Public Safety Telecommunicator I

Public Safety Telecommunicator I

Barnes County 911 Center is looking for a Public Safety Telecommunicator I. We will train. Shift would be a night shift, full-time. Starting wage will be $21.74 / hr., with $1.00 night differential. Open until filled. Applications can be mailed or dropped off at Barnes County Auditors Office, 230 4th St. NW, Room 202, Valley City, ND 58072.

Position Title : Public Safety Telecommunicator I

Accountable To : Training Officers, Public Safety Telecommunicators - Shift Leads, and Public Safety Telecommunications Director / 911 Coordinator

Position Purpose : This critical role serves as the vital communications link between the public needing help and emergency services response. PSTs are typically the first point of contact when a person reaches out for help. This entails a candidate to be able to work independently in a high-stress environment while receiving and evaluating incoming emergency and administrative requests for emergency services, including but not limited to law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services (EMS); triaging those requests for service, providing guidance and assistance to the public in life-safety situations; and coordinating appropriate responses to high-risk, high-stress operations, with the objective of keeping all participants safe. This is an entry level position. Individuals at this level will perform duties with supervision and guidance initially, while graduating to working independently.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities : The primary responsibility of the PST is to protect citizens and emergency responders during emergency incidents. The following is a listing of examples of responsibilities of this position and is not intended to be a complete listing.

• Receive, screen, and prioritize emergency, non-emergency calls for service requiring law enforcement, emergency medical services, or fire department via 911, telephone, TTY, or text.
• Obtaining and verifying caller information, location of the incident, determining the nature of the incident, and efficiently gathering all pertinent information needed to determine and appropriate and safe response.
• Refers non-emergency calls to appropriate personnel.
• Possess a thorough understanding of the addressing and local geography to quickly and accurately identify the location of the emergency to improve response time of field responders.
• Interpret maps of the service area using computerizing mapping software and map books and interpret available data to determine the location of emergency responders.
• Maintain communication, maintain control of the conversation, and provide pre-arrival and post-dispatch life-safety instructions to those requiring assistance while waiting for units to respond.
• Manage challenging callers including distressed, autistic, intoxicated, hearing-impaired, elderly, angry, foreign-language speaking, and callers experiencing a mental health crisis in appropriate manner.
• Demonstrate clear and effective communication using active listening, call control, good judgement, respect, and empathy for callers that range from calm to panicked.
• Ability to prioritize multiple events based on available resources - critical thinking.
• Maintain a calm demeanor under chaotic and stressful circumstances, multiple conversations, and frequently noisy environments.
• Operate a multi-frequency radio system along with a sophisticated workstation comprising of multiple computer screens, programs, and systems to monitor, direct and participate in emergency and non-emergency dispatching.
• Utilize call prioritization, caller / incident location identification, agency policies and procedures to minimize potential dangers to the community and first responders.
• Maintain status and location control of all public safety personnel involved in department activities, conducting health and safety status checks of responders to ensure on scene safety.
• Demonstrate clear and effective communication and active listening with public safety responders using appropriate terminology, codes, and signals.
• Create and enter calls for service information into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system accurately and rapidly.
• Condense large amounts of information into readable, typed remarks in a timely manner.
• Document thoroughly and accurately all incident activities while maintaining awareness of scene activities.
• The ability to recall numerous acronyms and codes is essential to appropriate call processing.
• Possess the ability to process CAD system queries and identify alert information.
• Acquire and maintain certification as a full access terminal / teletype operator for use with National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to query and enter information (i.e. stolen vehicles, warrants, missing persons, state driver's records, vehicle registrations, and criminal history inquiries). Certification must be attained within six months of appointment to the position.
• Monitor and activate Barnes County Dispatch's procedures for civil emergencies, disasters (i.e. hazardous material, train derailments, etc.) and inclement weather via sirens, pagers, teletypes, telephone, radio, and mass notification software.
• Monitor the situation and relay accurate information to the appropriate agencies in a timely manner.
• Work rotating shift work including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Must be available to work extended shifts and be subject to emergency callouts.