Position Concept:
This position responds to all emergency and non-emergency calls for service by dispatching public safety responder(s) and monitoring their status. The Telecommunicator maintains contact with all public safety responders to ensure their status is accurately documented and also quickly and accurately responds to urgent radio transmissions.
This position requires that all employees deal with confidential and sensitive information in a professional manner. All work is time sensitive and crucial for the efficient operations of police, fire, EMS, and EMA services. The position involves operating two-way radios and utilizing state-of-the-art computer-aided dispatch (CAD) in receiving and dispatching police, fire, EMS, and EMA units in accordance with the location and nature of the assistance required. Shift Supervisors monitor the performance of this position through observations, logs, and interactions with client agencies and co-workers. All voice and data entry performed by the Telecommunicator is continually recorded and is constantly subject to live monitoring for review and critique and may include public disclosure of such work.
The Telecommunicator may perform other related duties and tasks, as required, and shall have the physical, mental, and emotional abilities to perform the essential job duties of the position.
Essential Job Functions:
- Obtains and relays accurate and essential information necessary to establish priority and initiate a timely response to emergency calls. Determines the appropriate response to an incident.
- Accurately receives, relays, and documents updated information in a timely manner.
- Handles several incidents or tasks simultaneously.
- Assists other employees as necessary when not occupied with their primary duties.
- Attends mandatory training courses and/or meetings as required.
- Be reliable, dependable by reporting for work on a consistent and timely basis.
- Accurately type 40 net words per minute while listening and conversing simultaneously.
- Supports the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agency (CALEA) accreditation program.
- Performs additional duties as directed.
- Meets and maintains TIES/TBI/FBI/CJIS requirements, including maintaining a criminal history free of felony convictions or domestic violence.
- Meets and maintains TCA § 7-86-205 requirements for public safety dispatchers.
Required Skills and Knowledge
- Make timely decisions which affect the outcome of public safety services.
- Instill confidence in field units by remaining calm and conveying reassurance with appropriate response selection for situations.
- Map reading to include knowledge of adjacent jurisdictions/areas, directions of travel, block system, and bypass/highway access.
- Operate a computer, telephone, and two-way radio.
Required Ability to:
- Maintain a high level of confidentiality and professionalism regarding sensitive internal and external information.
- Speak the English language coherently and clearly, possess an excellent vocabulary, and verbally communicate effectively.
- Be available by telephone at their own expense.
- Interact with a diverse group of individuals in extremely stressful situations.
- Record data, including locations, names, and numbers, rapidly and accurately.
- Remember numerous details and quickly re-call essential pertinent information.
- Work up to twelve (12) hours at a time (up to a maximum of 16 hours during exigent circumstances) while continuously wearing a communications headset.
- Able to hear and understand outside sources, including conversations, with a large amount of internal and external background noise.
- Hear, react to, and quickly work with multiple time-sensitive tasks simultaneously in response to sound and visual sources with a high degree of accuracy in a timely manner is critical.
- Work as a team, establish good working relationships and provide excellent internal and external customer service.
- Work effectively in a disciplined environment with close supervision and carry out lawful orders regardless of personal agreement.
Minimum Required Qualifications:
- Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- Must have a high school diploma or equivalency.
- No conviction or guilty pleas or have entered a plea of nolo contendere to any felony charge, or to any violation of any federal or state law or city ordinances relating to force, violence, theft, dishonesty, gambling, liquor, or controlled substances. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-86-205)
- Not have been released or discharged for reasons other than an honorable or medical discharge from any of the armed forces of the United States.
- Must be a US citizen.
- Demonstrate keyboard proficiency of 40 net words per minute.
Desired Qualifications:
- One (1) or more years’ experience in public safety, customer service, or call center environment.
- Knowledge of Sumner County geography.
Additional Requirements:
Ability to obtain the following certifications within six (6) months through training provided by the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center while performing as a Telecommunicator and maintain all certifications throughout employment:
- Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Public Safety Telecommunicator Certification or equivalent
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- APCO Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) Certification
- Tennessee Information Enforcement System (TIES) Certification
- FEMA/NIMS ICS 100, 200, 241, 242, 700, 800, 904, and 1150
Work Environment:
- Breaks and lunch periods are not guaranteed. Must be prepared to stay at the Center for the entire scheduled shift.
- Position is extremely stressful, emotionally charged, and plays a critical role in the delivery of public safety services. Must be able to take information from callers who may be excited, terrified, abusive, foul-mouthed, drunk, hysterical, or incoherent.
- Must be able to work in a dimly lit and confined environment.
- The employee is subject to “call back” on short notice and “on call”.
Physical, Sensory, and Mental Demands:
- Must continually demonstrate a high level of mental and emotional stability.
- Individuals must have adequate hearing and visual acuity, with or without accommodations, to operate within this environment.
- Must be able to sit or stand while observing a computer screen and typing for extended, uninterrupted periods of time.
- Must be able to read and discern visual images on a variety of images, to include color variations and contrasted display brightness.
- Accurately type 40 net words per minute while listening and conversing simultaneously.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $23.24 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
Shift availability:
- Day Shift (Required)
- Night Shift (Required)
- Overnight Shift (Required)
Work Location: In person
