
• Demonstrate initiative in performing job tasks
• Exhibit problem-solving skills leading to sound judgment and quality decisions
• Achieve goals, and handle assigned workload and new assignments effectively; demonstrate an ability to work independently
• Communicate effectively with individuals and groups using clear and concise verbal and written communications
• Demonstrate accountability for work, and take ownership in job performance
• Demonstrate concern for the accuracy and quality of work; take steps to correct mistakes and improve the overall product

• Maintain confidentiality, display a strong work ethic, and be accountable for all duties of this job
• Communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively, both orally and in writing during routine and/or emergency situations
• Answer and triage 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency calls via telephone, text to 9-1-1,and Teletype Device for the Deaf (TDD)
• Gather, analyze, and document critical information during life-or-death situations such as crimes in progress, medical emergencies, and fire/rescue incidents
• Use geographic information systems (GIS) mapping software and maintain detailed geospatial knowledge of city geography, jurisdictional boundaries, and police and fire response areas including street names, businesses, schools, parks and open spaces
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with customers, peers, supervisors, public safety personnel and city employees
• Demonstrate great attention to detail and empathy towards customer needs and concerns
• Use logic, critical thinking, and reasoning to reach conclusions and solve problems
• Work productively both independently and as a member of a high functioning team during periods of high- and low stress activity
• Perform shift work, including nights, weekends, and holidays

Job Specific Functions

Essential Job Functions, Duties, Responsibilities, and Tasks Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) I/II/III

• Administer care by providing pre-arrival medical instructions (EMD) and/or instructing callers through procedures such as CPR, childbirth, or controlling blood loss while emergency medical services are en route
• Manage communications of emergency personnel responding to incidents and assist with incident operations during events such as officer down, active shooter, violent crimes, MAYDAY calls and critical incident responses
• Thoroughly and accurately document all incident activities while maintaining scene awareness
• Analyze conflicting and/or limited location information and access a variety of software and databases to direct first responders to the scene
• Manage challenging calls using appropriate communication and de-escalation techniques with distressed, autistic, hearing-impaired, elderly, angry, and foreign-language-speaking callers
• Apply crisis intervention techniques to negotiate with people in crisis to include suicidal callers or hostage takers
• Provide resources and assistance over the phone to victims of violent crimes, sex assaults, domestic violence, and child callers
• Establish and maintain control over developing, unpredictable and volatile situations using quick, calm, and reasonable methods and decision making
• Interpret automatic number and automatic location data provided by the emergency communications phone system and use advanced geospatial query and mobile location capabilities to verify accuracy and reliability
• Conduct safety status checks of responders and use other available technology to ensure on-scene responders' safety
• Understand criminal classifications and civil situations and effectively apply department, city and section policy, reporting regulations and legal requirements
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