State Medical Operations Coordination Center Duty Officer (Health Systems Specialist 1 EMC) (NY

Duties Description

The State Medical Operations Coordination Center (SMOCC) Duty Officer serves as the on-shift operational supervisor of the Department’s 24/7 hub for statewide health system situational awareness, operational coordination, and decision support. The Duty Officer directs shift operations, supervises Communications Specialists, establishes operational priorities, validates significant incident information, and ensures the Department maintains an accurate and continuously updated common operating picture during routine operations, planned events, system disruptions, disasters, and major incidents.

The State Medical Operations Coordination Center (SMOCC) Duty Officer serves as the on-shift operational supervisor of the Department’s 24/7 hub for statewide health system situational awareness, operational coordination, and decision support. The Duty Officer directs shift operations, supervises Communications Specialists, establishes operational priorities, validates significant incident information, and ensures the Department maintains an accurate and continuously updated common operating picture during routine operations, planned events, system disruptions, disasters, and major incidents.

Duty Officers assess health care system conditions, determine the operational significance of developing incidents, and direct appropriate notification, escalation, coordination, and documentation activities. The position supports patient movement and interfacility transfer coordination and oversees the activation, deployment, tracking, support, and demobilization of State EMS Task Force resources and other assigned health and medical assets. Duty Officers provide timely decision support to Department leadership through operational briefings, executive notifications, and situation reports.

In-person work is required to supervise shift personnel, maintain access to SMOCC’s redundant communications and data systems, and ensure uninterrupted operational coordination.

Work involves directing statewide health and medical coordination activities within a rapidly changing operational environment requiring continuous assessment of risk, operational priorities, and resource needs. The incumbent integrates information from numerous independent sources, evaluates the significance of emerging events, establishes operational priorities for shift personnel, and determines appropriate notification, escalation, and coordination actions consistent with Department policy. The position requires independent judgment in managing multiple concurrent incidents while ensuring accurate situational awareness for Department leadership.

Errors in judgment, delayed escalation, or ineffective coordination may adversely affect statewide health care operations, executive decision-making, emergency response activities, or public safety.

Directs and oversees SMOCC activities during assigned shifts to ensure continuous statewide health system situational awareness, operational coordination, and decision support;
Establishes shift-level operational priorities based on Department policies, current incident conditions, resource needs, and direction from SMOCC leadership;
Supervises Communications Specialists by assigning and reviewing work, providing operational guidance, monitoring performance, and resolving issues that affect shift operations;
Ensures staff comply with established procedures, notification requirements, documentation standards, and escalation protocols;
Conducts structured shift briefings, operational readiness checks, and complete turnover between shifts to ensure unresolved incidents, pending actions, resource requests, leadership priorities, and emerging concerns are accurately transferred;
Adjusts personnel assignments and workload priorities in response to changing operational conditions;
Provides coaching, training, and performance feedback to promote staff development, accountability, and consistency across the 24/7 operation.