Emergency Services Dispatcher

City of Pueblo•Pueblo, CO

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Emergency Services Dispatcher is a FLSA non-exempt entry-level position under the general supervision of the Emergency Services Dispatch Supervisor. This position performs critical public contact and communication work necessary for dispatching police, fire, and emergency medical services to emergency and non-emergency situations. As the first point of contact with the public via the emergency 911 lines and other telephone lines, the employee must obtain information from callers who may be injured, confused, hysterical, frightened, or abused. The position requires employees to work in highly stressful, emergency situations where injury or death of individuals might occur as a result of an error. This job description is an overview and is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the functions and tasks required of the position.

Requirements

A high school diploma or GED
Must have knowledge of Pueblo City and County streets, locations and landmarks
Must have knowledge of basic filing procedures
Must have knowledge of superior customer service principles and skills
Must have the skill and ability to learn and abide by department policies, practices, techniques, and methods required to perform the essential functions
Must have the skill and ability to prioritize calls (emergent/non-emergent)
Must have the skill and ability to react with an appropriate sense of urgency
Must have the skill and ability to operate multi-frequency 2-way radio and multi-line telephone systems while maintaining composure and room awareness
Must have the skill and ability to operate a computer system terminal with multiple screens, related office equipment, and computer-aided software programs to access and enter information through the use of word processors, spreadsheets, and/or databases
Must have the skill and ability to work consistently well under pressure to manage excessively stressful situations without compromising job performance or mental and physical efficiency, including excellent organizational skills to manage work time properly in light of heavy workloads, and the ability to gather pertinent information quickly and accurately, detect and correct errors, and perform multiple competing tasks simultaneously when necessary
Must have the skill and ability to distinguish directions
Must have the skill and ability to listen to, read, and understand applicable rules, policies, procedures, laws, correspondence and memoranda
Must have the skill and ability to accept discipline and constructive criticisms, and comply with verbal and written instructions
Must have the skill and ability to effectively train, coach, and mentor all job requirements to new dispatchers
Must have the skill and ability to provide good customer service to and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with diverse persons or groups, including superiors, City personnel, other agencies, the general public, and others contacted in the course of work. In absence of face-to-face involvement, this includes effectively listening to and transmitting information in an understandable, accurate and helpful manner, while demonstrating consistency, courtesy, personal integrity, high moral standards, empathy/sensitivity. and a professional demeanor
Must have the skill and ability to elicit mission-essential information from upset and irate callers, and maintain a calm and professional demeanor with callers who may be verbally abusive, emotionally upset, uncooperative, or frightened
Must have the skill and ability to provide medical assistance to callers by using a standardized system of processing emergency calls utilizing structured interrogation and pre-scripted instructions
Must have the skill and ability to use good judgment and act decisively in handling emergency and stressful situations, assessing problems and situations in a timely manner, anticipating needs, evaluating alternatives, and appropriately using available resources with expediency
Must have the skill and ability to display self-motivation, loyalty, and commitment to the Department and the City of Pueblo, and show the willingness to take initiative and act in a dependable and mature manner
Must have the skill and ability to promote an atmosphere that embraces cooperation, a positive attitude, diversity, integrity, trust, respect, and teamwork by being empathetic, caring, patient, enthusiastic, polite and professional
Must have the skill and ability to work a variety of shifts that are in the same office type setting
Must have the skill and ability to perform all duties in a safe manner and in accordance with organizational values, policies, and procedures
Candidates must be willing to submit to a comprehensive background investigation
Candidates must be willing to submit to a Truth Verification Analysis
Candidates must be willing to submit to a Polygraph
Candidates must be willing to submit to a Psychological examination
Candidates must be willing to submit to a Drug screening
Candidates must be willing to submit to a Physical examination
Candidates must be willing to attend a 2-hour orientation in the City of Pueblo Communications Center
Must pass both the Overall Non-Data Entry and Overall Data Entry (2826 keystrokes-per-hour KPH) sections of the CritiCall 911 Public Safety Dispatcher Pre-Employment Test
Be able to achieve CCIC/NCIC Certification within six (6) months of employment
Be able to achieve Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) within nine (9) months of employment
Be able and willing to work 8- or 10-hour varied shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, and mandatory overtime
Able to meet attendance and punctuality standards as established by the Pueblo Police Department and the City of Pueblo
Due to Federal and State Criminal Justice System access requirements, classifications that access and maintain criminal justice information may also be required, as a condition of employment, to not have been convicted of and/or have pending charges of a felony or misdemeanor crime that would deny or otherwise restrict access to criminal justice information.
If hired, you must be able submit proof of your legal right to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

At least one (1) year of successful demonstrated experience in a fast-paced customer service work environment that includes multi-tasking, significant public contact, and multi-line telephone communications
At least one (1) year of successful demonstrated experience using computers and computer-related equipment
Call Center or related experience
Experience with shift work

Responsibilities

Operates a multi-line telephone system to answer emergency and non-emergency calls for service
Operates and communicates through multiple radio transmitters and receivers
Calms, negotiates, advises, and otherwise communicates with callers to obtain necessary and accurate information
Simultaneously processes information without sacrificing speed and accuracy
Determines appropriate nature of calls and assigns the predetermined codes and priority necessary for proper emergency service response
Monitors location, status, and needs of police, fire, medical and other emergency personnel by use of radio, telephone, computer, logs, and other means
Simultaneously uses multiple monitors associated with the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system
Provides emergency medical assistance to the public by telephone
Updates and dispatches information as it is received; retrieves necessary information including driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, warrants, etc. through a variety of computer sources
Maintains required forms and logs
Performs related duties as assigned
May perform other duties as assigned, of similar classifications of an equal or lower pay grade