Emergency Communications Officer

Job Title

General Nature of Work The purpose of this classification is to receive and respond to incoming calls to the City's emergency 911 communication system and to dispatch emergency service and/or law enforcement personnel as appropriate.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Receive calls on the City's emergency 911 system, including emergency calls, non-emergency calls, TDD calls, and language lines.
• For non-emergency calls, provides information, answer questions, take messages, and/or refer caller to appropriate staff; contact various other departments as needed to resolve problems.
• For emergency calls, obtain information from callers and determine the appropriate agency to respond; contact and dispatch appropriate agency; provide agency with information needed to respond and to ensure personnel/officer safety; work to keep caller calm; monitor status of response; and contact wrecker services and utility companies as needed.
• Log incoming calls and dispatch information into an automated system; enter information pertinent to incoming calls, dispatched agencies, response time and action taken; and maintain records of calls and dispatching activities; record all officer calls, dispatch time, arrival time and completion time; file required documentation, request and respond.
• Monitor a variety of radio frequencies; monitor weather radios; alert field personnel to weather conditions; monitor other frequencies to communicate with law enforcement, ambulance, fire and other emergency services providers; provide information to and/or obtain information from field personnel regarding emergencies, incident scenes, directions, and status.
• Perform computer background checks and handle inquiries on driver's licenses, vehicle tags, stolen articles and property, guns, wanted and missing persons, warrants and summons; provide various information from computer database as requested by officers.
• Perform various administrative support activities such as entering, updating and retrieving information from databases; enters law enforcement information into databases; maintain communication logs; query data bases upon request; research warrant information, driver's licenses and tags; submit information to appropriate staff; and perform system backups and reboots servers as needed.
• Communicate with supervisor, City employees, the public, law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel, outside agencies, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, resolve problems, or give/receive advice/direction.
• Prepare or complete various forms, reports, memos, spreadsheets, or other documents. Receive various forms, reports, weather advisories, incident reports, GCIC information, warrants, orders of protection, codes, ordinances, policies, procedures, manuals, reference materials, or other documentation; review, complete, process, forward or retain as appropriate.
• Maintain a comprehensive, current knowledge and awareness of applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures; maintain an awareness of new equipment, procedures, trends and advances in the profession; participate in continuing education activities; attend shift meetings, workshops and seminars as appropriate.
• Operate a GCIC terminal, a personal computer, and general office equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of emergency communications software, word processing, spreadsheet, database, or other system software. Perform other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE,

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Data Utilization:
  Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.
• Human Interaction:
  Requires the ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others in coordinating activities of a project, program, or designated area of responsibility.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization:
  Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude:
  Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude:
  Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. May include counting, recording of counts, and basic measuring.
• Functional Reasoning:
  Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Situational Reasoning:
  Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of…