Telecommunicator

Description

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Crookston, MN has a full-time Public Safety Telecommunicator position available. This position performs the following but not limited to, intermediate protective service work, provides a single point of contact for 24-hour voice/radio communications for Polk County and the cities located within Polk County, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services. Provides emergency and 911 services to citizen for immediate and direct access to law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel/services; and responsible to monitor, operate and test a variety of communications systems/equipment, and related work. A High school diploma or GED and minimal experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience is needed. Associates/Technical degree preferred with specialized or technical training. MNJIS/PsPortals Certification or ability to obtain within 6 months of hire; APCO or similar certification, or ability to obtain with 6 months of hire; CPR/AED certification within 1 year of hire, and a valid driver’s license.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Summary

• Receives and screens administrative and 911 calls from within Polk County and from surrounding communities.
• Identifying call delivery method (phone, video, picture, automated data).
• Call initiated by dialing 911 or using the 10-didgit phone line.
• Call initiated by new technical methods (Text to 911, Video to 911, Social Media).
• Calls delivered by non-human methods (Telematics, Automated Alarms).
• Prioritizing call answering.
• Greeting callers with professional and calming demeanor to obtain information.
• Demonstrate clear and effective communications
  • Actively listening
  • Conveying respect and empathy
  • Enunciating clearly while avoiding jargon with the caller
  • Controlling the call
  • Using appropriate terminology, codes, signals with field responders
• Ascertain Incident Information
  • Obtaining and verifying the incident location.
  • Interpreting geographic information system (GIS) coordinate information and knowledge of mapping systems.
  • Obtaining and verifying contact information.
  • Rapidly determining the nature of the incident.
  • Establishing when the incident occurred.
  • Identifying who is involved in the incident.
  • Analyzing information that could include automated data feeds such as cameras, sensors, and telematics.
  • Using social media to investigate incident details (i.e. suicide message, images of suspects).
• Determine scene and responder safety
  • Interrogating the caller to learn the circumstances of the emergency.
  • Using multiple resources to determine situational awareness of a scene (i.e., hazardous materials or high occupancy locations).
  • Determining additional risks such as weapons present, medical conditions, or mobility issues of victims that complicate or threaten the health and safety of the scene.
• Identify and mitigate caller safety
  • Asking that the reporting party not get involved in the situation, keep a safe distance, and remove themselves from the incident if it is an unsafe situation.
  • Staying in contact with the caller to ensure their safety until responders are on scene.
  • Interpreting audio cues, such as emotion and background noise
  • Recognizing indicators of psychological distress
• Document information accurately
  • Documenting incident details quickly and accurately.
  • Establishing incident priority based on the written directives.
• Caller Management
  • Using call control techniques and tactics to elicit information quickly and accurately from challenged callers.
  • Using calming techniques such as persistent repetition, the use of “I” statements to break through the hysterical threshold.
  • Deploying language services to assist foreign speaking callers.
  • Providing counsel to suicidal persons domestic violence victims or serving as the primary contact with a hostage-taker
  • Utilizing mental health resources
• Take appropriate action
  • Ascertaining if public safety resource dispatch is required and relaying information.
    • If yes, coordinating the dispatch of the appropriate emergency services.
    • If no, providing the caller with the appropriate information.
  • Reviewing request for service details.
  • Informing caller of actions and advising of appropriate updates.
  • Determining the need for outside agency resources such as traffic management, roadway clearance, towing services, power and utility services, hostage negotiations, social services, etc.
  • Using internal and external agency control devices (weather notification systems, air warnings, emergency management warning system activation, etc.).
• Provide pre-arrival instructions
  • Providing pre-arrival instructions for law enforcement events:
    • Suicidal persons.
    • Active shooter events.
    • Deescalating persons in crisis (post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], mental illness).
    • Separating domestic violence victims from the abuser.
    • Protecting children at the scene.
    • Serving as a hostage negotiator.
    • Preliminary clearance of roadway obstructions to prevent further injury or secondary accidents.
    • Advice to crash victims to prevent further injury.
  • Providing pre-arrival instructions for fire events:
    • Escaping a structure fire
    • Protection for persons trapped in a fire.
    • Sinking vehicle
  • Providing lifesaving instructions for medical events:
    • Bleeding control
    • Choking/airway clearance
    • CPR
    • Respiratory arrest
    • Cardiac arrest
    • Drowning
    • Childbirth
• Process requests for service for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel
  • Making notifications
  • Using federal and state databases to inquire about driver license statuses, registrations, and wanted checks, etc.
• Record data regarding the incident
  • Creating a CAD incident.
  • Documents important and necessary call details for response awareness and responder protection.
  • Updating the CAD incident.
  • Additional data collection from the same or other callers reporting the incident.
• Initiate incident response
  • Assigning units to the incident.
  • Relaying pertinent incident information.
  • Obtaining unit acknowledgment.
  • Coordination available resources.
  • Relaying update to units.
  • Broadcasting Be On The Lookout (BOLOs) or attempt to locate (ATL) messages.
  • Disseminating information to other resources.
  • Performing status checks.
• Coordinate during events
  • Notifying supervisors.
  • Notifying appropriate resources.
  • Corresponding with other agencies.
  • Activating mutual aid, when applicable.
  • Disseminating interdepartmental intelligence.
• Control radio traffic
  • Monitoring radio channel(s).
  • Active listening and awareness techniques.
  • Acknowledging radio traffic.
  • Complying with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations.
• Participate in post-incident activities
  • Preparing testimony
  • Testifying in court proceedings
  • Participating in critical incident stress management (CSM) debriefings
• Operate agency equipment
  • Operating telephony system effectively
    • Answering incoming calls
    • Placing outgoing calls
    • Placing calls on hold if appropriate
    • Performing appropriate transfers Utilizing text-to-911 programs
    • Rapidly identifying and recognizing service interruptions such as equipment failures, cybersecurity breaches, swatting, slamming or spamming incidents, or denial of service (DOC) attacks
    • Operating teletypewriter (TTY) telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD)
  • Operating technology systems such as CAD, call-handling equipment, logging recorder systems, perimeter cameras, radio technology, alarms, etc.
  • Utilizing map/GIS programs
    • Identifying the location of the incident
    • Interpreting automatic number identification/automatic location identification (ANI/ALI) to locate emergencies.
    • Plotting GPS coordinates.
    • Providing directions to responders if requested.
    • Using automatic vehicle location (AVL) data to track units.
• Operating radio systems
  • Dispatching calls Relaying information.
  • Providing updated information.
  • Maintaining current status of units.
• Operating RMS
  • Accessing records
  • Updating records
•  Operating computer systems
  • Successful passing of required background checks and clearances to operate sensitive databases Accessing database information (National Crime Information Center [NCIC], local/state crime network, integrated Public Alert and Warning System [IPAWS]).
  • Operating mass notification software.
  • Conducting inquiries.
  • Updating/Modifying/Maintaining systems.
  • Following regulations.
• Enhance profession competence
  • Actively seek additional training.
  • Completing training and certifications required for assigned PST position.
  • Completing continuing education and career development.
  • Following established ECC policies and procedures.
  • Adhering to federal disclosure and privacy laws.
  • Using debriefing tool, stress management techniques, and critical incident response models.

