911 Telecommunicator Trainee

Louisville Metro Government; Fort Thomas (KY); On-site; USD 31,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Louisville Metro Government in Kentucky is seeking candidates for a Communications Specialist trainee program. The role centers on taking critical 911 calls and progressing through academy training in call classification, dispatch, CJIS, and EMD protocols.

Trainees complete an eight‑week academy in Louisville with daytime hours and additional on‑shift training, then pursue conditional appointments to Communications Specialist I or II.

Qualifications

• Must obtain or possess a High School diploma or GED prior to final offer of employment.
• Must be a US Citizen
• Must be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Applicants who have used, bought, or sold marijuana within one year of application, or have used, bought or sold any controlled substance or narcotic drug without a prescription within six years of application will be disqualified
• Must not have been convicted of a felony
• Must submit to fingerprinting for criminal history check
• Misdemeanor convictions will be considered on an individual basis
• Must submit to a pre-employment polygraph test
• Must work a varied schedule
• Must submit to a pre-employment drug screening
• Must submit to a pre-employment audiogram
• Must submit to a pre-employment suitability test
• Must complete a job shadow prior to a conditional offer of employment
• Must be certified as a Telecommunicator in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and meet all academy requirements by the completion of the state-approved Telecommunications Academy

Responsibilities

• Participates in a 911 Telecommunicator training program
• Participates in a battery of exams and evaluations to determine suitability for the positions of Communication Specialist I U27 (911 Emergency Call Taker) and Communication Specialist II (911 Emergency Dispatcher) UNDER GENERAL SUPERVISION
• Attends a training program & receives instruction in Call Classification, Caller Management, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Call Documentation, Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS), Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols & dispatch techniques
• Participates in practical training and on-the-job training to apply course content
• Takes examinations to measure knowledge gained and progress made
• Performs related work
• This position is a public safety position and involves taking critical 911 calls from the public which includes calls such as cardiac arrests of persons including children and infants, working fires with victims trapped inside, shootings and auto accidents. Non-emergent calls are also received such as persons wanting to know the correct time or asking what day their trash is picked up.
• If selected, the training academy is in Louisville and is not a live-in academy. The academy lasts approximately 8 weeks and is held primarily during daytime hours (i.e., 8am-4pm). Three weeks of on-shift training are also included in the middle of the academy. The academy requires a minimum passing score of 80% from multiple tests, practical exams and quizzes. Following successful completion of the academy, trainees must submit an application for Communications Specialist I, Communications Specialist II, or both. Trainees will then be paired with a trainer who will instruct and monitor the trainee's progress; this step takes an average of 8-10 months. Following successful completion of this section, trainees will be rotated through all shifts and disciplines to complete the probationary period of one year.
• This is a non-union position that will promote into a union position, and all union employees pay fair share to the union whether or not they elect to be a member. Shift selection, vacation bidding and overtime are all covered under the union contract. As shift selection is based on seniority, new hires typically start on evening or overnight shifts. It can take several years before a daytime shift becomes available. The Communications Center is a 24/7 operation which mandates employees work on holidays if it should fall on their rotation. Overtime is mandatory and can extend shifts up to a total of 16 hours with little or no notice.

Skills

Communication skills

Stress management

Training willingness

Education

High School diploma or GED

Job description

Starting Salary During Training: $22.31

Minimum Salary After Completion of Training & Promotion to a Communication Specialist Position: $24.48

Essential Functions

• Participates in a 911 Telecommunicator training program
• Participates in a battery of exams and evaluations to determine suitability for the positions of Communication Specialist I U27 (911 Emergency Call Taker) and Communication Specialist II (911 Emergency Dispatcher)UNDER GENERAL SUPERVISION
• Attends a training program & receives instruction in Call Classification, Caller Management, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Call Documentation, Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS), Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols & dispatch techniques
• Participates in practical training and on-the-job training to apply course content
• Takes examinations to measure knowledge gained and progress made
• Performs related work

Must obtain or possess a High School diploma or GED prior to final offer of employment.

Other Minimum Requirements

• Must be a US Citizen
• Must be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Applicants who have used, bought, or sold marijuana within one yearof application, or have used, bought or sold any controlled substance or narcotic drug without a prescription within six years of application will be disqualified
• Must not have been convicted of a felony
• Must submit to fingerprinting for criminal history check
• Misdemeanor convictions will be considered on an individual basis
• Must submit to a pre-employment polygraph test
• Must work a varied schedule
• Must submit to a pre-employment drug screening
• Must submit to a pre-employment audiogram
• Must submit to a pre-employment suitability test
• Must complete a job shadow prior to a conditional offer of employment

Special Requirements

• Must be certified as a Telecommunicator in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and meet all academy requirements by the completion of the state-approved Telecommunications Academy

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Meets regular and punctual attendance standards and any special needs of the position as determined by management, including mandatory overtime and performing related work

DETAILED JOB INFORMATION, IMPORTANT

This position is a public safety position and involves taking critical 911 calls from the public which includes calls such as cardiac arrests of persons including children and infants, working fires with victims trapped inside, shootings and auto accidents. Non-emergent calls are also received such as persons wanting to know the correct time or asking what day their trash is picked up.

If selected, the training academy is in Louisville and is not a live-in academy. The academy lasts approximately 8 weeks and is held primarily during daytime hours (i.e., 8am-4pm). Three weeks of on-shift training are also included in the middle of the academy. The academy requires a minimum passing score of 80% from multiple tests, practical exams and quizzes. Following successful completion of the academy, trainees must submit an application for Communications Specialist I, Communications Specialist II, or both. Trainees will then be paired with a trainer who will instruct and monitor the trainee's progress; this step takes an average of 8-10 months. Following successful completion of this section, trainees will be rotated through all shifts and disciplines to complete the probationary period of one year.

This is a non-union position that will promote into a union position, and all union employees pay fair share to the union whether or not they elect to be a member. Shift selection, vacation bidding and overtime are all covered under the union contract. As shift selection is based on seniority, new hires typically start on evening or overnight shifts. It can take several years before a daytime shift becomes available. The Communications Center is a 24/7 operation which mandates employees work on holidays if it should fall on their rotation. Overtime is mandatory and can extend shifts up to a total of 16 hours with little or no notice.

Eligibility Lists

Up to twoeligibility lists can be created for this position, one Promotional list for internal candidates and one Open/Competitive list for external candidates. The Promotional list will be used first. Once that list has been exhausted or expires, we will begin hiring off of the Open/Competitive list.

Promotional and Open/Competitive Test Weights

CritiCall Exam: 75%

Training & Experience: 25%

Minimum Salary

$22.31 per hr

Minimum Salary After Completion of Training & Promotion to a Communication Specialist Position: $24.48

Salary Plan / Grade

NU/10

Filing Deadline

N/A - Posted until vacancies filled.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Please note that Training & Experience scores are based on the relevant (as determined by the hiring agency and Civil Service) training and experience from the last 10 years, as listed on your application and resume, as submitted. Any information that is unclear or that is not listed on your application and/or resume will not be considered in the calculation of the Training & Experience score. This also means that you should list your employment dates including the month and year (i.e. 02/2007 to 08/2010) of employment.