COMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR 3

Definition

Under the direction of a Communications Officer or other supervisory official in a State department or agency, supervises a centralized and/or regional communications center responsible for monitoring, receiving, and transmitting police, fire, and other general emergency and environmental emergency alarms; supervises the receipt of telephone requests for police, fire, or other emergent and non-emergent assistance and ensures the requests are transmitted to appropriate personnel; operates a variety of communications equipment; provides instruction/training to staff; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
• Provides instruction/training to subordinates in the procedures of a centralized and/or regional communications center involving the receipt and transmission of emergent and non-emergent calls, emergency alarms, and police operations.
• Assists in reviewing and updating state plans, emergency communications planning reports, and other agency policies and procedures as they relate to communication during routine and emergency situations.
• Assists the Communications Officer in planning statewide programs designed to improve or conduct emergency communications and warning capabilities.
• Analyzes data collected from call reviews, processes and evaluates data, and makes recommendations to supervisory officials regarding training issues and need for improvement.
• Monitors municipal, county, and state emergency services radios.
• Supervises subordinates in and receives emergent and non-emergent calls and radio transmissions from the public, Safety Service Patrol, divisions within the department, and other departments/agencies and contacts the appropriate party for NJSP emergency alerts (blue, silver, and amber), police emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, motorist aides, road and lane closures, hazmat response, maintenance information, towing, potholes, debris, animal carcass removal, overgrown vegetation and trees, signs, spills, snow, ice, traffic signal malfunctions and knockdowns, etc.
• Monitors calls for quality assurance; ensures subordinates are operating equipment in accordance with FCC regulations and standard operating procedures, and makes immediate corrections when needed.
• Ensures that Incident Notification Report forms are properly completed.
• Operates computer-aided dispatch systems, an aircraft and vehicle tracking system, a computerized phone and recording system, and emergency electronic notification systems.
• May handle incoming calls that are complex in nature; receives and logs calls for ambulance service and/or complaints from the public requesting police assistance; dispatches personnel and emergency vehicles as appropriate.
• Supervises the inspection of the fire alarm and circuit indicator panel to ascertain whether it is functioning properly; ensures that voltages are recorded on fire alarm panels.
• May be called upon to act as a witness at hearings or in court, and give testimony under oath.
• Supervises the creation of incidents in the computer-aided dispatch system and the New Jersey Environmental Management System.
• Prepares and/or supervises the preparation of reports, statistical data, memoranda, and other written materials, and supervises the maintenance of essential records and files.
• Supervises the maintenance and update of records in computerized indexes, such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the State Crime Information Center (SCIC).
• Supervises the maintenance of a daily electronic radio log of all incoming/outgoing communications.
• Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Three (3) years of experience in work involving the monitoring, receiving, sending, transmitting, and relaying of electronic messages and/or electronic radio messages, and the receiving, relaying, and recording of complaints and requests for assistance which shall have included the use of computer-aided dispatch, data processing, or computer equipment and programs for a government department/agency, law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and/or other first responders, one (1) year of which shall have been in a lead worker capacity.

<b>LICENSE/CERTIFICATION:</b>

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the geographic areas of the state and the names of locations and facilities.
• Knowledge of the operation of radio, computer, and telephone equipment in a complex communications program.
• Knowledge of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, regulations, and policies.
• Knowledge of the federal Incident Command System terminology and procedures.
• Knowledge of the federal and state laws pertaining to emergency management.
• Knowledge of computer-aided dispatch and other computer systems and records retrieval.
• Knowledge of supervisory methods and techniques.
• Knowledge of appropriate use of scientific terms, chemical names, abbreviations, units of measure, and related vocabulary.
• Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit.
• Ability to use coaching to motivate staff to achieve desired outcomes.
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor while working with a sense of urgency to complete assigned tasks during stressful incidents.
• Ability to strictly adhere to established procedures, protocols, and work in a law enforcement agency or other communication unit/center.
• Ability to understand, remember, and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to use appropriate techniques to calm distressed callers, gain control of the conversation, gather necessary information, and create an accurate report to forward to decision makers and first responders.
• Ability to operate and monitor the use of computer-aided dispatch systems, an aircraft and vehicle tracking system, a computerized phone and recording system, and emergency electronic notification systems.
• Ability to coordinate and interact with others in response to emergent and non-emergent incidents.
• Ability to remain calm during periods of stress/emergency to avoid delays by first responders.
• Ability to supervise the creation of incidents in the computer-aided dispatch system and the New Jersey Environmental Management System.
• Ability to prioritize duties to accomplish a high volume of work product.
• Ability to analyze complex information and issues, define problems and evaluate alternatives, and recommend methods, procedures, and techniques for resolution of issues.
• Ability to supervise the maintenance and update of records in computerized indexes, such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the State Crime Information Center (SCIC).
• Ability to understand and apply the laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures of the agency as they relate to the work operations of a centralized and/or regional communications program.
• Ability to receive and transmit radio, telephone, and electronic communications to law enforcement agencies and first responders in a concise and brief manner.
• Ability to determine the nature of the calls for emergent and non-emergent services, initiate the appropriate action, and to monitor the status of the responders and equipment until the incident has been cleared and/or work completed.
• Ability to speak clearly, professionally, and in a calm but authoritative manner.
• Ability and willingness to work on any assigned shift to include weekends and holidays, times of inclement weather, and natural, man-made, and technological disasters.
• Ability to provide instruction and training to subordinates.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of all personally identifiable information and/or police sensitive information received in the course of official duties.
• Ability to act with discretion and empathy when dealing with sensitive information and situations.
• Ability to act as a witness at hearings or in court, and give testimony under oath.
• Ability to supervise the preparation of reports, statistical data, memoranda, and other written materials.
• Ability to supervise the maintenance of essential records and files in accordance with established procedures.
• Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Appointees must possess certification in IS-100.c: Introduction to the Incident Command System, IS-200.c: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response, IS-700.b: National Incident Management System (NIMS) an Introduction, and IS-800.c: National Response Framework, an Introduction.

The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required certification rests with the Appointing Authority.

Appointees may be required to possess certification by the National Emergency Communications Institute (NECI) as an Emergency Communications Officer; or Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) as a Public Safety Telecommunicator; or International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) as an Emergency Telecommunicator Communications.

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.