Emergency Services Telecommunicator

City of Rock Island; Rock Island (IL); On-site; USD 48,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Personal leave

Paid holidays

Sick leave

Paid vacation

Longevity pay

Health, dental & vision

Employee discounts

Pensions

Bereavement pay

Workers compensation

Disability insurance

Optional life insurance plans

Job summary

The City of Rock Island is seeking an experienced Telecommunicator to operate public safety radio and telephone systems, dispatch ambulance, fire, and police units, and manage data entry for daily activities. You will work within standardized procedures to ensure rapid, accurate responses to calls and maintain critical records.

Responsibilities include monitoring radio traffic, determining emergency priority, and coordinating backup support as needed.

Qualifications

• Ability to learn operation of radio, telephone, computer and related equipment.
• Ability to learn local and state laws and ordinances as required.
• Ability to learn the City’s geographic area and codes, signals, phonetic alphabet, and time formats.
• Ability to assimilate multiple information sources and priorities in emergencies.
• Ability to detect the scope of an emergency and set priorities.

Responsibilities

• Operate communications equipment to respond to calls for service in routine and emergency situations.
• Coordinate responses to incidents and deploy the nearest appropriate public safety units.
• Maintain records and enter data into computer systems (NCIC/LEADS).
• Disseminate information to the public and assist citizens with inquiries.
• Train new telecommunicators as assigned.
• Ensure customer service and community relations are maintained.

Skills

Radio operation

Dispatcher experience

CPR certification

Data entry

Communication skills

Decision making

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

LEADS access

NCIC access

Job description

Description

As a Telecommunicator, you play a pivotal role in facilitating communication operations within a public safety radio system and associated equipment during designated shifts. Your responsibilities encompass a range of critical tasks, including the receipt and transmission of radio and telephone messages, as well as dispatching ambulance, fire, and/or police personnel. Your work is conducted in strict compliance with standardized procedures and regulations, ensuring the efficient and safe operation of communication services.

As a Telecommunicator, you play a pivotal role in facilitating communication operations within a public safety radio system and associated equipment during designated shifts. Your responsibilities encompass a range of critical tasks, including the receipt and transmission of radio and telephone messages, as well as dispatching ambulance, fire, and/or police personnel. Your work is conducted in strict compliance with standardized procedures and regulations, ensuring the efficient and safe operation of communication services.

Responsibilities include the operation of communications equipment to provide prompt and effective responses to calls for service in both routine and emergency situations. Incumbents are expected to exercise judgment in coordinating and following through on responses to situations that may affect the lives and safety of the public, police, fire personnel, and others responsible for public protection and safety. Assignments involve several phases being pursued concurrently or sequentially. Decisions include isolating and defining unknown conditions and taking action in conformance with established criteria. Initially, work is performed under close supervision; however, after an initial training period, employees are expected to work independently. Work is reviewed by observation and examination of records for conformance with standard operating procedures and quality of communication services provided.

Examples of Duties

• Monitors receives calls, and broadcasts on public safety radio; receives requests for medical assistance, fire, police, and other emergency services by telephone or radio.
• Creates computer records of the daily activities of officers and fire personnel, such as emergency runs, fire calls, vehicle stops, time out of service, and other activities.
• Remains cognizant of complaints, designated priorities, and availability of units capable of responding to reported incidents.
• Disseminates information to the public regarding City and/or departmental operations; assists citizens who telephone with complaints and questions; provides information and assistance for other City departments.
• Determines nature of required assistance, location, and other pertinent information; differentiates between routine, priority, and emergency requirements; deploys nearest appropriate public safety response to the scene of the event; transmits pertinent information regarding service requirements; and assigns backup assistance as required.
• Monitors fire alarm panel for indications of emergency; maintains up-to-date City street maps; notifies fire stations of nearest hydrant during fire calls.
• Initiates interrogation of local, state, and nationwide criminal justice data banks to obtain information on warrants, driver history, missing persons, vehicles, firearms, and miscellaneous property; assesses the response for compatibility with the request and relays it to the field unit.
• Monitors public works department radio after normal working hours; answers fire and police administrative calls after office hours.
• Uses computer terminal to enter information into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) on vehicles, persons, property, and criminal history; transmits and receives coded and conventional messages to and from other jurisdictions via LEADS and other established communication links; maintains computerized information files.
• Receives from police officers and private companies pertinent information on vehicle tow-ins; initiates completion of recordkeeping forms and enters data into the files.
• May train new telecommunicators as assigned.
• Performs a wide variety of other tasks such as running warrant lists and daily reports, and entering citations and field interrogation cards.
• Provides effective and efficient customer services; promotes and maintains responsive community relations.

Performs related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

Graduation from high school (or GED), and some college coursework in police science; experience as a telephone operator, dispatcher, or similar work; or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the following knowledge, abilities, and skills:

• Ability to learn the principles involved in the operation of radio, telephone, computer, and related communications equipment.
• Ability to learn local and state laws and ordinances as required.
• Ability to learn the City’s geographic area. Ability to learn codes, signals, phonetic alphabet, and military time.
• Ability to assimilate a multitude of unrelated information and activities at once and identify possible emergency contingencies.
• Ability to detect the scope and magnitude of an emergency.
• Ability to set priorities; ability for rapid decision-making combined with mature judgment when confronted with the critical or unexpected.
• Ability to speak concisely and distinctly; ability to develop rapport, maintain composure, and deal effectively with hysterical/irate people.
• Ability to maintain required records and perform data entry.
• Ability to become certified in CPR and Emergency Medical Dispatch.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Skill in articulate and decisive verbal communication.
• Selected candidates must meet a residency requirement, which includes living in the state of Illinois or Iowa, and must report within 60 minutes after being called into work for an overtime assignment.
• Must successfully complete required training and attain LEADS Certification.

Supplemental Information

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk, kneel, crouch, and bend. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The employee is regularly exposed to noise.

Benefits

• The City of Rock Island offers a wide range of competitive benefits including personal leave, paid holidays, accumulated sick leave, paid vacation, longevity pay, health, dental & vision, employee discounts, pensions, bereavement pay, workers compensation, disability insurance and optional life insurance plans.
• Additional Benefits are outlined in the positions respective bargaining contract available below:
• http://www.rigov.org/citydepartments/personnel/contracts.html