Knowledge Required:

• Knowledge computer applications and programs
• Knowledge of communications equipment including phone and the State of Minnesota ARMER 800 radio systems and standards
• Knowledge and understanding of the geography of Polk County and surrounding communities bordering Polk County or the ability to learn in a timely manner; ability to navigate mapping.

Skills Required:

• Must be able to read, write, and communicate in English clearly and effectively.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work including State, County and City officials.
• Maintain mental capacity which allows for making sound decisions and demonstrating intellectual capabilities.
• Maintain effective audio/visual discrimination and perception to the degree necessary for the successful performance of assigned duties.
• Verbal communication skills needed to motivate, convince, and/or change behavior or attitude of callers.
• Skill in communication; interpersonal skills applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisors, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive and provide work direction.
• Skill in reading maps and ability to quickly locate and disseminate resource information as required.

Abilities Required:

• Perform multiple tasks under highly stressful situations.
• Hear and understand multiple simultaneous conversations in a noisy environment.
• Correctly identify multiple computer monitors, alarm panels and radio consoles
• Type accurately at a speed necessary for successful job performance.
• Use good judgement and apply proper and appropriate procedure as required.

High school diploma or GED and minimal experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Associates/Technical degree preferred with specialized or technical training.

This work requires the frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or  hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel and occasionally requires reaching with hands and arms, pushing or pulling, lifting and repetitive motions; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exch