911 Operator

The Position

911 OPERATOR TESTING - APPLICANTS WHO PASS THE APPLICATION REVIEW WILL RECEIVE A LINK VIA EMAIL TO TAKE THE ONLINE 911 OPERATOR TEST.
Incumbent works under the direction of the Director Emergency Communications, or designee, receiving and routing initial emergency and non-emergency calls for public safety services.

Essential Functions

• Process high call volumes for law enforcement and fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with clients, supervisors, County employees, elected officials, attorneys, law enforcement, judges, other agencies, and the public.
• Comply with Civil Service policies and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, County policies, department policies and laws to create a cooperative, safe, respectful and quality work environment.
• Question callers ascertaining the nature and location of the emergency using established procedures, methods and techniques in determining response.
• Enter essential caller information as received into Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system.
• Decipher caller’s speech (e.g. accents, inebriated, incoherent).
• React, quickly, positively, and firmly to callers.
• Process emotionally tense and distressing emergency situations utilizing tact and compassion.
• Prioritize calls based on the situation, recognizing and addressing duplicate calls.
• Read maps and determine callers and/or victims physical location.
• Relay calls to appropriate area (e.g. fire/EMS dispatch, law enforcement) obtaining relevant information.
• Escalate unusual issues to supervisor.
• Attend training classes (e.g. on-the-job training, seminars, workshops).
• Provide constructive process and procedure improvement suggestions.
• Testify at court hearings.
• Report to work with regular, consistent attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned and directed.

Education and Work Experience and Other Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.*
• One (1) year experience in customer service, fire/rescue, or use of phone/radio communication system required.
• Must be able to type/keyboard 35 net wpm.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) may be required.
• Completion of a pre-employment criminal records check and conditional offer drug screen, auditory exam, and psychological evaluation required.
• Equivalent combination of education and work experience may be substituted for requirements on a year-for-year basis.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Work is generally performed in a mission critical call center operating 24/7/365. Noise level is moderate to loud. Work hours vary (e.g. days, shifts, weekends, overtime/extra hours, holidays, emergency call-in). Work may be stressful when dealing with time constraints, multiple/changing priorities competing priorities, crisis situations, emotionally charged situations and distraught individuals.
• Work requires physical activity including extended periods of sitting, reaching, grasping, occasional standing, walking, balancing, kneeling, bending, stooping, squatting, pushing, and pulling. Work also requires the ability to lift/carry objects weighing up to 10 pounds and occasionally up to 25 pounds.
• Required sensory abilities include vision, hearing and touch. Visual abilities, correctable to normal ranges, include close, distance and color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Communication abilities include the ability to talk and hear within normal ranges. Incumbent must possess the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate computers and other equipment.

Douglas County is an EOE - Disability/Veterans