Police Communications Specialist (9-1-1 Dispatch)

General Description Accepting applications for Police Communications Specialist (9-1-1 Dispatch) As a Police Communications Specialist with the Albany Police Department, you will perform a variety of duties related to emergency and non-emergency call taking; dispatching police units; responding to public inquiries, records processing and other clerical duties as assigned.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RECRUITMENT & SELECTION TIMELINE: The screening process will consist of the following: (Dates to be determined) City of Albany Application Deadline - Applications will be reviewed as received and initial virtual interviews will take place weekly or biweekly.
Applicants considered for an initial virtual interview will be notified via email.
Visit GovernmentJobs Virtual (5) Minute Interviews: No in-person interviews will be provided.
CritiCall Skills Testing, Part 1 In-Person Oral Board Interviews with Albany Police interview panel CritiCall Skills Testing, Part 2 Pre-Employment Background Investigation Pre-Employment Psychological Evaluation Pre-Employment Medical Evaluation NOTE: Initial preference may be given to current Oregon DPSST telecommunicator certified Police Communications Specialist applicants, applicants currently certified as a Telecommunicator/Police Communications Specialist in another state, or applicants who have had applicable telecommunicator experience in the recent past.
Applications received and who meet this criteria may be considered prior to the application closing date.
The City of Albany will consider and/or apply any applicable incentives including but not limited to the following: 1.
Starting salary for lateral certified police communications specialists is contingent upon candidate's qualifications at the discretion of the Chief of Police.
2.
City-provided uniforms, equipment, and uniform cleaning 3.
Bilingual Pay (Spanish) 3% -Intermediate 5% -Advanced 4.
Education Pay 3% - Associate's Degree 6% - Bachelor's Degree 5.
DPSST Certification Pay 4% -Intermediate 8% -Advanced For successful lateral candidates, the City will consider front-loaded vacation and sick leave accruals of up to 40 hours per bank, based on relevant experience.
Benefits include: Excellent (Download PDF reader)medical, vision and dental (Download PDF reader)benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with low monthly out-of-pocket cost.
(Download PDF reader) Currently, the employee-paid premium is approx.
$48/mo.
for employee-only coverage up to a max of $137/mo.
for family coverage.
City-paid contribution to a VEBA Trust account for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.
Currently, the annual contribution is $1,000 for employee-only and $2,000 for employee plus dependent(s).
Paid time off – 8 hours of sick leave per month 10 hours of holiday pay per month 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with progressive increases Excellent retirement benefits - City-paid participation in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (OPSRP and IAP) City-paid contribution into pre-tax deferred compensation plan In addition, other benefits such as education reimbursement, employee assistance program, basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for healthcare and childcare expenses.
Essential Functions/Duties & Responsibilities The duties listed are intended only as Illustrative examples of the various types of work that may be performed by individuals in this classification.
Any of the following duties may be performed.
These examples are not necessarily performed by all incumbents and do not include all specific essential functions and responsibilities the incumbent may be expected to perform.
Answers all incoming 911 emergency telephone calls requesting Albany Police Department assistance.
Elicits and evaluates pertinent call information to determine the incident location, nature of the incident, severity (priority), and other information to relay to police personnel via radio communications.
Dispatches the appropriate police using radio tone paging, Mobile Data Terminal (MDT), computer-aided dispatch (CAD) text messaging, VHF or 700 MHz radio system, telephone, or other telecommunications devices and software as needed.
Operates the CAD system to maintain an accurate accounting of officer locations, calls, and times and to document all calls for service received by the department.
Maintains availability by radio, MDT, and/or telephone for response while on duty.
Performs various computer operations to access sensitive and restricted law enforcement information systems; correctly disseminate the information and carry out duties in conformance with Federal, State, County, and City laws and ordinances.
Receives, screens, and evaluates non-emergency calls; provides information, instructions or refers caller to proper public resource or agency.
Interprets whether a situation is a criminal or civil matter.
Monitors all radio communications and responds promptly with accurate information when necessary.
Monitors surrounding agency radio frequencies for situations that may require agency involvement.
Monitors closed-circuit television system and designated alarms.
Performs police records functions inputs data on a computer keyboard from police incident reports into the Police Department database.
Routes police reports to other agencies, departments, and/or divisions; files reports, citations, and other paperwork needing retention as police information.
Distributes police-related information to other law enforcement agencies via telephone, radio, and/or computer communications systems.
