Assistant Director of Operations Dispatch

GENERAL NATURE OF WORK

This is responsible supervisory, command and technical work in coordinating and executing the activities of the Kenton County Communications Center. An employee in this class is a working manager who’s responsible for planning, coordinating, training and supervising the daily activities of dispatch personnel. Duties are performed under general to limited supervision. The position reports directly to the Executive Director.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession of a valid Kentucky driver’s license.
• On call 24 hours a day.
• Certified telecommunicator or eligible to become certified in the state of Kentucky.
• Meet all requirements set forth by the Kenton County Emergency Communications Board.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to lift forty (40) pounds or more to a height of four (4) feet or more.
• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time.
• Eye sight must be correctable to 20/20 vision.
• Hearing must be within normal acceptable range of 20-25 with or without a hearing aid.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Supervises dispatch personnel and evaluates the quality and quantity of work performed by each employee; prepares Performance evaluation form for each employee and reviews same with them; offers help, guidance training, etc. to improve the individual's level of performance.
• Performs all personnel functions required for the Communication Center employees; handles grievances and complaints within scope of authority and enforces department rules, regulations, policies and procedures. Performs duties of a Dispatcher II as may be required.
• Responsible for evaluating applications for dispatch positions, interviewing applicants, and making recommendations for the hiring of communications personnel.
• Assists with the preparation of the Communication Center budget and controls expenditures and overtime within scope of authority.
• Plans dispatch operations and coordinates activities with other dispatch centers, police departments, fire departments, EMS agencies within the area.
• Reviews and analyzes work load data and schedules dispatch personnel as necessary to provide adequate coverage for anticipated activity.
• Assigns daily and/or special job tasks to dispatch personnel for special studies.
• Reviews shift log covering unusual events, violations of rules and procedures, etc., determines if corrective actions are required, determines if new procedures are necessary, etc. and reports same to the Executive Director as may be necessary.
• Assists the Executive Director in reviewing and updating departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures and assists in implementing same.
• Directs the training of dispatch personnel in departmental rules, regulations, and policies and standard Communication Center operating procedures.
• Directs the training of dispatch personnel, and others, in the operation of telephones, 2-way radios, pagers, computer terminals, etc. as may be required.
• Develops training material, or adapts training programs secured from other sources, to meet the needs of the dispatch personnel.
• Supervises the testing of all communication systems periodically to insure system reliability. Makes sure problems are addressed as soon as possible and repairs made as required.
• Reports complaints from citizens and Communication Center user agencies and develops and implements answers and/or solutions to the problems.
• Prepares monthly and yearly activity reports of Communication Center activity as well as the activity of user agencies
• Covers a minimum number of hours per month in the dispatch center as set by the Executive Director to maintain dispatch skills.
• Other related duties as assigned by the Executive Director

DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrated leadership ability; willingness to make timely and appropriate decisions; willingness to accept the responsibility for successes and failures; ability to delegate authority and still control the operation; ability to work with others.
• Ability to supervise people effectively and productively; ability to deal fairly with subordinates, peers and superiors.
• Good verbal skills; ability to communicate effectively with individuals in both small and large groups of people; ability to provide clear, easily understood directions.
• Good writing skills; ability to prepare clear and concise written job reports, accident reports, material reports, etc.
• Ability to read and comprehend written reports, training materials, etc. and to communicate this information to others; ability to provide on the job training to people that may have varying degrees of education and experience.
• Basic technical knowledge of radio and related system operations sufficient to understand system limitations and specifications and to anticipate problems.
• Good knowledge of the management skills required to plan. Organize and coordinate activities of the Communications center and user agencies, as well as meeting desired goals and objectives.
• Good skills with numbers; ability to accurately determine the quantities of material to order, material used, etc.
• Basic knowledge of the management skills required to plan the days work and organize resources to obtain desired goals.
• Good working knowledge of safe work practices and the ability to apply them in work day situations.
• Good working knowledge of the dispatch equipment used to perform daily work operations; familiarity with applicable maintenance procedures to keep dispatch equipment in good working condition.
• Considerable knowledge of emergency service operations and emergency disaster training and techniques, knowledge of operating procedures for warning and radiological defense systems.
• Ability to work effectively on a daily basis with general to limited supervision.
• Ability to work effectively in a distractive, noisy work environment.

DESIRABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

• Graduate of an accredited four year college or university with a degree in criminal justice, computer science or a related field, supplemented by experience in emergency police, fire and/or Public Safety communications which provides the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The above Job Description is intended to describe the general content of, and the requirements for, the performance of this job, including the essential functions. The description is not to be construed as an exhaustive, all inclusive statement of job duties, requirements, or responsibilities.