The Emergency Communications Officer, formally called Dispatcher, receives and processes emergency and non-emergency calls, and dispatches police, fire, medical and other emergency services, using multi-line telephone and 911 systems on an assigned shift. The job requires strong communication skills in order to respond to emergency situations, often under stressful conditions. The job includes data entry of court paperwork into computer systems, knowing where officers are located at all times, maintaining a calm demeanor on the telephone in communicating with callers, and providing proper life saving instructions when needed.
The job requires the dispatcher to receive, evaluate and prioritize requests for emergency and non-emergency service from the public, police, fire and emergency medical services agencies. The job also performs data entry to enter paperwork into the NCIC system including warrants, stolen articles, domestic violence and other legal documentation.
The job requires fast, efficient and accurate response to emergency and non-emergency situations. The job requires a calm demeanor, the ability to “think on your feet”, multi-task, and the ability to listen carefully, comprehend what is being said and disseminate the information quickly. The job requires the ability to maintain a collaborative and cooperative working relationship with elected and appointed officials, other City employees, other organizations, and the general public.
The work environment includes an office environment that at times can be fast-paced, exhilarating and/or stressful, with sometimes loud background noise from radio communications. Shift work is required including nights, weekends and holidays. The work schedule may include ten hour shifts and sometimes more than ten hours to accommodate coverage.