Safety Telephone Operator Examination

City of Cleveland•6002 - Police, OH

10h•Onsite

About The Position

This is an examination for the Safety Telephone Operator position. By submitting an application, you are applying to take a Civil Service Examination for the opportunity to be placed on an Eligible List for a future opening. The Public Safety Communications Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Communications Specialists work various schedules which include days, nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime which is sometimes mandated. The role involves answering emergency and non-emergency telephone calls, eliciting pertinent information, analyzing situations, and making sound decisions regarding the appropriate level of response. It requires displaying compassion and empathy, calming callers, and being familiar with procedures for various call types, city geography, and available agencies. The position also involves generating incidents using the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, contacting other public safety entities, operating emergency 9-1-1 telephone equipment and associated software, and being familiar with applicable ordinances.

Requirements

High School diploma or equivalent.
Valid State of Ohio driver's license or State ID.
Must be able to type at least 30 words per minute.
Must be able to pass a detailed criminal background check, drug test and physical.
Must pass any certification testing required to perform the duties of the position and maintain said certifications as required.
Must be organized, able to multi-task, remain calm under a great deal of stress and pressure, possess the ability to assess a situation quickly and use good judgment.
Must have excellent verbal and written communication and people skills to relay vital information quickly and effectively.

Nice To Haves

Typing speed of 30 WPM or better is expected. (Pass/Fail)
Applicants will answer multiple choice or short answer questions regarding customer service/call center, reading comprehension, and problem solving.
Residency credit: A person who has had as his/her primary residence in the City of Cleveland for at least one year at the time of filing a Civil Service application, and desires to take an entry-level Civil Service examination, shall, if a passing grade on the written examination is attained, have ten (10) points added to his/her passing score.
Veterans' preference will be awarded, when applicable, to eligible veterans in accordance with Civil Service Rules 4.40E, 4.40F and 4.40G. Proof of active service or a DD Form 214, must be presented to the Commission at the time of filing application for the examination in which credit is sought in order to qualify for veterans' credit. If the applicant has received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions that applicant shall receive an additional five (5) points added to their raw score on the examination; or ten (10) points are added to their raw score on the examination if applicant’s supporting documentation indicates more than fifteen percent (15%) service-connected disability.
An applicant who is a graduate of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) shall receive five (5) bonus points upon achieving a passing score.

Responsibilities

Answer emergency and non-emergency telephone calls from citizens, elicit pertinent information, analyze situations to determine problem and make sound decisions as to the appropriate level of response.
Display compassion and empathy toward callers at all times; utilizing different techniques to calm the caller when needed.
Be familiar with the procedures for handling various call types.
Maintain familiarity with the streets and geography of the city and the various agencies available to help those in need.
Generate incidents using the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, following proper procedures and assigning each incident an appropriate prioritization level.
Contact other public safety entities, city departments and external agencies as needed.
Operate the emergency 9-1-1 telephone equipment and the associated software used by the department of public safety.
Be familiar with applicable state and municipal ordinances.
Handle any other duties as directed by proper authority.
Answer incoming calls placed to 9-1-1 or non-emergency telephone lines.
Determine nature of problem and when appropriate, connect caller to another agency for handling.
Generate a computer aided dispatch (CAD) incident for public safety response by entering pertinent information relative to the incident into the computerized dispatch system.
Follow procedures, assign each incident the appropriate coding and prioritization.
When a response is not needed, make referrals as needed to the caller.
Make computer inquiries into the CAD system or other database utilized by the department, as needed.