Public Safety Dispatcher- POLICE- (Provisional)

Overview An incumbent in this position is responsible for operating the public safety communication system in the Department of Police. The Public Safety Dispatcher operates a telephone, radio, computer, Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) and related equipment to dispatch police personnel and equipment to scenes of crimes, accidents and other emergencies. Incumbents must be able to function calmly under stress, exercise sound judgment, alertness and responsiveness in emergency situations, and work under direct supervision from a higher level police official. Supervision is not a function of this position. Responsibilities Receives information regarding various incidents requiring police, fire or EMS attention, such as fires, robberies, stolen vehicles, missing persons, etc. Operates radio equipment to dispatch police personnel and equipment. Dispatches vehicles and personnel for routine and emergency service calls. Maintains continuous status and location records of police, fire and emergency vehicles. Operates computer terminal and AVL to retrieve information and relay it as needed, including e‑mail system. Determines priorities of service when necessary in accordance with established policies and practices. Receives incoming telephone calls and provides information. Receives calls over the telephone from fire and other governmental agencies. Expediently accesses and reports sensitive information from criminal and personal databases, such as the Criminal Justice Information System, to police staff and other civilian staff in the Department. Performs related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications Graduation from high school, GED or equivalency diploma. Proof of education must be presented at time of appointment. Special Requirements Background investigation results, including but not limited to consideration of an applicant's arrests which did not lead to convictions, will be considered in the Police Department’s determination of whether an applicant should be denied unsupervised access to the federal Criminal Justice Information System, and therefore denied employment. Must present Association of Police Communications Operator certification within one year of appointment, or within the time schedule for training by Erie County. Additional Qualifications Good knowledge of the operation and maintenance of radio and telephone equipment. Good knowledge of the geography of the city. Clerical aptitude. Ability to quickly analyze emergency situations and take decisive action. Ability to perform calmly and efficiently in all types of situations. Ability to understand and follow oral and written directions. Familiarity with police terminology and procedures. Ability to maintain records and prepare reports. Ability to speak clearly and distinctly. Good hearing; mental alertness. Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position. Important Information Regarding the Qualifying 911 Performance Test A performance test will be held at a later date, to be announced. The written test will be a ranking test and the performance test will be a qualifying (pass/fail) test. You must pass both the written and performance tests to be considered for appointment. You will not be called to the performance test unless you have passed the written test. Since the performance test is qualifying (pass/fail), if you pass the performance test your final score for the examination will be the score that you achieve on the written test. Candidates may be invited to participate in the performance test in the order of the scores they achieve on the written test. The Department of Human Resources, Division of Civil Service reserves the right to give the performance test to only as many candidates as are needed to fill available vacancies. The 911 test will be a performance test, administered on a conventional personal computer (PC). You will be using a conventional personal computer but you will not be using a mouse. Subject: The test consists of three parts, each preceded by a separate practice session. It will test your ability to enter the kinds of information that dispatchers and related personnel must process for fire, police, and emergency medical services. You will not need any specific information prior to the test; rather, complete on‑screen instructions will tell you all that you need to know in order to take the test. In order to pass, you must enter the data at a rate of at least 6,000 key‑strokes per hour (which is equal to typing approximately 20 words per minute) with an accuracy rate of at least 97.5%. Retest Policy Candidates not successful on the 911 performance test may be allowed to participate in a retest. Such a decision will be made at the discretion of the Department of Human Resources, Division of Civil Service as it relates to recruitment. If allowed, there will be only one retest for candidates that are not successful on this portion of the examination. Note No qualifying 911 performance test will be required if a candidate who is successful on the written portion of the examination has qualified in a previous 911 keyboarding test for examination purposes administered by the Department of Human Resources, Division of Civil Service. #J-18808-Ljbffr