Public Safety Call Taker

POSITION IS FLSA NON-EXEMPT 

Actively supports and upholds the Kingman Fire Department’s mission and values; Complies with Police and Fire Department policies and procedures to assure the safety of officers and thep ublic.

Under general supervision, this position provides a critical link in the delivery of public safety service, being the first and most important contact with the citizen needing help. The Call Taker must develop a timely, rapid and accurate sense of call interpretation and decision-making/problem solving skills during stressful situations. This position must remain calm, showing empathy, conveying reassurance and instilling confidence in the caller that the proper response to their needs will result. The employee is required to deal with sensitive information in a discreet and professional manner.

This position is responsible for receiving incoming calls for police, fire and emergency medical aid, and non-emergency requests from the public via 9-1-1 lines and other seven-digit telephone lines. The Call Taker obtains information from callers who may be injured, confused or abusive, and determines which, if any, agencies should respond to the event. Employee must enter initial information into the computer while maintaining contact with the reporting party to gather additional pertinent information. Additional information must be entered into the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system in a timely manner so that the original call is continually updated. All voice and data entry work performed by the Call Taker is continually recorded and is constantly subject to live monitoring for later review and critique and may include public disclosure of such work.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Work is performed independently under the direction of the Communications Center Supervisor and the supervision of the Communications Center Manager.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Provides instruction, training, direction and evaluation to new employees of this class as assigned.

 TESTING 

• Self-Schedule (2 hours)
• Successfully complete CritiCall testing process, including meeting KPH requirements
  • For a practice test and testing information go to https://criticall911.com/dispatcher-testing/applicants/

SIT-ALONG 

• Will be scheduled upon  successful completion of the above testing
• Attend a job shadowing with Public Safety Telecommunicator at the City of Kingman 911 Communications Center (minimum 2 hour sit-along). 

 INTERVIEWS

• Oral Board Panel Interview
• Final Candidates will have a 2nd interview with Executive Staff 

BACKGROUND REVIEW 

• Upon successful completion of all above
• Background Examination / Polygraph Testing

PRE-EMPLOYMENT EVALUATIONS

• Upon successful completion of background and polygraph testing
• Medical, Hearing, and Vision Testing
• Psychiatric Evaluation

Education and Experience:

• Graduation from High School or General Equivalency Degree (G.E.D).
• 18 years of age or older at time of hire.
• Experience performing work with multiple priorities and multi-tasking, in a fast-paced workingenvironment.
• Experience working with the public, responding to inquiries and providinginformation.
• Basic experience in computer terminal operation.
• OR any equivalent combination of education and Emergency Communications experience and training which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform thework.

Special Requirements:

• Must have the legal right to work in the United States.
• Must possess a valid Arizona Driver's License or have the ability to obtain one prior toemployment.
• Must meet background requirements related to CJIS and obtain a valid ACJIS Terminal Operator Certification (TOC) within six (6) months of hiredate.
• Must obtain and maintain certification in approved courses; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), NIMS ICS-100, ICS-200, & ICS-700, Public Safety Telecommunicator Certification, Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) within six (6) months of hiredate.

Essential Functions are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills. They are intended to be accurate summaries of what the job classification involves and what is required to perform it.

• Answers emergency and non-emergency calls for service, simultaneously enters this information into the computer using a CAD System and continues to enter updates in a timely manner. 
• Calms, negotiates, advises and otherwise communicates with callers to obtain accurate and essential information necessary to establish priority and initiate a timely response to emergency calls.
• Remains calm, shows empathy, conveys reassurance and instills confidence in the caller through a demeanor that will result in proper response to their needs. 
• Determines the appropriate agency/agencies that should respond to an incident. 
• Processes more than one call at a time. 
• Assists other employees as necessary when not occupied with primary call answering duties. 
• Attends mandatory trainings and/or meetings as directed. 
• Performs additional duties as directed. 
• Be reliable, dependable and report for work on a consistent and predictable basis. 
• Consistently thinks clearly and responds quickly in a wide variety of emergency situations.
• Gathers, organizes, translates and processes information from various emergency callers in an accurate and timely manner.
• Supports the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agency (CALEA) accreditation program.
• Work shift work encompassing a 24-hour day, seven-day week; inclusive of odd hours, days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
• This position is subject to emergency recall during non-working hours due to staff shortage and/or operational needs.
• Ability to meet FBI/CJIS requirements, including maintaining a record free of felony convictions.
• Works in a safe manner and reports unsafe activity and conditions.
• Maintains regular attendance and punctuality.

PERIPHERAL DUTIES

• Attends and participates in meetings, trainings, and community events as a representative of the department as assigned.
• May provide testimony incourt.
• Performs other duties as related orassigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a fast-paced, high-volume, 24-hour/7-day-per-week emergency communications center operation setting. May be required to sit or stand for extended periods of time. Rotating shifts that include nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  See Physical Demands.

COMMITMENT TO SAFETY & WELLNESS

It is the policy of the City of Kingman to ensure a safe, healthful workplace for all its employees. It requires that every person in the organization assumes the responsibility of individual and organizational safety. Injury and illness losses from incidents are costly and preventable.  The City of Kingman will employ an effective accident and illness prevention program and a comprehensive wellness program that involves all its employees in the effort to eliminate workplace hazards and promote employee health and wellness.
All employees are expected and encouraged to participate in safety and wellness program activities including the following: reporting hazards, unsafe work practices and accidents immediately to their supervisors or a safety committee representative; wearing required personal protective equipment; and participating in and supporting safety committee activities.  

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel in this position.  This job description is subject to change as the needs and requirements of the position changes.

Salary : $541 - $648