Telecommunicator

Job Overview

New Hanover County invites dedicated professionals to join the 911 Public Safety Communications Center as Telecommunicators. The role is a lifeline for first responders and the primary point of contact for citizens in emergency situations.

• Dispatching appropriate emergency and non-emergency personnel to calls for service and/or complaints.
• Receiving and dispatching calls to appropriate personnel and securing proper information from persons in state of excitement or panic to assure adequate response.
• Prioritizing calls based upon nature of request for services, availability of units, and other pertinent information.
• Monitoring radio transmissions of personnel for accurate response, need for additional assistance and to increase safety of responding personnel.
• Maintaining accurate logs in Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) as required to document the time of calls, time dispatched, response time, time cleared, and other required data.
• Monitoring and maintaining accurate and current awareness of the locations and status of police, fire and ambulance units for safety and to ascertain availability for response.
• Preparing and maintaining a variety of records and logs including warrant files, National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and/or Division of Criminal Information (DCI) entry files, and other required records as needed.
• Operating a manual dispatching system when automatic systems are not functioning or when necessary.
• Performing other related duties as required and assigned.
• Must be able to work nights, weekends, holidays, order-in coverage, and unrestricted mandatory overtime in a 24-hour operation requiring shift work and assigned shift changes.

• High school diploma/GED and 1 year of related experience involving a high level of multi-tasking and public contact, preferably using communications equipment such as a two-way radio and computers in a high stress setting; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) desired.
• Knowledge of county streets, highways, and waterways preferred.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus.

Salary range starts at $44,152.00 annually plus a competitive benefits package.

Full-time applicants will receive a one-time sign-on bonus of $2,000 (split into $1,000 paid upon starting and $1,000 paid after 180 days of successful employment).

Bilingual candidates fluent in Spanish and English receive a 5% differential on duties utilizing this skill.

Night shift workers receive a 5% pay differential for time worked between 7pm and 7am.

Full-time: 12-hour shifts on either dayshift, night shift, or midshift; includes weekends and holidays; available for overtime and emergency coverage.

Part-time: no more than 19 hours per week; includes weekends and holidays; part-time positions of 19 hours a week or less are not eligible for benefits.

This is a continuous posting open for applications throughout the year. Applications are screened and considered for referral; they will be placed in an active file for 90 days. All applicants are encouraged to submit a new application within 90 days of the last submission.

Must obtain CPR, DCI operator, and emergency medical, fire & police dispatch certifications (training provided).

DCI certification requires U.S. citizenship, a successful fingerprint background check, and testing. Access to the DCI database is denied for individuals with certain felony convictions or misdemeanor convictions within the last 10 years.

All applicants must be willing to work night shift.