The Training Officer is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating all training programs for the Orangeburg County Emergency Communications Center 911. This position ensures all Public Safety Telecommunicators receive the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform emergency communications functions in accordance with federal, state, local, APCO, NENA, and County standards.
The Training Officer administers the Communications Training Officer (CTO) Program, coordinates initial and continuing education, maintains all training records and databases including SCCJA and APCO/NENA, evaluates employee performance during training, and ensures compliance with applicable certification requirements. The Training Officer serves as the subject matter expert regarding training, quality improvement, emergency communications protocols, and professional development. The Orangeburg County Emergency Communications Center’s (ECC) primary responsibility is to provide high quality emergency service communications to the public for emergency medical services, emergency services (OES), fire services and law enforcement agencies.
This position reports to the Director of the Emergency Communications Center. Orangeburg County has the right to revise this job description at any time. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to execute each essential job function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Assist in planning, organizing and directing activities and training of the ECC with the Director of the ECC placing emphasis on creating, evaluating and implementing and training to standard operating procedures and operational plans to enhance the ECC for Orangeburg County.
Training Program Administration:
- Develops, implements, and manages the Orangeburg County 911 Training Program.
- Coordinates new employee orientation and onboarding.
- Designs lesson plans, training materials, practical exercises, and evaluation tools.
- Administers classroom instruction and hands-on operational training.
- Develop annual training schedules.
- Coordinates mandatory annual in-service training.
- Maintains standardized training manuals and operating procedures.
- Reviews and updates training materials to reflect operational and technological changes.
Communications Training Officer (CTO) Program:
- Administers the Communications Training Officer (CTO) Program.
- Select and recommend employees for CTO designation.
- Trains and evaluates Communications Training Officers.
- Assign trainees to CTOs.
- Reviews Daily Observation Reports or Training Evaluation Reports.
- Evaluates trainee progress.
- Conducts remediation plans when necessary.
- Makes recommendations regarding successful completion or failure of training.
Continuing Education:
- Coordinates continuing education programs.
- Ensures employees maintain required certifications.
- Schedules APCO, NENA, South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, and other approved training courses.
- Coordinates emergency medical dispatch (EMD), emergency fire dispatch (EFD), emergency police dispatch (EPD), or equivalent programs (Power phone), CPR, and other required certifications.
- Identifies training deficiencies and develops corrective education.
Quality Assurance:
- Assists with Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement programs.
- Reviews recorded calls and radio traffic for training purposes.
- Identifies performance trends.
- Develop corrective training initiatives.
- Assist supervisors with performance improvement plans.
- Tracks training outcomes and effectiveness.
Records Management:
- Maintains complete and accurate employee training records.
- Tracks certification expiration dates.
- Maintains electronic and paper-training files.
- Prepare reports documenting training compliance.
- Assists during reviews and audits.
Operational Responsibilities:
- Maintains proficiency as a Public Safety Telecommunicator.
- Serves as an operational dispatcher during staffing shortages or emergencies as assigned.
- Participates in emergency operations during disasters and critical incidents.
- Assists in developing emergency communications procedures.
Policy Development:
- Assists in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Research best practices in emergency communications.
- Recommend policy revisions.
- Implement new operational procedures through training.
Collaboration:
- Coordinates training with:
o Sheriff's Office
o Municipal Police Departments
o Fire Departments
o EMS
o Emergency Management
o South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy
o APCO
o NENA
o Other public safety agencies
Administrative Duties:
- Prepare reports and training statistics.
- Develops annual training goals.
- Assists in budget preparation related to training.
- Coordinates vendor demonstrations and training.
- Assists with technology implementation and user training.
- Assists in evaluating complaints from citizens, external agencies and the ECC personnel.
- Provides support to ECC Director, Shift Supervisors and other staff as needed during the day-to-day operations and major public safety incidents.
- In the absence of the ECC Director, coordinates with the support agencies served by the ECC in all matters effecting those agencies to include working closely with the Sheriff, EMS Director, Fire Services Director, OES Director, local Chiefs of Police, Code Enforcement Director, Detention Center Director, HR Director, Risk Manager and RMS Division Director on ECC center policies and procedures, recommendations, and/or changes. Coordinate with the support agencies served by the ECC in all matters affecting those agencies.
- Represents the ECC during an emergency operation center (EOC) activation; may serve as a member of the Unified Command in the absence of the Director.
