PUBLIC SAFETY EMERGENCY CALL TAKER I/II

Prince George's County, MD Government; Bowie (MD); On-site; USD 43,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The Prince George’s County Government is recruiting Public Safety Emergency Call Taker I/II in the Public Safety Communications Division. The role involves handling 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls, entering data into the CAD system, and delivering pre-arrival instructions while maintaining safety protocols.

These essential positions require on-site work, with training classes anticipated in the fall. Bilingual abilities are encouraged to apply to support diverse community needs.

Qualifications

• Bilingual abilities encouraged for applicants.
• Must work on site; telework/remote work not available.

Responsibilities

• Operate a workstation with 9-1-1 and non-emergency lines, enter data into CAD.
• Provide pre-arrival instructions (including CPR) when appropriate.
• Receive and classify requests for emergency and non-emergency service; initiate service calls per protocols.
• Monitor calls via headset and process information per agency procedures.
• Use CAD, GIS and mapping tools to enter and retrieve critical information.
• Provide appropriate language support or translation services as needed.

Skills

Bilingual

Active listening

Typing speed

Multitasking

Tools

CAD

ACD 9-1-1

GIS

Maryland Relay 7-1-1

NCIC/METERS databases

Job description

Come join our team!

Prince George’s County Government provides a dynamic and inclusive workplace where employees can thrive, learn, and grow across its 30 diverse agencies, all dedicated to serving the County's residents with essential resources and services. Nestled just minutes away from Washington, DC, Prince George's County combines urban vibrancy with serene surroundings, offering an ideal setting to live, work, and enjoy life.

Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply.

The Office of Homeland Security is currently seeking qualified applicants to fill Public Safety Emergency Call Taker I/II positions, Grade P14/P15 in the Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division for its upcoming Fall training classes. This role is critical in maintaining and supporting public safety. If you have a desire to help the community, support emergency responses, and are seeking a rewarding career in public safety communications, we invite you to apply today.

About the Position

Call Takers receive incoming calls via the 9-1-1 system's emergency or non-emergency lines, enter and transmit appropriate emergency information and codes into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), and simultaneously provide pre-arrival and post-dispatch instructions to distressed or irate callers while recording data in the CAD system. Call Takers are responsible for becoming familiar w ith emergency and dispatch protocols to effectuate response and transmission of emergency requests in a safe, reproducible, and non-arbitrary manner. Incumbents are expected to exhibit highly skilled listening ability in order to quickly and accurately ascertain from emotional, distraught individuals, the nature of assistance required along with the ability to accurately and quickly type/enter the information in the CAD system.
Call Takers must have the tolerance to work under pressure. Work is performed inside a secured, windowless office environment with a specialized low-light system and includes prolonged periods of sitting at a designated workstation monitoring computer screens and entering data. There is limited opportunity for physical movement; rest and meal periods are dependent on workload. Incumbents must be able to perform the following: reaching, fingering, grasping, hearing/listening, seeing/observing, and repetitive motions. Vision abilities required for this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus; the ability to see with or without corrective lenses, and well enough to read standard text and text displayed on a video display terminal. Work may require constant focus on a computer screen for two or more hours at a time.

All personnel in this class of work must work on site and are not eligible for telework or remote work assignments.

About the Agency

The Office of Homeland Security (OHS) was developed as a result of legislation passed in 2003. This new agency incorporated critical emergency response entities that were previously part of other agencies.

Public Safety Communications (PSC), which included all County 9-1-1, emergency dispatch and radio system support, had been part of the Office of Information Technology and Communications (OITC). The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) was a division of the Fire/EMS Department. OEM and PSC were combined under the leadership of the DCAO for Public Safety/Director of Homeland Security, forming the Office of Homeland Security. The legislation and resulting changes to the Charter, spelled out the separate and distinct missions assigned to OEM and PSC.

• Operate a workstation comprised of multiple computer systems including Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency telephone system, geographical mapping tools (GIS and aerial photography), Computer Aided Dispatch, and other repositories for critical information to answer, triage and process incoming emergency and non-emergency calls of service
• Initiate calls for service, utilizing appropriate protocols, provides pre-arrival instructions including CPR instructions, when appropriate
• Receive incoming requests for emergency and non-emergency assistance, determine the type of service(s) required and initiate calls for service in accordance with emergency dispatch protocols and Public Safety Communication (PSC), Police, Sheriff's, Fire/EMS and other public safety agencies' policies
• Receive calls via the radio, 9-1-1 system or telephone while using an issued headset or other computer-based communication equipment and processes/records pertinent information according to agency procedures and protocol
• Make computer inquiries and be able to interpret the information that is received from the various agencies via the computer
• Operate the various technical systems and equipment necessary to obtain and properly process 9-1-1 calls for service. This includes the deaf teletype system, 9-1-1 system, text to 9-1-1 computer function, language line, mapping programs, and the Computer Aided Dispatch system
• Provide emergency pre-arrival and post-arrival instructions to the caller to mitigate or lessen the impact of their emergency prior to arrival of public safety responders
• Gather, classify, and supplement pertinent information obtained from caller(s) and enter it into the CAD system, consistent with appropriate protocols
• Utilize life support protocols, as authorized under the Maryland Emergency Medical Dispatch license/certification, to provide appropriate instructions to caller
• Establish communications with hearing impaired callers through the Maryland Relay 7-1-1 telephone system
• Identify non-English speaking callers and utilizes the language translation service as necessary to complete call processing
• Utilize the NCIC, METERS, and other related computer data bases to obtain information on criminal history, arrest warrants, missing persons, driver history, stolen property, stolen vehicles, securities and boats, vehicles, firearms, etc.
• Identify when it is appropriate to refer callers to other County, State, or Federal agencies or outside jurisdictions and maintains/prepares various logs and records pertinent to operations

This position is designated "essential",and the incumbent must be willing to participate as a critical/essential employee during emergencies, such as natural or manmade disasters or special activities/events. Essential employees are expected to report to work or remain at work when other County employees are granted administrative leave. Employees in this classification may be assigned