Public Safety Telecommunicator

The Public Safety Telecommunicator Supervisor position supervises the operations and activities of the Emergency Communication Response Center (ECRC) that receives and dispatches emergency calls for the client law enforcement, fire & EMS agencies and other City and County agencies in Washington County (MN). Supervise and evaluate the work of assigned personnel; plan, coordinate, implement and maintain a training and orientation program for new employees. This position requires ongoing multitasking ability, and use of discretion and judgment. Maintains the skill to perform the essential functions of the Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) classification. DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE Qualified in CJIS and a multi-discipline call handling and dispatching protocol system. At least one year as a public safety telecommunicator At least one year experience in a lead or supervisor role Ability to type at least 55 wpm (Assessment will be required, as part of the interview process) SELECTION TECHNIQUE Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration. HOURS / DAYS Training is typically done on DAYS or MIDS shifts. Once you have completed training you will be able to bid on a shift based on your seniority ranking. As with other law enforcement positions, we must function 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. Work schedules (hours and days) and location are subject to change based on department needs. ANTICIPATED HIRING RATE Anticipated starting rate will be $38.72 to $53.83 per hour, based on lateral pay scale. E-VERIFY PARTICIPATION Washington County participates in the federal E-Verify program. This means that Washington County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Washington County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9. This position performs day-to-day operation supervision of the Communications Center in the Sheriff's Office. This responsibility includes equipment and personnel considerations for police, fire and medical dispatch, as well as the 911 system. Work requires independent judgment in applying established policies and procedures and experienced knowledge to situations as they arise. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS The job requires a High School Diploma and at least one year as a public safety telecommunicator and the ability to type at a minimum of 55 words per minutes, or equivalent. Incumbents must be qualified in CJIS (Criminal Justice Information System) and a multi-discipline call handling and dispatching protocol system. A background check is required. CORE COMPETENCIES, JOB SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE Core Competencies outline essential business and professional traits necessary to perform this job. Support and prioritize a welcoming and respectful workplace that fosters diversity and encourages contributions from all individuals. Provide inclusive and equitable service to all members of the community with dignity and respect. Demonstrate support for the County’s diversity, equity and inclusion program. Promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement in the workplace. Demonstrates knowledge of continuous quality improvement. Promotes the engagement of staff and use of data in continuous quality improvement. Demonstrates ability to enter data into CRT while simultaneously talking. Demonstrates ability to operate CAD and radio console equipment. Demonstrates ability to speak and enunciate clearly while maintaining order and calmness under stressful conditions. Demonstrates ability to handle situations firmly, courteously and tactfully and be able to make rapid decisions and sound judgments in emergency situations. Demonstrates ability to interpret and apply communication policies and procedures; able to supervise the work of others. Supervise the Communications Center staff. Assign and distribute work, evaluate staff performance, interview and recommend the hiring of staff and recommend disciplinary action. Coordinates shift schedules. Coordinates leaves and holiday schedules to ensure shift coverage as required. Evaluates the effectiveness of the Communication Center operations by consulting with users of the service. Recommends and implements new policy and procedure for the Center. Recommends policy and procedure modifications related to the Communications Center. Coordinates the training of 911 staff by identifying training needs, selecting staff to provide internal training, monitoring progress and arranging for off-site training. Acts as department liaison in public safety communications, making regular contact with user agencies to identify and solve problems. Investigates external and internal complaints through oral interviews, written report and review of audiotapes. Ensures the proper maintenance of records relating to 911 calls. Serve as a public safety telecommunicator as needed; answer a multi-line phone system, providing information, referral or response as required to the public by applying extensive procedures and using sound judgment. Receive, prioritize, and handle multiple, simultaneous emergency and administrative phone calls for assistance, evaluates and prioritizes the calls received and takes necessary action. Process complaints and make appropriate referrals on a broad variety of public safety matters, that often require referring to or memorizing detailed reference materials and standard operating procedures, including databases, maps, telephone listings, and other resources. Identify, through appropriate and timely questioning of the caller, the nature of the problem; summarize the critical information for public safety-first responders in the CAD (computer aided dispatch) system using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and refer and classify calls for police/fire/EMS assistance according to the level of response required. Access and operate local and state data base systems to verify information as requested. Dispatches patrol officers, firefighters, paramedics, ambulances or emergency vehicles in response to calls throughout the County and municipalities, focusing attention on handling of requests for emergency service, departmental jurisdiction and officer safety. Maintains locations and status of responding units. Processes requests, enters inquiries and monitors data and messages from local, state, federal and international computer systems and relays information as necessary to the appropriate authority. Operates the County computer systems through CAD and the Records Management System (RMS). Monitors weather broadcasts for emergency conditions so that proper preparations can be made. Activate severe weather sirens and notify surrounding agencies when called upon in a time sensitive manner. Provide administrative public safety information, such as, but not limited to, how to file accident reports, report a crime, find a towed car, etc. Performs other duties as assigned. Essential functions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. WORK ENVIRONMENT This is a semi-sedentary in nature position performed within the Communications Center. Acute hearing and vision, memory recall, manual dexterity, ability to distinguish colors used on maps and consoles, and clear articulate speech are needed to perform the essential duties of this position. Frequent turning/twisting, reaching, grasping and pinching. Incumbents will be working on equipment such as 911 systems, 2-way radio, headsets, telephones, copy and fax machines. Decisions must be made quickly with little margin of error and consequences are usually seen immediately. Work involves operation of multiple computer terminals, requiring doing several things at once, without getting confused or forgetting an important piece of information. Constant attention to the workstation and its communications equipment limits mobility, except for work breaks. Incumbents function in a stressful environment and work shifts that may include nights, weekends and holidays. Coordinators must conduct themselves with a high degree of professionalism despite frequent contact with individuals who are distraught, angry and sometimes disrespectful. The content and nature of many calls is traumatic and disturbing. Work is carried out in a secured 9-1-1 emergency call center in a controlled, closely supervised, and highly structured work environment. Additional physical/mental requirements that occur may not be listed above but are inherent in performing the position's essential functions. This job description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this job description at any time. #J-18808-Ljbffr