Dispatcher

Job Description

The Dispatcher position is responsible for answering calls, reporting incidents, dispatching personnel, and performing clerical duties. The position also involves monitoring alarms, interfacing with Fire Districts, and maintaining communication logs.

Essential Functions

• Answers emergency and non-emergency radio and telephone transmissions.
• Dispatches and manages the deployment of police, fire, and emergency medical personnel and response vehicles.
• Provides emergency medical instructions and coordinates first responder and ambulance responses.
• Maintains radio and telephone communications log; documents personnel and equipment status; researches call or person’s history; keeps emergency personnel informed.
• Utilizes radios to monitor and communicate with field personnel; operates office equipment; pages personnel as required.
• Interfaces with Fire Districts, Mutual Aid assignments, and the Massachusetts State Mobilization Plan.
• Enters and retrieves data; compiles and tabulates reports; completes reports to the extent possible.
• Broadcasts pertinent weather, civil defense, and other information as directed.
• Attends job-related training; acquires and maintains necessary certifications.
• Trains, assists in training, and mentors new dispatchers.
• Assists in keeping site information updated in the internal database.
• Performs quality assurance and peer reviews when assigned.

Supervision Received

Under general supervision, the employee works independently on recurring assignments. Unusual situations are referred to the supervisor for advice and further instructions.

Judgment

The work requires examining, analyzing, and evaluating facts and circumstances surrounding individual problems, situations, or transactions, and determining actions to be taken within the limits of standard or accepted practices. Guidelines include a large body of policies, practices, and precedents.

Complexity

The work involves the practical application of a variety of concepts, practices, and specialized techniques relating to a professional or technical field. Assignments typically involve evaluating and interpreting factors, conditions, or unusual circumstances during high-stress situations or communicating with highly emotional people; inspecting, testing, or evaluating compliance with established standards or criteria; gathering, analyzing, and evaluating facts or data using specialized fact-finding techniques; or determining methods to accomplish the work.

Nature and Purpose of Contacts

Relationships are primarily with co-workers, vendors, and the public, involving frequent explanation, discussion, or interpretation of practices, procedures, regulations, or guidelines to render service, plan, or coordinate work efforts, or resolve operating problems. Other regular contacts are with service recipients and employees of outside organizations. More than ordinary courtesy, tact, and diplomacy are required to resolve complaints or deal with hostile, uncooperative, or uninformed persons.

Confidentiality

The employee has access to sensitive and confidential information in the performance of their duties.

Education and Experience

A high school degree or equivalent and one to two years of word processing and customer service skills experience in a fast-paced office or customer service environment, or any equivalent combination of education and experience, is required. A Massachusetts criminal record check is required to be submitted.

Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills

Knowledge: Knowledge of the Communication Center’s jurisdictional authority relative to all agencies; knowledge of the City’s streets and neighborhoods; knowledge of surrounding communities; knowledge of Communication Center’s policies and procedures; knowledge of applicable police and fire policies and procedures; knowledge of operation of various computer databases.

Abilities: Ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time; ability to attend to a number of details occurring simultaneously in an accurate manner; ability to prioritize; ability to work as part of a team as well as independently. Ability to think clearly and effectively and handle occasional high levels of stress. Ability to obtain and interpret information during high-stress situations or when communicating with highly emotional people and then formulate/condense and relay information concisely and correctly free of emotion or opinion.

Skills: Skilled in interacting with general public in a calm and appropriate manner; skilled in eliciting needed information from an individual who may be a child, injured, in need of emergency service personnel, and/or in a highly agitated frame of mind; skilled in providing clear directions over the telephone or the radio.

Work Environment

The work is performed primarily in an office environment. In the case of an emergency situation, the work may be performed outside in an external command unit.

Physical, Motor, and Visual Skills

• Physical Skills: Sitting, standing, walking, stooping; lifting up to 30 pounds.
• Motor Skills: Moving objects, using office equipment, including but not limited to telephones, personal computers, handheld technology, and other office equipment.
• Visual Skills: Ability to review documents for general understanding and adjust focus to view small print.

Benefits

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave. Part-time employees who work an average of 20 hours per week over the course of a year, receive benefits on a pro-rated basis. To learn more details, visit our benefits page.

Contact Information

City of Northampton
240 Main Street
Northampton, Massachusetts, 01060
413-587-1256
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