Temporary Position: Public Safety Telecommunicator

Position Information

The employee(s) hired for this position will serve as part of a temporary pool of reserve Telecommunicators for UNC Asheville.

This position performs technical communications work in support of the University's public safety operations. Work involves receiving emergency and non-emergency calls, monitoring alarms, obtaining and relaying information, prioritizing calls/alarms and coordinating response procedures, dispatching appropriate public safety personnel, and maintaining public safety communications logs and databases utilizing Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD). The employee in this position is responsible for operating a host of complex telecommunications and computer equipment, including multi-line phone systems, multi-channel police consoles, two-way radios, scanners, monitoring security cameras and Division of Criminal Information terminals. Work requires knowledge of applicable Federal Communications Commission rules and regulations, an understanding of public safety operations, and skill in the operation of telecommunications technology.

This position requires the ability to multi-task and to remain calm and composed in high-stress situations. The employee should also be able to work with a diversified community; be able to communicate effectively with those who may be irate; be able to make effective decisions in emergency life and death situations; be able to prioritize calls and identify potential dangers; and be able to work as a member of a team and interact favorably with all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. The employee is expected to maintain confidentiality and discretion in the course of conducting business; work individually and/or with others; and adapt to change and circumstances.

Positions require shift, weekend, holiday and/or overtime work. The selected candidate must be able to work 12-hour day or evening shifts. The UNC Asheville Police Department is a 24-hour, 365-day-per-year operation.

Posting Detail Information

High School diploma or equivalency and demonstrated possession of the competencies necessary to perform the work. Requires certification as a Division of Criminal Information computer operator or the ability to achieve certification within 45 days of employment. Some positions may require Basic Telecommunicator Certification in accordance with the provisions of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission or the ability to achieve certification within one year of employment.

Prefer candidates with DCI and Basic Telecommunicator certifications. May also consider applicants with ability to obtain a certification within 45 days of hire. In addition, the ideal candidate will be proficient in Microsoft Excel, Google docs, and Banner. Candidates with a two or four year degree in addition to the certifications would be a plus.
The successful candidate will be asked to attend a four-day Sheriff's Training Course and successfully pass a test for certification.

Knowledge, Technical
Ability to understand and follow FCC rules and regulations applicable to work. Ability to apply considerable knowledge of departmental policies and procedures related to the answering, response, and dispatch of calls; ability to work independently while reporting to supervisor on a regular basis. Proficiency in using telecommunications and information technology. Ability to display organizational awareness and an understanding of the general operations and procedures of applicable state and local public safety organizations (including law enforcement agencies, fire and rescue, security, and other response units). Ability to display sufficient knowledge of the infrastructure to dispatch and direct efficiently within the jurisdiction. Ability to complete required in-service training and maintain certifications. May require ability to obtain Intermediate Telecommunicator certification. Ability to keep abreast of developments in telecommunications practices.

Communication - Oral
Ability to listen to callers and quickly ascertain nature of call. Ability to obtain and extract relevant information. Ability to interpret and analyze messages from callers. Ability to apply judgment in responding to callers. Ability to speak clearly and distinctly; ability to effectively use language and tone to calm distressed callers and to provide aid/assistance via phone until help arrives. Ability to transmit radio messages quickly and concisely. Ability to direct emergency personnel to scene and convey relevant information to responders. Ability to interact with co-workers, supervisors, law enforcement and emergency response personnel (including those from other jurisdictions), university officials, media, and the general public to relay information and coordinate activities.

Office/Telecommunications Technology
Ability to use the full functionality of all departmental telecommunications equipment, including phone systems*, radios, consoles, alarm panels*, database/information systems, and computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. Ability to select, understand and fully apply a variety of features in software programs, databases, and information systems. Ability to key information accurately and efficiently. Ability to maintain DCI certification.
*Includes elevator phones, emergency call box/blue light phones, TTY/TDD phones, crime tip hotlines, weather monitors, fire/intrusion/utility alarms, panic buttons, monitoring cameras, emergency warning systems, locator (GPS) systems, and related incoming and outgoing data sources.

Data/Information/Records Administration
Records, compiles, and summarizes data using established formats. Monitors messages from and creates entries for DCI terminal as needed. Maintains and ensures quality control of logs and data systems. May assign case or arrest numbers, compile incident reports, or issue permits. Correctly uses input codes. Searches for and retrieves information from departmental files and DCI terminal.

Decision Making
Ability to analyze messages and information in order to determine priorities; ability to recognize critical incidents; ability to coordinate response; ability to initiate action based upon acquired information and knowledge of operating procedures. Ability to make consistently sound and accurate dispatch decisions.

Positions require shift, weekend, holiday and/or overtime work. The selected candidate must be able to work 12-hour day or evening shifts. The UNC Asheville Police Department is a 24-hour, 365-day-per-year operation.

Community Expectations During this time it is important that the community understand how UNC Asheville operates and what is expected of community members as we work together to prioritize everyone's health and safety. Please see UNC Asheville's Community Expectations for more information. This posting may not signify a temporary opening at this time. This is an on-going, as-needed, pool of temporary candidates. As departmental temporary needs are identified, this pool will be reviewed periodically to obtain potential candidates. If selected, candidates will be contacted directly by the hiring officials to arrange an interview. All positions are temporary and will vary in length of time. You may choose to withdraw your application from this pool at any time. Please note that any documents submitted to Human Resources or the hiring departments become property of UNC Asheville and will not be returned. Official transcripts may be verified upon employment by Human Resources. If copies of transcripts are necessary, they will be requested directly from the educational institution(s) by Human Resources. Any expense will be the responsibility of the employee. Educational degrees required must be from an appropriately accredited institution. It is the policy of UNC Asheville to conduct pre-employment background investigations on all candidates selected for employment. If hired, the candidate will be required to submit proof of eligibility to work in the United States. New employees are paid only by direct deposit to the financial institution of their choice. The following link will provide information that is required to be reported to the U.S. Department of Education as part of The Jeanne Clery Act: http://publicsafety.unca.edu/sites/publicsafety.unca.edu/files/annualsecurityreport2013.pdf