Emergency Telecommunicator Position Description
Position Summary
- The job of an Emergency Telecommunicator is a professional position.
- In order to train employees to perform the task required, SNOCOM provides formal classroom training, on-the-job training, and self-directed study. Employees receive intensive training in taking and processing calls for law enforcement, fire and medical services; and in dispatching units for law enforcement, fire and medical services.
- Work is performed with speed and accuracy under closely supervised situations and requires a high degree of computer keyboard proficiency. This position requires the ability to make effective, immediate decisions regarding life-threatening situations based on highly complex rules, regulations and procedures.
- Employees must communicate effectively in English with medical, fire, and law enforcement personnel and must speak clearly enough to be understood over a two-way telecommunications system.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate for a SNOCOM Telecommunicator would possess the following qualities:
- Good decision making skills
- Evaluates situations quickly and responds
- Able to prioritize
- Excellent verbal and written skills
- Good problem solving skills
- Retain relevant information
- Good multi-tasking skills
- Good memorization skills
- Deal maturely and courteously with citizens, other emergency workers, and co-workers
- Good listener
- Physically able to operate a variety of technological devices
- Demonstrate sensitivity to feelings of others
- Good judgment
- Excellent reading speed and comprehension
- Able to accept feedback constructively
- Adapts well to rapidly changing situations
- Calm in crisis
- Confident
- Takes pride in work
- Organized
- Patient
- Good social skills
- Sense of humor
- Able to control personal emotional responses and act appropriately under high levels of personal stress
Benefits & Work Environment
- SNOCOM Telecommunicators are members of the SNOCOM Dispatchers Association bargaining unit.
- There is a one-year probation period.
- Since our facility operates 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, Telecommunicators are required to work any assigned shifts, including evenings, nights, holidays, and/or weekends. You may receive phone calls when not on duty offering overtime opportunities or asking a question from your previous shift.
- Work schedules vary: The majority of positions work eight hours a day, six days on and three days off.
- Shifts are decided by seniority during a shift bid process that occurs once a year. (This may not apply to employees in training.) There is currently no shift differential pay.
- Employees accrue vacation leave each month at a varying rate depending on length of employment. New Employees start at 96 hours a year. (New employees are generally not eligible to use any vacation time until they have completed their 12th month of employment.).
- Vacation is based on seniority and assigned after an annual vacation sign-up process. After assignment is completed, all vacation requests are on a first come first serve basis.
- Employees accrue sick leave at the rate of 8 hours per month.
- You will become a member of the Public Employment Retirement System (PERS).
- Employees may voluntarily participate in a deferred compensation plan. This plan is to assist employees in augmenting retirement funds.
- There are mandatory overtime assignments. Usually an employee will be mandatoried to come in four hours before regular shift or stay four hours after the regular shift has ended. You generally will not be mandatoried on your days off.
- Opportunities for continuing education include: hostage negotiation, critical incident, high angle rescue, etc. There is at times mandatory required training for all employees.
Additional Qualifications
- High School diploma, GED, or equivalent
- Any offers of employment are conditional upon the completion and results of a comprehensive background investigation, psychological exam and polygraph.
|