- Represents the ECC at public meetings, gives presentations and interfaces with the public and support agencies served by the ECC in the absence of the Director.
- May be required to work 24-hour operations during an emergency.
- Proficiently operates office productivity equipment and 911 Center technology including but not limited to computers, radios, phones, cameras, monitors, copiers and printers.
- Perform other duties and other related work as instructed or assigned.
Supervisory Functions:
Supervises all trainees with direct functional supervision, Communications Training Officers (CTOs) regarding their CTO duties, and the QA/QI process in Emergency Communication Center (911) in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include assisting the ECC Director with interviewing, hiring, training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:
High School Diploma or GED
Minimum of five (5) years of professional-level experience in 911 Center / Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) system as a Public Safety Telecommunicator with experience serving as a Communications Training Officer (CTO) or equivalent
Experience in emergency call-taking and multi-agency radio dispatch.
Must possess and maintain a valid South Carolina driver's license
Completion of ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 and 800 is required; must possess a sound understanding of NIMS/ICS operations.
Special Certifications and Licenses:
Must possess Basic Telecommunications Officer Certification from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy or Association of Public Safety Communications Officials equivalent certification, Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Emergency Fire Dispatcher, Emergency Police Dispatcher, NCIC, CPR certifications. Obtain and maintain the following within one year of hire or as the schedule of training will allow: APCO Certified Training Officer (CTO), APCO Communications Center Supervisor, APCO Instructor Certification, and EMD, EFD, EPD instructor or equivalent.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of Computer Aided Dispatch, Next Generation 911, GIS Mapping, 911 and administrative phone systems, voice and radio recorder networks, NCIC networks, reverse 911 networks, radio communications networks and various copy and network printing devices.
- Skills in leading, operating or repairing complex machinery or equipment that requires extended training and experience, such as emergency telecommunications equipment or in applying complex software or systems.
- Skills in performing skilled work involving rules/systems with almost constant problem solving.
- Ability to work independently.
- Skills in using basic addition and subtraction, such as making changes, timekeeping or measuring.
- Knowledge of and intensive understanding of a restricted field; or complete familiarity with the functions of a unit or small division of an operating agency.
- Ability to assist in the planning, designing, implementation and maintenance of the emergency communication computer and radio(s) system in the ECC. (*Phased Learning Approach in Coordination with the OES Director.)
- Skills in reading routine sentences, instructions, regulations, procedures or work orders; writing routine sentences; completing routine job forms and incident reports; and employing routine sentences using proper grammar.
- Ability to make quick and effective decisions in a high stress environment.
- Ability to disseminate information, guidance or assistance to people in order to directly facilitate task accomplishment; may give directions or assignments to employees.
- Ability to perform duties requiring normal attention with short periods of concentration for accurate results or occasional exposure to unusual pressures.
Reasoning/Math/Language Skills:
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret documents and effectively to inquiries and complaints, general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Physical Demands:
- The work is sedentary work: Exerting up to 50 lbs. of force occasionally and/or negligible amounts of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push or pull or move objects, including the human body. However, periods of excessive sitting or standing may be experienced in an emergency.
- Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
o Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
o Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
o Handling: Picking, holding or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
o Hearing 1: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
o Hearing 2: Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
o Mental Acuity: Ability make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
o Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands and/or fingers.
o Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other works accurately and concisely.
o Talking 1: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly or quickly.
o Talking 2: Shouting in order to be heard above ambient noise level.
o Visual Acuity: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing date and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
o Visual Acuity 2: Including color, depth perception and field vision.
o Visual Acuity 3: Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations.
o Visual Acuity 4: Have close visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment.
o Visual Acuity 5: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
Unavoidable Hazards:
- Involve routine and frequent exposure to in certain situations or job sites:
Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
Extreme noise levels,
Frequent interruptions,
Emergency situations,
Exposure to traumatic incidents,
High stress
Work Environment:
Work is performed in an office setting. Work schedule may include evening, weekend, emergency call and call-back hours. Some travel may be required. May be subject to exposure to electrical hazards, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT’s) and Visual Display Terminals (VDT’s). In the event of an operations. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually very loud. Work is performed primarily inside the Orangeburg County 911 Communications Center. The environment includes frequent interruptions, emergency situations, exposure to traumatic incidents, and high-stress conditions requiring rapid decision-making. The Training Officer may occasionally travel for professional development, conferences, or instructor certification.
Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance:
Orangeburg County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Orangeburg County to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.
