Emergency Communications Specialist-Recruit

Join the Department of Emergency Communications for an entry-level Emergency Communications Specialist (911 call-takers) HIRING EVENT on Thursday, March 7th at the Frederick County Public Safety Training Facility. Doors will open at 8:00 a.m. and will close at 1:00 p.m. Applicants will have the opportunity to submit their Employment Application Form onsite (if not submitted prior), complete a mandatory orientation session to learn more about the Emergency Communications Specialist career, complete a mandatory CritiCall examination process, and meet with Communication management to complete an interview process.
Check out our recruitment video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi5ZGBLIaMo
POSITION DETAILS:
Non-exempt; full-time; 40 hours per week; varying schedule; rotating shifts; full-benefits
NOTE: This full-time recruitment process will create an active eligibility list to allow Frederick County Government the opportunity to fill current and upcoming vacancies.
This skilled position is responsible for the receipt and processing of emergency and non-emergency calls for public safety services; timely and accurate deployment of appropriate public safety personnel and apparatus to the location of emergencies. Training and supervision is received from the Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) Manager or Emergency Communications Specialist IV with oversight from a DEC Administrator, Assistant Director, and/or the Director.

Frederick County Government recognizes the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE:
Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how much we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid scheduled holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan option to include generous County HSA contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance benefit
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service (effective 7/1/2024)
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc
• Other employee paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, etc.

• Receive and process incoming calls of emergency, non-emergency, informational and business nature
• Utilizing a protocol based call processing systems obtain necessary information facilitating the dispatch of appropriate public safety personnel, apparatus or resources
• Provide assistance to callers requesting Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Fire-Rescue, Law Enforcement, and other Public Safety Services
• Communicate with EMS, Fire-Rescue, Law Enforcement and affiliated agencies personnel and equipment
• Monitor incidents and situational developments to coordinate the utilization of essential services and resources
• Monitor incidents and situational developments for requests or instructions regarding the dispatch of additional apparatus, equipment, or personnel
• Comprehend and execute instructions communicated by supervisors, field personnel, officers, officials, or incident commanders
• Dispatch required apparatus, resources, equipment, or personnel in accordance with standard operating policies and procedures
• Alert other jurisdictions when necessary
• Operate computer aided dispatch (CAD) system and other computer software products
• Maintain computerized and manual records
• Relay information to appropriate officials or agencies
• Operate public safety radio consoles and maintain communications with allied EMS, Fire-Rescue, Law Enforcement, and associated Local, Municipal, County, State, and Federal government agencies
• Operate Text-to-911 and TTY equipment (telephone equipment for persons who are hearing/speech impaired)
• Handle multiple tasks and track multiple in-progress incidents simultaneously
• Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed above, nor do the examples cover all duties that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• High school graduation or the equivalent
• Minimum age 18 years
• Possession of a valid automobile operator's license
  

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES:

• Ability to maintain County Authorized Driver privileges
• Ability to obtain Emergency Communications Specialist certifications, in medical, fire and police dispatch (International Academy of Emergency Dispatch) within 1 year of hire, and to maintain re-certification as due
• Knowledge of Frederick County geography and surrounding areas
• Effective keyboarding/data entry skills in order to accurately enter information during conversation with callers
• Ability to effectively utilize computer aided dispatch (CAD) system and other automated information systems
• Knowledge of fire, rescue and law enforcement disciplines
• Ability to effectively read maps and give directions
• Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality
• Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills, including the ability to speak clearly and distinctly, and to accurately summarize and describe information with correct, precise terminology
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, user agencies and the general public
• Ability to perform quickly and effectively in emergency situations

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

• 1 or more years of recent (within the last 5 years) career or volunteer experience in fire, ambulance or police services
• 911 / Emergency Communications work experience
• Data entry work experience
• Customer service work experience

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS:

• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly sit and perform repetitive motions
• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly work indoors and occasionally work in a noisy environment

• The training academy for this position will consist of approximately 10 weeks of training which will take place Monday - Friday during the hours of 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
• Ability to work all shifts as assigned, including weekdays, weekends, nights and holidays (usual shift assignment will be 12 hours; employees are required to work day shifts and night shifts)
• This position is subject to random drug testing
• The probationary period for this position is 12 months
• This position is designate as security-sensitive, requiring satisfactory background investigation, conducted by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, in accordance with established Frederick County policy
• The employee selected for this position must successfully pass all knowledge, skills and abilities to be upgrade to an Emergency Communication Specialist III within 48 months of full-time employment or be terminated from employment.
• Candidates who were previously rejected may reapply for consideration, however those declined for reasons that assure another rejection will not be reconsidered.

EXAMINATION PROCESS (may include):
1) An evaluation of training and experience
2) Attend mandatory departmental orientation
3) A computer based test to evaluate your listening, comprehension, typing and decision making skills
4) One or more panel interviews
5) A pre-employment psychological examination
6) A pre-employment Security-Sensitive background investigation
7) A pre-employment physical examination and drug test to include marijuana
Employment Type: Full-time Regular