Telecommunicator

City of Washington; Washington (NC); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision & Dental insurance (no‑

Job summary

The City of Washington is seeking a qualified dispatcher to receive and process emergency and non-emergency calls for police, fire/EMS. You will prioritize calls, dispatch units, and maintain open communication with field officers during incidents.

The role focuses on data entry into CAD systems, providing information and referrals to the public, and supporting police operations in emergencies. Prior dispatch or law enforcement exposure is preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; and at least 6 months' experience in a dispatch function or extensive public contact role.
• Prior experience in law enforcement or fire/EMS environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Receive incoming public calls, evaluate requests, and prioritize according to protocol.
• Dispatch public safety units and communicate with officers in the field during emergencies.
• Monitor and relay information to units and update history logs and warrants as needed.
• Enter call information into CAD and maintain accurate records for investigations.

Skills

CAD dispatch

Public safety communications

Emergency prioritization

Data entry accuracy

Multitasking under stress

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

NCIC database

NC AWARE Program

CAD consoles

Job description

Job Description

Perform specialized telecommunications work in receiving and processing emergency and non-emergency calls for the Police, Fire/EMS for the City. Responsible for receiving service calls from the public, prioritizing calls, dispatching appropriate public safety officials, and maintaining open lines of communication with public safety during emergency situations. The emphasis of the work is data entry into emergency CAD dispatch consoles, providing information and referral to the public, and communicating with police officials during emergencies.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Receives incoming calls from the public; evaluates requests for service; prioritizes the call according to protocol and dispatches public safety units
• Receives after-hours calls for utilities, street maintenance, and traffic signal malfunctions
• Dispatches public safety officials to emergencies; communicates with units during situations; send additional units to situation based on requests or updated information
• Monitors self-initiated activities of police officers and provides them with information on retained suspects
• Maintains records of authorizations, warrants, and other information required for DCI/NCIC entries; logs all activities
• Uses NC AWARE Program to check for outstanding warrants; communicates results to officers in the field
• Closes telecommunications calls for service and identifies police units back in service
• Updates criminal history logs
• Performs other duties as assigned

Required Education And/or Experience

High school diploma or general education degree (GED); and at least 6 months' experience in a dispatch function or extensive public contact role. Prior experience in law enforcement or fire/EMS environment is preferred.

Special Requirements trained and certified in the following: (must obtain within 1 year of hire date)

• NC Division of Criminal Information certificate
• North Carolina Statewide Warrant Repository
• Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data Services

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Knowledge of the operation and use of computer-aided dispatching equipment
• Knowledge of FCC communications signals in lieu of voice traffic
• Knowledge of various support manuals and resources such as call books, HAZMAT manual, tactical dispatch manual, and other standard operating procedural manuals
• Some knowledge of current telecommunications practices and procedures as well as practices and procedures used in the police and fire departments
• Knowledge of city geography and street locations
• Ability to manage multiple situations at once under stressful conditions
• Ability to operate a computer terminal, telephones, radios, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) consoles; ability to sit for long periods of time in low light with multiple computer screens
• Ability to enter information on a call while talking to a citizen, or police providing service
• Ability understand or comprehend calls made with different accents or broken English
• Ability to read maps quickly, scan warrant files, and review recorded tapes
• Ability to calmly communicate with people in emergency and stressful situations and document actions are taken.

Physical Requirements

Work in this position is sedentary requiring exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. The employee must have the visual acuity to operate a computer terminal. Focused concentration for extended periods of time causing fatigue without periodic breaks is an occupational hazard.

Working Conditions

The employee works in an atmospherically controlled environment and is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions with the exception that the work area is devoid of primary lighting due to the visibility requirement of multiple computer screens

Health, Dental And Vision Insurance

The City of Washington provides, at no cost, employee only coverage for Medical (High-Deductible with H.S.A), Vision and Dental insurance. Coverage is available for all regular status full-time employees scheduled to work 40 hours. Employees may also choose to cover eligible dependents. Benefits begin on the 1st day of the month following 30 days of employment.

Paid Life Insurance

The City provides $15,000 of term life insurance and $15,000 of accident death insurance to all full-time employees at no cost. Employees may elect additional coverage, including dependent coverage, at their own cost.

Employer Paid Leave

Paid Vacation: Full-Time employees earn 8 hours of vacation leave per month. Leave accruals increase based on the number of years of City service. (Ex: at 5 years increases to 10 hours per month)

Paid Holidays: The City of Washington observes 13 paid holidays per calendar year. The approved holidays are New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, 2 days at Thanksgiving and 3 days at Christmas.

Sick: Full-Time employees earn 8 hours of sick leave per month (Fire Personnel earn 14.15 hours). Sick leave hours accumulate without limits and may be used toward credible service upon retirement from the NC Local Government Retirement System.

Retirement

The City assists our employees in securing their financial future during retirement by participating in the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System, administered by the State of North Carolina. Regular status employees, scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week, become members in the retirement system upon employment. As a member of this system, employees are required to contribute 6 percent of their gross salary on a tax-deferred basis.

Deferred Compensation Plans

To further assist employees in saving for retirement, the City offers two supplemental retirement savings programs. These programs offer employees an opportunity to save a portion of their salary on a tax-deferred basis to supplement their retirement benefit. The programs offered are 401(k) Supplemental Retirement Income Plan and the 457 Plan through Prudential.

Cafeteria Plan / Supplemental Benefits

• Supplemental Term Life Insurance
• Cancer Insurance
• Accident Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Whole Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (Pre-tax basis)

Death Benefit

After one year as a contributing member of the Retirement System, a death benefit is provided that is equal to the highest 12 months' salary in a row during the 24 months before death, no less than $25,000 and no more than $50,000. There is no cost to the employee for these benefits.

Pay Periods/Direct Deposit

City employees are paid bi-weekly, every other Friday through direct deposit.

Full benefit details may be viewed here: https://mymarkiii.com/cityofwashingtonnc/booklet