Alarm Room Technician

City of Guelph; Guelph; On-site; CAD 71,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A municipal organization in Guelph seeks an Alarm Room Technician for the Fire Department. This vital role involves handling emergency calls and dispatching resources effectively. The ideal candidate will have experience in a related field, strong communication skills, and the ability to work under stress. Responsibilities include multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment and maintaining accurate logs. Comprehensive benefits and competitive wages are offered, fostering a supportive workplace culture.

Benefits

Paid vacation days

Defined benefit pension plan

Extended health and dental benefits

Employee recognition programs

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• 2 years experience in a dispatching field with a first responder agency focus is preferred.
• Experience in multi-tasking and prioritizing calls in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act.

Responsibilities

• Receive emergency calls and dispatch fire department resources.
• Input and record data in a dispatch log while multi-tasking.
• Monitor the status of fire department resources and respond to radio transmissions.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Problem solving and decision-making ability

Attention to detail and accuracy

Good map reading abilities

Interpersonal skills

Education

Grade 12 diploma

Post-secondary education in communications or equivalent

NFPA 1225 Public Safety Telecommunicator Level I and II (asset)

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Job description

Why Guelph

When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

What we offer

We offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer:

• Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service
• Paid personal days
• Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching
• Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Parental leave top up program
• Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance
• Employee recognition programs

Position Overview

Resumes are being accepted for the position of Alarm Room Technician within the Guelph Fire Department. Reporting to the Manager of Communications, this position serves as a great opportunity to contribute to the community and organization in a unique capacity. The Alarm Room Technician (ART) will focus on call-taking and the expedient dispatching of resources, among other duties that support the delivery of emergency services within the City of Guelph as well as County of Wellington fire departments. The ART plays a vital role as part of the emergency response team. The candidate will be required to take control of situations and work in a fast-paced environment. ARTs are required to utilize several technologies which enhance their ability to complete their work effectively and efficiently. In addition, the successful candidate will focus on quality customer service along with a commitment to continuous improvement processes as “call handling” remains an important component of the overall response time performance.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Responsible for receiving emergency calls and dispatching City and other contracted fire department resources in a timely manner.
• Inputting and recording of all pertinent data in the dispatch log relating to emergency calls while multi-tasking, and prioritizing calls in a fast-paced environment.
• Follows established procedures in making calm decisions as required in an emergency services environment.
• Functions effectively during periods of intense stress by maintaining focus.
• Keeping detailed and accurate data of all requests and status of resources.
• Fielding non-emergency related phone calls and dealing with customer inquiries in a professional and courteous manner.
• Monitor the status of fire department resources, respond to radio transmissions, and monitor and act upon direct reporting alarm systems.
• Participate and work in a team environment.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships.
• Commit to lifelong learning, community wellness and continuous improvement.
• Participate in training exercises and courses to maintain and improve skill set and learn new procedures and techniques.
• Work in a safe manner in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Follow the direction of a senior officer.
• Maintains a good working knowledge of computer-aided dispatch systems, continually reviews and trouble shoots software and provides ongoing feedback to ensure computer needs are met.
• May be required to mentor others how to perform tasks or duties by familiarizing new employees with the work area and processes.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications and requirements

• Considerable experience related to the duties listed above, normally acquired through the completion of Grade 12 and 2-years’ experience and/or education in the dispatching field with a first responder agency focus. (example: Association of Public Safety Communicators (APCO) Telecommunicator - APCO Fire Communicator, APCO Paramedic Communicator, APCO Police Communicator or equivalent). Candidates with an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• NFPA 1225 Public Safety Telecommunicator Level I and II, an asset. Ability to obtain and successful completion by July 1, 2026 required.
• Post-secondary education in communications, office administration, or equivalent experience, an asset.
• Knowledge of Personal Health Information Protection Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act, Fire Protection and Prevention Act, and relevant legislation and regulations that apply to this work.
• Ability to work effectively under stressful conditions.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to speak clearly, calmly and in an easily understandable manner on radio and phone.
• Problem solving and decision-making ability.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good map reading abilities and continued efforts towards enhancing local geographical knowledge.
• Interpersonal and customer service skills when dealing with the public, staff, and internal departments, external agencies.
• Ability to work within a team environment.
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision.
• Able to effectively prioritize and multi-task, including handling both call taking and dispatching functions using computer aided record keeping and radio communications systems.
• Ability to work and positively interact within a diverse work environment.
• Intermediate skills with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) with accurate keyboarding skills.

Hours of Work

Regular hours of work shall be on a two-platoon system based on an average of forty-two (42) hours per week, in accordance with the Collective Agreement. Shift work is required, and shift duration varies between 10-hour, 14-hour, and 24-hour shifts on rotation, including evenings, weekends and holidays.

Pay/Salary

$71,779.20 - $119,632.00 per year (2026 rate), in accordance with the Collective Agreement.

How to apply

Qualified applicants are invited to apply using our online application system by January 14, 2026. Please note all applicants must complete the online questionnaire specific to this position at the time they submit their resume and cover letter in order to be considered.

The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees feel welcome, valued and engaged. Our employment policies strictly prohibit all forms of discrimination on any of the grounds in relevant laws. All employment practices are solely based on individual merit, qualifications, and organization's needs at the time. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals in our job application procedures. If you need an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process, you may contact us to make your needs known in advance.

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine eligibility for employment. We thank all candidates in advance; however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.