Healthcare Emergency Communication Specialist - Dallas

Texas Health•Dallas, TX

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Healthcare Emergency Communications Specialist serves as the central communication point for emergency and non-emergency requests for police, security, safety, and organizational support services across Texas Health Resources. This role involves receiving, assessing, prioritizing, and coordinating incoming calls, questioning callers to determine incident details, and coordinating communications during critical incidents. The specialist will initiate emergency notifications, support Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) activations, and analyze information from multiple sources to determine appropriate actions. Additionally, the role involves maintaining enterprise situational awareness through continuous monitoring of various systems, including access control, video management, and alarm platforms. The specialist will dispatch appropriate resources, track their status, and coordinate communications with external agencies. A key aspect of the role is information systems management, including accurate documentation of calls, dispatches, and incident information within Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and other systems, ensuring compliance with criminal justice standards. The position also supports emergency preparedness, training, and program development, including participation in exercises and assisting with after-action reviews. The specialist will also train and mentor other communications personnel.

Requirements

High School Diploma or Equivalent Required.
1 Year experience in emergency communications, emergency management, healthcare operations, public safety communications, security operations center operations, law enforcement communications, military operations, customer service, or related field.
Must pass pre-employment psychological exam, including CJIS fingerprint screening, drug and alcohol testing.
Must pass pre-employment physical and drug screen.
Must accurately type 40 words per minute.
Must be able to demonstrate multi-tasking abilities.
Must be able to demonstrate working knowledge of personal computers and electronic equipment.
Must be able to demonstrate ability to think clearly and act effectively in emergency situations.
Must be able to effectively use telephone headset and telephone receiver.
Must have an ability to maintain professional and courteous communications.
Must have effective written and oral communication skills.
Must be able to make sound judgements based on training received.
Must remain calm and demonstrate ability to effectively respond in stressful and/or high-pressure emergency situations.
Must interact with public and fellow employees in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
Must be able to work flexible and rotating shifts to include nights and weekends and holidays.
Must possess high levels of alertness, attention to detail, and have sense of urgency
Must be able to follow, practice and utilize General Orders to ensure the safety of officers, hospital staff, patients and visitors.
Must interact with public, fellow employees, peers, executive, medical staff, department heads and staff in other departments, patients/families, vendors and other customers in a manner that represents Texas Health Resources positively, in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
Ability to listen/comprehend and articulate over radio transmitters.
Must complete a personal history statement. May be subject to further written and/or oral pre-assignment test/training.
Must be able to make sound judgments.
Must be able to testify in court to I if requested.
Must obtain and maintain required certifications, including Basic Telecommunications Certification, TLETS Certification, CPR, and any applicable TCOLE, CJIS, TCIC, and NCIC requirements.
Ability to communicate effectively over radio, 2 way and multi-channel, and telephone systems, maintain composure during emergencies, exercise sound judgment, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
Must be willing and able to travel to other Texas Health Resources locations, as needed.

Nice To Haves

6 Months Knowledge of National Incident Management System (NIMS).
6 Months Security Operations Center monitoring platforms
Basic Telecommunications Certification other TCOLE related classes 12 Months Required
TLETS - Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunication Systems Certification CJIS 90 Days Required
NIMS 100,200,700,800 90 Days Required
BLS - Basic life support CPR Upon Hire Required