Represents the City of Albany by responding to the public, citizens, its employees, and others in a prompt, professional, and courteous manner while continuously maintaining a positive customer service demeanor.
Regards everyone, internal and external, as a customer and deliver the best service possible in a respectful and patient manner.
Works to create a high-performance work culture by demonstrating a positive attitude and modeling the City’s mission, vision, and values.
Conducts self with high integrity, proactive in conserving City resources, and seeks and incorporates customer feedback for ongoing performance improvement.
Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
Serves as a member of various City committees as assigned.
Assists other staff in the performance of their duties as assigned; and may provide training and orientation to new assigned personnel.
Maintains regular job attendance and adherence to working hours.
Adheres to appropriate attire, grooming, and hygiene standards established for the position.
Performs other related duties as required/assigned.
Supervision/Lead Work Exercised This is a non-supervisory position.
Lead work/coordination of the work of others is not a typical function assigned to this position.
Incumbents in this position may provide training and orientation to new personnel as assigned.
Qualifications & Requirements a) EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE High school diploma or GED equivalent is required.
Experience with fast paced customer service, radio and telephone communications, and/or any satisfactory combination of experience and specialized training which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the above duties will be considered.
b) KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES Knowledge of: the primary functions and operations of a police communications unit; local, state, and federal laws, regulations and ordinances, relating to emergency dispatching standards and practices; supervision theories and principles; Oregon Public Records Law and reporting responsibilities to regulating agencies; the operations and terminology of computers which includes software, hardware, and any other approved department computer-related systems.
Skill in: operating multi-line telephone systems, radio dispatch equipment, standard office equipment, including copy and fax machines; operating computer keyboards for data entry, word processing, and spreadsheet programs with accuracy and speed; effectively communicating orally and in writing; and multi-tasking/divided attention skills, phone and direct customer service preferred.
Ability to: respond rapidly and effectively to emergency situations while maintaining composure; exercise sound judgment in evaluating situations and in making decisions; possess ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously while using divided attention skills; learn and follow the applicable laws, ordinances, and department rules and regulations; learn and remember the city's geographical details, public buildings, and common landmarks; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments, and the public.
c) SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Must be 18 years or older at the time of employment.
Must be able to proficiently and effectively read, speak, and write the English language.
Bilingual in English and Spanish desirable.
Must be available to work all rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays as needed to cover 24-hour public safety operations.
Must pass a thorough background investigation and integrity interview that establishes strong moral character.
Any conduct that could compromise the integrity of the applicant, fellow members, the Department or the City will be closely evaluated.
Felony convictions and disqualifying criminal histories are not allowed.
Must meet department's physical qualifications.
Must successfully complete comprehension and psychological examinations and medical exams prior to employment.
Must meet State requirements including training, vision, hearing, and background standards for basic telecommunicator certification as an emergency dispatcher with the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training within one year of employment.
Qualification standards include a requirement that the individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual or others in the workplace.
Must successfully obtain CPR certification within twelve months of employment.
Must successfully pass CJIS security check and complete LEDS Certification requirements within six months of hire.
WORK ENVIRONMENT In the performance of the job duties, the employee will work indoors at a computer terminal with multiple distractions such as radio transmissions, printers, people talking, and telephones.
Must remain at the dispatch terminal for extended time when no others are available.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to quiet.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The factors described herein are representative of, but not all-inclusive of, those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Detailed information may be available in a supplemental Job Task Analysis document.
The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.
Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: Balancing: sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces.
The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
Climbing: sufficient to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
Body agility is emphasized.
Crawling: sufficient to move about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
Crouching: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
Feeling: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
Fingering: sufficient to pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
Grasping: sufficient to apply pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
Handling: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.
Hearing: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
Kneeling: sufficient to bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
Lifting: sufficient to raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.
Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
Pulling: sufficient to use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
Pushing: sufficient to use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
Reaching: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
Speaking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
Stooping: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist.
Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
Talking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
Visual Acuity: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.
; and to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, by both day and night.
Walking: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT USED In the performance of job duties, the employee will use police radios, mobile data computer, multi-line phone system; cellular phone; telephone device for the deaf (TDD); recording equipment; various computer systems with multiple display screens and associated software; copy and fax machines; and other office related tools.
Safety Equipment: Develops safe work habits and contributes to the safety of self, co-workers, and the public.