Public Safety Emergency Telecommunicator, #JR-00103

The Department of Emergency Communications and Citizen Service is looking for motivated individuals to provide exceptional emergency communications support to the citizens of Virginia Beach. This is an entry-level position working under supervision and will include receiving, processing, and relaying requests for police, fire, or emergency medical services working on an assigned/rotating shift and working overtime when operations necessitate. Selected candidates will be expected to attend and successfully complete the Emergency Communications and Citizen Services (ECCS) 911 academy and on-the-job training. This will include achievement of certifications and progression to the Telecommunicator IV position throughout the employee's tenure with the department.

Please note: This role requires a structured training period and consistent attendance, therefore no planned or pre-approved leave will be granted during the first six (6) months of employment, except in verified emergency situations.

This position is designated as Alpha I: Employees are subject to immediate recall during major and/or emergency situations.

Public Safety Emergency Telecommunicator I duties may include the following:

• Handling emergency and non-emergency calls for police, fire, and emergency medical services using telephone and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) equipment
• Quickly assessing both emergency and non-emergency situations and providing appropriate assistance to citizens
• Utilizing good judgement in applying policies and procedures while functioning in a stressful environment
• Communicating and carrying out instructions and coordinating calls for service between citizens and service providers
• Often multitasking, prioritizing, and making quick decisions.

Up to a $5,000 sign-on bonus is being offered for this position. The sign-on bonuses shall only be for new hires of original employment or re-employment as defined in Human Resources Policy No. 2.01 and within the bonus guidelines as set forth in Human Resources Policy 5.0.

The first installment, $2500, will be awarded upon successful completion of Call Taker and Dispatch Support Training or Police Radio training, whichever occurs first. The second and final installment, $2500, will be awarded upon mastering all-training phases to include Call Taker and Police, Fire, and EMS radios AND receiving a rating of "meets expectations" on the one-year probationary performance appraisal. Both installments are contingent upon acceptable performance as evaluated by the department.

PLEASE NOTE this position has AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFIERS as specified below:

Criminal History:

• Conviction of any felony.
• Conviction of any offense involving moral turpitude (lying, cheating, stealing), or gross misconduct (generally crimes against a person) or any derivation of these types of crimes.
• Conviction of any Class 1 or Class 2 misdemeanor (excluding traffic violations which are discussed separately) or Virginia State Law. (Note: Some minor offenses are classified as Class 1 misdemeanors (e.g., littering) but would not result in automatic disqualification. Convictions of this nature would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis in the context of the full investigation/review.)
• Adult commission of undetected crimes of a serious or repetitive nature.

Traffic Violations:

• Two or more convictions of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Drugs: (NOTE: Illegal drug is defined as set forth in the Federal Controlled Substance Act, 21 U.S.C. 800 et al, and by the Code of Virginia.)

• Conviction or admission of illegal possession (touched), use, sale, manufacture, distribution, or intent to sell/distribute illegal drugs and/or controlled substances, including but not limited to heroin, cocaine hallucinogens, methamphetamine, etc., or any derivative thereof (except marijuana which is discussed separately).
• Conviction or admission of illegal possession (touched) and/or use of marijuana or a derivative thereof within the previous 12 months.

Others:

• Any punitive discharge from the military, including Bad Conduct and Dishonorable discharge; from any military service.
• Untruthfulness and/or the intentional withholding of information on any application, interview, or paperwork associated with the position. Examples of intentional withholding of information would include deliberate inaccuracies or incomplete statements.
• Intentional failure to follow the directions outlined in the testing process or relying on others to complete any portion of this testing process.

The City offers a generous benefits package, which includes health, dental and life insurance, retirement and savings plans, maternity/paternity and parental leave, holidays and leave.

The City of Virginia Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer.