Telecommunicator

Job TitleTo perform responsible technical telecommunications work in receiving and processing emergency and non-emergency calls for police, fire and EMS.Job DescriptionAn employee in this class is responsible for receiving service calls from the public, prioritizing calls, dispatching appropriate public safety officials and employees, and maintaining open lines of communication with public safety during emergency situations. Emphasis of the work is on taking emergency calls from citizens or businesses, data entry into emergency CAD dispatch consoles, providing information and referral to the public, and communicating with police, fire and EMS officials during emergencies. The employee must have the ability to handle multiple situations at a time and the ability to make decisions quickly under stressful situations. Work is supervised by the Senior Telecommunicator and work is evaluated on the basis of managing calls according to defined protocols, personal observation, review of tapes, and feedback from public safety personnel and the general public.Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesKnowledge of the operation and use of computer aided dispatching equipmentKnowledge of FCC communications signals in lieu of voice trafficKnowledge of various support manuals and resources such as call books, HAZMAT manual, tactical dispatch manual, and other standard operating procedural manualsGeneral knowledge of current telecommunications practices and procedures as well as practices and procedures used in the police and fire departmentsGeneral knowledge of city geography and street locationsAbility to manage multiple situations at once under stressful conditionsAbility to operate a computer terminal, telephones, radios, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) consoles; ability to sit for long periods of time in low light with multiple computer screensAbility to enter information on a call while talking to a citizen, or police, fire, or EMS unit providing serviceAbility to understand or comprehend calls made with different accents or broken English and to speak clearly and distinctlyAbility to read maps quickly, scan warrant files, and review recordingsAbility to calmly communicate with people in emergency and stressful situations and document actions taken; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates and the general publicAbility to type and operate a computerAbility to follow oral and written instructionsEducation and ExperienceGraduation from high school or GED equivalency and some prior experience in a dispatch function or extensive public contact role. Prior experience in a law enforcement or fire/EMS environment is desiredSpecial RequirementsNC DCI Certification within six (6) months of employment, modules 1, 2, 3APCO PST 1 CertificationMust successfully complete a 40-hour telecommunicator certification course within six (6) months of employment, and maintain it annually by completing yearly in-service trainingMust successfully complete an EMD certification course within six (6) months of employment, and complete mandated yearly in-service training. EMD certified employees must re-certify every two (2) years to maintain employment.Valid North Carolina Driver's LicensePhysical RequirementsWork in this position is sedentary requiring exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Employee must have the visual acuity to operate a computer terminal. Focused concentration for extended periods of time causing fatigue without periodic breaks is an occupational hazard. Employee works shifts which can cause fatigue from switching internal biorhythm clocksWorking ConditionsEmployee works in an atmospheric controlled environment and is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions with the exception that the work area is devoid of primary lighting due to visibility requirement of multiple computer screensBenefitsThe City of Havelock provides excellent compensation and benefits for its employees. Some of the benefits are listed below:Paid Holidays: The City of Havelock provides up to nine (9) paid holidays per year for its regular employees. 11 total paid days.Health and Dental Insurance: The city provides comprehensive major medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage for all full-time employees. Employees may elect coverage for dependents at an additional cost through payroll deduction. Coverage begins after ninety (90) days of employment. The health insurance also includes a prescription plan.Workers' Compensation Insurance: All City of Havelock employees are covered by the city for on-the-job injuries at no cost to the employee.Life Insurance/Short Term Disability: Group Life insurance is provided to all eligible employees at no cost to the employee. The amount of coverage is $40,000 Life and $40,000 AD&D. The City of Havelock also covers full-time employees with a short-term disability plan.Additional Insurance: The City of Havelock makes several payroll deduction programs available to its employees who wish to participate in additional types of insurance programs; such as supplemental life, cancer, Hospital Indemnity Plan (HIP), accident, intensive care coverage and long-term disability.Local Government Retirement Plan: Employees become members of the State Retirement System on the first day of employment. Membership is mandatory and requires a six percent (6%) contribution by the employee. The City of Havelock also makes a substantial contribution to each employee's account. An employee becomes vested after five (5) years of creditable service in the retirement system.401(k) Supplemental Retirement Plan: 401(k) is a supplemental retirement program administered by Empower Retirement. Participation in the 401(k) program is an easy and voluntary way to accumulate money for retirement via payroll deduction. The City of Havelock makes contributions equal to 5% of salary to each employee's retirement account. There is no match required.457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan: Employees may contribute a certain amount of their pay into the 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. All contributions are pre-taxed.Civil Leave: Regular employees who are called to jury duty or subpoenaed as a witness in a criminal or civil proceeding are granted up to two weeks of leave with pay.Sick Leave: Employees earn approximately eight (8) sick leave hours per month, with no maximum accumulation. Upon retirement, each twenty (20) days of sick leave benefits may be applied toward retirement.Annual Leave: Employees earn approximately eight (8) annual leave hours per month. Annual Leave is pro-rated according to years of service. The maximum accumulation of Annual Leave is 240 hours. Any accumulated annual leave balance over 240 hours, 318 hours for fire shift personnel, and 252 hours for police shift personnel. Hours above the amounts as of the end of the pay period which includes December 31st, will be converted to sick leave.Military Leave: Regular employees who are members of any branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserves are granted up to ten (10) paid working days per calendar year for military training. During this period employees continue to earn and accrue benefits. Employees are entitled to all job rights specified by the USERRA.Funeral Leave: Two days of funeral leave is granted to regular, full-time employees per occurrence for the death of the affected employee's immediate family.Flexible Spending Account: A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is a great way for employees to save money to use toward medical and/or dependent care expenses. Every dollar contributed to a FSA is on a pre-tax basis.