Responsibilities

Serve as the central communications point for emergency and non-emergency requests for police, security, safety, and organizational support services across Texas Health Resources.
Receive, assess, prioritize, and coordinate incoming calls for service from employees, patients, visitors, physicians, contractors, and external partners.
Question callers to determine the nature, location, severity, and priority of incidents and determine appropriate response requirements.
Coordinate communications during critical incidents, severe weather events, workplace violence incidents, utility disruptions, infrastructure failures, infectious disease events, mass casualty incidents, and other events impacting healthcare operations.
Initiate, coordinate, and document emergency notifications utilizing approved mass communication, emergency alerting, and stakeholder notification platforms.
Support Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) activations by facilitating information sharing, resource requests, operational communications, and situational awareness activities.
Coordinate communications between clinical leadership, operational leadership, emergency management personnel, safety personnel, security personnel, executive leadership, and external response agencies.
Analyze information from multiple sources and determine appropriate notification, escalation, and response actions in accordance with organizational protocols.
Maintain accurate incident documentation and support organizational response activities throughout the incident lifecycle.
Relay critical information and messages between emergency scenes, responding personnel, leadership teams, departments, and external agencies.
Maintain enterprise situational awareness through continuous monitoring of operational, security, life safety, communications, and emergency management systems.
Monitor access control systems, video management systems, alarm monitoring platforms, infant protection systems, emergency communication systems, and related technologies.
Monitor fire, duress, intrusion, panic, and other security and life safety alarm systems to identify emergencies and initiate appropriate response actions.
Monitor and operate security cameras, video surveillance systems, radio networks, intercom systems, and communications equipment to identify, observe, assess, and respond to incidents and potential threats.
Assess operational, environmental, and security conditions that may impact patient care, workforce safety, organizational operations, or business continuity.
Identify, evaluate, document, and escalate emerging threats, hazards, operational disruptions, and critical events.
Maintain awareness of ongoing incidents, resource deployment, and organizational impacts to ensure appropriate response coordination.
Assist in access management monitoring by identifying, escalating, and coordinating responses to credential issues, unauthorized access attempts, access control events, and other security system alerts.
Coordinate information flow and situational updates between affected facilities, departments, leadership, and response partners during significant events.
Dispatch Security, Police, Safety, Facilities, Clinical, and other appropriate resources in accordance with established procedures, departmental policies, and operational priorities.
Determine response requirements and relative priorities of incidents and ensure effective allocation of organizational resources.
Monitor and maintain unit status, radio traffic, workload activity, and response operations in real time to ensure appropriate coverage and support.
Track resource status, operational activity, and response effectiveness throughout incident response and recovery efforts.
Coordinate communications with external law enforcement, emergency management, and criminal justice agencies during emergencies, investigations, warrant confirmations, and information exchanges.
Coordinate referrals and requests for assistance to appropriate internal departments, external government agencies, social service organizations, utility providers, and community partners as needed.
Assist internal and external customers by telephone and in person with requests for service, information, incident reporting, and operational support while maintaining a professional and courteous demeanor.
Operate enterprise communications technologies including computer-aided dispatch systems, multi-channel radio systems, telephones, TTY/TDD equipment, telecommunications systems, and associated software applications.
Facilitate communication between multiple campuses and regional operations to ensure a consistent and effective response to incidents affecting the enterprise.
Support continuity of operations by coordinating communication and response activities across multiple facilities and healthcare environments.
Accurately document calls for service, dispatch activity, incident information, notifications, and communications records within Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), records management, and associated information systems.
Enter, update, modify, maintain, and remove information related to criminal justice records, warrants, citations, missing persons, protective orders, stolen property, vehicles, victims, suspects, and related records in accordance with authorized procedures.
Send, receive, process, verify, and document criminal justice telecommunications messages and information exchanges.
Respond to authorized requests for criminal justice information, criminal history records, warrant confirmations, and law enforcement database inquiries while maintaining CJIS, TCIC, and NCIC compliance.
Process, verify, and maintain time-sensitive records while ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, organizational, and criminal justice standards.
Search databases, records systems, files, and reference materials to obtain and provide authorized information.
Enter and maintain incident reports, offenses, arrests, operational records, and supporting documentation within departmental records management and criminal justice information systems.
Maintain access to, safeguard, and ensure the security and confidentiality of highly sensitive information and materials.
Maintain proficiency in required communications, criminal justice, regulatory, and information systems certifications and training requirements.
Support emergency preparedness, resilience, and business continuity initiatives through training, documentation, exercises, drills, and operational readiness activities.
Participate in organizational exercises, emergency preparedness activities, and continuous improvement initiatives as assigned.
Assist with after-action reviews, corrective action planning, lessons learned documentation, and program improvement efforts.
Train, mentor, and support communications personnel in dispatch operations, communications procedures, criminal justice information systems, emergency notification processes, and other essential job functions.
Monitor communications and operational equipment to ensure proper functionality and report maintenance issues to appropriate personnel.
Adjust and troubleshoot communications and office equipment as necessary to support operational readiness.
Perform other duties as assigned that are consistent with the scope, purpose, and responsibilities of the position.