Public Safety Communications Operator

General Definition of WorkPerforms intermediate technical work dispatching police, rescue equipment and personnel in response to emergency situations, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the moderate supervision of the Public Safety Communications Supervisor.  

• Monitors Police Dispatch Channels and ensuring calls for service are dispatched in a timely manner; maintains an accurate CAD log for report purposes; relays all available pertinent information to officers to ensure officer safety.
• Monitors Fire Channel and tact channel(s); dispatches medical and fire-related calls in a timely manner; records benchmarks for accreditation purposes such as patient contact times and time that a fire is considered under control; process emergency and non-emergency calls for service while handling fire radio traffic.
• Monitors the Information Channel and process officer's requests; handles all confidential information; processes wanted person/driver’s license/vehicle inquiries utilizing the National Crime Information Center/Department of Criminal Apprehension.
• Answers emergency, non-emergency, and administrative lines in a timely fashion; obtains all necessary information from the caller to generate a call for service for the police/fire department or refer their call to the appropriate agency/division.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of Police Department policies and procedures; general knowledge of the methods of operating the communications system; some knowledge of radio and teletype procedures; some knowledge of the geography of the City and location of important buildings; ability to type at a reasonable rate of speed; knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and position specific software applications; ability to speak distinctly; ability to deal with the public under stressful conditions; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers and members of the public.

Education and Experience

High school diploma or GED and moderate experience working in telecommunications, customer service, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• National Crime Information Center (NCIC)/Department of Criminal Information (DCI) Certification through the SBI (Renewed every 2 years via testing)
• Association of Public Safety Communications Officers (APCO) (Non-expiring)
• Winston-Salem Basic Operators School (non-expiring) - Issued by the Winston Salem Police Department

Salary : $45,408