Communications Officer

JOB SUMMARY/PURPOSE: The⠀Communications⠀Officer⠀receives⠀emergency⠀and⠀non-emergency⠀phone⠀calls,⠀providing⠀information⠀and⠀assistance,⠀dispatching⠀law⠀enforcement,⠀EMS and⠀fire⠀personnel⠀when⠀necessary.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Receives⠀emergency⠀and⠀non-emergency⠀phone⠀calls,⠀determines⠀the nature⠀of the⠀call, and⠀obtains⠀and⠀transfers⠀pertinent⠀information⠀to the⠀appropriate⠀personnel⠀or⠀agency.
• Differentiates⠀between⠀emergency⠀and⠀non-emergency⠀calls and⠀prioritizes⠀calls for⠀service.
• Intakes⠀caller⠀information⠀and⠀provides⠀assistance⠀to the⠀caller.
• Dispatches⠀law⠀enforcement,⠀EMS, and⠀fire⠀personnel⠀when⠀necessary.
• Provides⠀appropriate⠀resource⠀materials⠀in a⠀timely⠀manner.
• Utilizes⠀emergency⠀procedures⠀to ensure⠀officer⠀safety.
• Utilizes⠀the⠀Medical⠀Priority⠀Dispatch⠀System,⠀the Police⠀Priority⠀Dispatch⠀System,⠀and the⠀Fire⠀Priority⠀Dispatch⠀System
• Maintains⠀required⠀certifications⠀(i.e.⠀FCIC, PST,⠀and CPR)⠀and the⠀LAED⠀standards⠀for⠀Continuing⠀Dispatch⠀Education.
• Accurately⠀tracks,⠀monitors,⠀and⠀documents⠀all unit's⠀activities.
• Requests⠀and/or⠀responds⠀to other⠀agencies⠀for⠀assistance.
• Operates⠀the⠀FCICII/NCIC⠀computer⠀and/or CAD⠀Open Query⠀to⠀mandated⠀standards.
• Performs⠀radio⠀tests and⠀notifications.
• Informs⠀superiors⠀and staff⠀of events,⠀activities⠀and⠀critical⠀issues.
• Completes⠀all⠀assignments⠀as⠀directed.
• All⠀Citrus⠀County⠀Sheriff's⠀Office⠀employees⠀are⠀considered⠀‘essential⠀emergency⠀workers'⠀and are⠀subject to⠀working in⠀any⠀capacity/hours⠀deemed⠀necessary⠀by the⠀Agency⠀during⠀activations,⠀including⠀but not⠀limited⠀to,⠀in-County⠀and⠀out-of-County⠀deployments.

REQUIRED TRAINING (Provided by Employer):

• Minimum⠀160 hours⠀for the⠀first⠀radio⠀training.
• Completes⠀the Public⠀Safety⠀Telecommunications⠀Program,⠀including⠀cardiopulmonary⠀resuscitation⠀(CPR),⠀Emergency⠀Medical⠀Dispatch⠀(EMD),⠀Emergency⠀Police⠀Dispatch⠀(EPD),⠀Emergency⠀Fire⠀Dispatch⠀(EFD),⠀Florida⠀Crime⠀Information⠀Center⠀certification⠀(FCIC),⠀and the⠀State of⠀Florida⠀911 Public⠀Safety⠀Tele-communicator⠀Program.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to⠀handle⠀multiple⠀tasks⠀simultaneously.
• Ability⠀to operate⠀communications⠀related⠀equipment/computers.
• Working⠀knowledge⠀of codes,⠀signals⠀and plain⠀talk.
• Excellent⠀communication⠀skills⠀with⠀ability to⠀convey⠀verbal⠀information/instructions/directives/commands⠀in a⠀clear,⠀concise⠀and⠀intelligible⠀manner.
• Handles⠀stressful⠀situations.
• Problem⠀solving⠀skills.
• Team⠀skills⠀demonstrating⠀respectful⠀attitudes.
• Excellent⠀questioning⠀skills.
• Knowledge⠀of⠀geographical⠀jurisdiction.
• Excellent⠀organizational⠀skills.
• Ability⠀to learn⠀and⠀reference⠀procedures,⠀policies,⠀and other⠀reference⠀materials.
• Proficiency⠀in⠀keyboarding⠀equivalent⠀to 25 wpm.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Intermittent⠀periods of⠀intense,⠀focused,⠀and⠀demanding⠀conditions.
• Works⠀with all⠀types of⠀people and⠀personalities.
• Occasionally⠀exposed to⠀volatile⠀individuals,⠀and/or⠀disgruntled⠀citizens.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Occasionally⠀lifts up⠀to 25⠀lbs.
• Requires⠀sitting⠀for long⠀periods of⠀time,⠀speaking,⠀walking,⠀stooping,⠀reaching,⠀and⠀writing.
• Requires⠀grasping,⠀repetitive⠀hand⠀movement⠀and fine⠀coordination⠀in⠀preparing⠀reports⠀using a⠀computer⠀keyboard.
• Requires⠀near and⠀far vision⠀for⠀reading.
• Acute⠀hearing is⠀required⠀when⠀providing⠀phone⠀service.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:

• Demonstrates⠀a polite,⠀helpful⠀and⠀courteous⠀behavior,⠀respecting⠀cultural⠀differences,⠀when⠀interacting⠀with the⠀public and⠀colleagues.
• Responds⠀to⠀supervision,⠀guidance⠀and⠀direction⠀in a⠀positive,⠀receptive⠀manner.
• Must⠀be⠀appropriately⠀dressed⠀and⠀groomed.
• Reports⠀to work⠀promptly⠀and⠀properly⠀prepared.
• Acts⠀in a⠀professional⠀manner,⠀following⠀established⠀protocols⠀and⠀procedures.