Communications Dispatcher

INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY – The Regional Transit Authority gets people moving around New Orleans. Our transit services provide mobility to residents of the city as well as tourists, offering incredible views and comfortable rides through historical neighborhoods and countless attractions. RTA’s system includes 5 streetcar lines, 30 bus routes, 2 ferry routes, and paratransit services. Our passengers take more than 19 million rides every year.

About the role

The Communications Control Dispatcher operates various forms of communication devices and is responsible for obtaining accurate information affecting the RTA system and relaying that information concisely and accurately to necessary RTA staff (including Transit Police and Security).

Responsibilities

• Evaluate all emergencies that occur in the field that may interrupt regularly scheduled bus, rail, and ferry operations, and dispatch the field supervisor and other RTA personnel to the scene of emergencies.
• Maintain an accurate Clever/CAD log of daily radio communication by internal and external users.
• Prepare daily reports in the Clever/CAD incident manager of accidents, incidents, emergencies, delays, and alternative actions taken by the Control Center.
• Prepare daily operational reports.
• Initiate and manage immediate corrective action in handling all emergencies that occur in the field, such as accidents, injury, or illness to employees or customers, blockades, fires, high water, power failures, breakdowns, disturbances, etc.
• Maintain a daily record of radio on and off logs, indicating supervisors, transit management personnel, maintenance equipment, and transit police sign-on and sign-off.
• Maintain daily records and prepare daily reports in Clever/CAD incident manager of delays and switching of vehicles, breakdowns, accidents, supervisors on and off reports, and transit police activity sheets.
• Receive chartered service orders during non-office hours and communicate with the charter when necessary; assign orders to the most economical station for the customer.
• Monitor the system and communicate periodically to field supervisors, roadway personnel, service delivery managers, etc., the location or movement of parades and/or other special events to provide the best possible service while parades are in progress.
• Provide data to other operational personnel regarding factors that could disrupt scheduled service.
• Serve as a liaison between the Control Center and local agencies for unusual conditions or emergencies.
• Monitor the communication system operation.
• Perform other job-related duties in keeping with RTA's goals and objectives.

Requirements

• High school graduate or G.E.D., or experience and training equivalent.
• 3 years’ recent experience directly related to the operations of a transit system.

Work Environment

Normal office environment. Must be able to remain stationary 100% of the time and constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine, computer, printer, etc.

Pay

$36.63 per hour