Dispatcher

About the role

Employment Type: Full time. Shift: 12 Hour Day Shift. MercyOne Des Moines Ambulance Service Full-Time (72 hours bi-weekly) Mixed Rotating 12 hours shifts. The Dispatcher’s primary focus is to be the communication link between Mercy One, Pediatric Transport, Neonatal Intensive Care Transport, Mercy Ambulances, and all pre-hospital agencies, hospitals and law enforcement agencies.

Responsibilities

• Receives all incoming requests for Mercy One, Pediatric Transport, and Neonatal transports; coordinates responses by obtaining patient information and activating the appropriate resources.
• Coordinates alternate transportation when a transport team is unable to provide service.
• Communicates patient information to the transport teams; obtains and relays navigation and landing information to the pilot; coordinates landing zone with law enforcement as requested.
• Communicates with requesting agency and receiving hospital, providing updates as applicable.
• Provides flight following throughout the mission, either by satellite tracking or by communicating with the pilot every ten minutes if satellite tracking is inoperable on the aircraft during the flight.
• Completes flight database following each flight.
• Observes weather patterns, alerting pilots and members of the transport teams of significant changes.
• Receives and coordinates all incoming/outgoing inter-facility, clinic transfers, 911 requests, mutual aid requests, specialty team transports, and all other activities related to dispatching for Mercy Ambulances.
• Receives EMS ground ambulance radio and telephone communications; documents reports from EMS calls and obtains a Physician Designee for Medical Control requests for Mercy Medical Center and Mercy West Lakes.
• Enters via computer all information pertaining to Level I Cardiac, Traumas, stroke and any other requested paging groups or messages as required.
• Completes faxing of any documents which are required to go to another department.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• A minimum 2 years’ experience as an EMT‑B, Paramedic, Emergency Dispatcher, or Emergency Department team member required.
• Certified as an EMT‑B or EMT‑P in the State of Iowa, preferred.
• Excellent critical thinking skills required.