Telecommunicator IV

Job Title

Support the Mission of the Department of Emergency Services (DES); to promote and assist in providing safety and security to Chester County citizens so they can work, live, and grow in a healthy and safe community. The Telecommunicator IV receives emergency and non-emergency calls for service and dispatches public safety agencies. This position also provides the public and field users with a 24-hour communications link in a centralized location and is responsible for making decisions based on established policies and procedures. The Telecommunicator IV is certified and capable of being assigned to four console positions. This position requires availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. All Department of Emergency Services employees are essential personnel and may be required to work during non-business hours for extended periods of time. Essential employee duties may involve assignments within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), deployment to a field location, or other duties as required during periods of emergencies or training/exercise. Emergency assignments may be performed under adverse conditions, continue for periods ranging from a few hours to several weeks, and may require travel.

Essential Duties

• Monitor and maintain the status of police, fire, and EMS responders.
• Dispatch police, fire, and EMS responders.
• Enter and retrieve information from CLEAN and NCIC.
• Perform entry and analysis duties of the LEDO position.
• Handle and process emergency calls in a timely and professional manner.
• Process non-emergency calls in a timely and professional manner.
• Maintain continuing education requirements.
• Maintain certification requirements.
• Input emergency calls for dispatch to the appropriate responders.
• Assist with the quality improvement program.
• Relay information from emergency responders to other agencies.
• Train new personnel once certified.
• Assist with procedural updates.
• Provide emergency medical instructions.
• Review and submit caller location data corrections.
• Review and submit Computer Aided Dispatch data corrections.
• Assist with public education and responder education.
• Attend 911 staff meetings.
• Assist with the Emergency Operations Center's (EOC) activations and drills, as needed.
• Perform other duties, tasks, and special projects, as assigned.

Qualifications/Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
• Must clearly speak, read and write English.
• All DES employees must successfully complete the following FEMA course within 6 months of hire:
  1. IS100 – Introduction to the Incident Command System
  2. IS200 – ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
  3. IS700– National Incident Management System, An Introduction
  4. IS800 – National Response Framework, An Introduction
  5. IS2200 – Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
• Excellent listening and communication skills with an ability to clearly speak, read and write in English with accurate grammar and spelling without mistakes.
• Ability to carry out orders with precision and speed.
• Ability to make decisions quickly and accurately.
• Ability to deal with the public in a courteous and tactful manner regardless of circumstances.
• Ability to perform efficiently under extreme pressure.
• APCO Basic Telecommunication certification.
• CPR/ TDD/ HAZMAT awareness.
• APCO EMD certification.
• Police and fire dispatch training.
• Pennsylvania Call-taker certification.
• CLEAN / NCIC Certification.
• Ability to establish priorities and remain focused on operations.
• Ability to follow protocols to categorize and respond to emergency calls
• Ability to use common sense understanding to provide verbal instructions.
• Flexible, with an ability to carry multiple tasks to completion with minimal direction.
• Exhibits a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn new tasks.
• Professionalism, integrity, and honesty with an ability to handle confidential matters.
• Preferred Skills, Knowledge & Experience:
  • Associate's degree in public safety, emergency management, or related field.
  • Previous experience working for Chester County Emergency Services.
  • Knowledge of other languages a plus.
  • Knowledge of Chester County policies and procedures.

Additional Information

Relevant background checks, clearances, physicals, drug tests, and any other assessments or evaluations will be conducted after an offer of employment is given per County policy. Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have:

• Intermediate Office Suite Skills, (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Explorer).
• Basic Outlook Skills (email and calendar)
• Typing/word processing skills (20 words per minute).
• Intermediate knowledge of records management systems.
• Proficient in Chester County Computer Aided Dispatch system.
• Proficient in Chester County telephone and radio systems.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. Occasionally, the employee is required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and twist or bend at the waist. The special vision requirements are:

• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less) – office work.
• Ability to recognize and identify the audible and visual signals.

Work Environment:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet but can be moderate to loud depending on the assignment. Work assignments can change rapidly.
• Will occasionally be exposed to outside weather and adverse weather conditions.
• Will be required to operate a motor vehicle; at times this may include hazardous driving conditions.
• Will need to sit for extended periods of time (12-hour shifts).
• This can be a stressful job due to the nature of the calls and/or emergencies.
• Rotating 12-hour shifts (two days/two nights on, then four days off).
• Consistently monitoring radio messages and various computer screens.

Other:

• Will occasionally be required to work extended hours, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Driver's license required to drive from site to site.to conduct department business

All duties must be performed with close to 100% accuracy in extremely short time limits. The person holding this position saves lives on a daily basis.