Communications Officer; Entry Level​/Lateral

Position: Communications Officer (Entry Level/Lateral)
We are hiring entry-level Communications Officers for 911. This is an incredibly demanding and highly rewarding career that allows you to help others every single day. If you are adept with technology, a good multi-tasker, and can demonstrate strong judgement and decision making, this could be the career for you.

The ideal candidate will be hungry to learn, reliable and dependable, and have the grit and tenacity to succeed in our rigorous training program, and perform consistently in the job with a high level of mental and emotional stability. If this sounds like you, we’d love to have you apply. See the full job description below:

BASIC FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

FLSA non-exempt position that provides a critical link in the delivery of public safety service, being the first and most important contact with the citizen needing help.

The Communications Officer must develop a timely, rapid and accurate sense of call interpretation and decision-making/problem solving skills during stressful situations. This position must remain calm, showing empathy, conveying reassurance and instilling confidence in the caller that the proper response to their needs will result.

Under the direct supervision of the Communications Supervisor, Communications Officers are responsible for relaying incoming calls for service to the appropriate police, fire and EMS agencies. This position maintains contact with all responders to ensure their status is reflected accurately at all times. A Communications Officer makes critical response decisions while communicating emergency and non-emergency information from citizens and responders.

The employee is required to deal with sensitive information in a discreet and professional manner. Tasks are performed using pc based telephone and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems, and other supportive pc based devices. Work is performed in accordance with written policies and procedures. Performance is evaluated by the Communications Supervisor through direct observation and examination of written and electronic records.

All voice and data entry work performed by the Communications Officer is continually recorded and is constantly subject to live monitoring for later review and critique and may include public disclosure of such work.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Answers emergency and non-emergency calls for service, simultaneously enters this information into the computer using a CAD System and continues to enter updates in a timely manner.

• Ability to accurately complete a variety of reports in a timely manner.

• Calms, negotiates, advises and otherwise communicates with callers to obtain accurate and essential information necessary to establish priority and initiate a timely response to emergency calls.

• Remains calm, shows empathy, conveys reassurance and instills confidence in the caller through a demeanor that will result in proper response to their needs.
• Determines the appropriate agency/agencies that should be notified.

• Processes more than one call at a time.

• Assists other employees as necessary when not occupied with primary call answering duties.

• Attends mandatory trainings and/or meetings as directed.

• Performs additional duties as directed.

• Is reliable, dependable and reports for work on a consistent and predictable basis.

• Consistently thinks clearly and responds quickly in a wide variety of emergency situations.

• Gathers, organizes, translates and processes information from various emergency callers in an accurate and timely manner.

• Accurately types 35 net words per minute while listening and conversing simultaneously.

• Work shift work encompassing a 24-hour day, seven-day week; inclusive of odd hours, days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

• Operates a TDD/TTY for hearing/speech impaired callers.

• Ability to respond to text to 911 applications and operate other computer programs as necessary.

• Ability to meet ACCESS/FBI/CJIS requirements, including maintaining a record free of felony convictions.

• Ability to obtain Telecommunicator 1 Certification within six (6) months of completion of new hire training or as soon as available and recertification every two…