Telecommunicator - Police

About the role

The Burlington Communications Center is a 24-hour a day, 7-days-a-week center. The center functions as a vital link between the City of Burlington's and the City of Graham's police and fire departments and those who need emergency and non-emergency assistance.

Responsibilities

• Performs routine telecommunications work in receiving and processing emergency and non-emergency calls for the police and fire department under the supervision of a Telecommunicator Lead or Communications Manager.
• Manages multiple tasks under pressure by taking emergency calls while simultaneously viewing maps, entering information into dispatch software, and coordinating response efforts in real time.
• Receives incoming calls from the public via a multi-line phone system, assesses service requests, and determines the appropriate public agency to address the situation.
• Prioritizes calls based on urgency and severity, ensuring a swift response to critical incidents.
• Handles after-hours calls for various services, including animal control, utilities, street maintenance, and traffic signal malfunctions, ensuring seamless coverage around the clock.
• Operates the Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TTY), conducting weekly system tests to ensure accessibility and reliability for all users.
• Dispatches police and fire officials to emergency situations using multi-channel radio systems, maintains communication with officers, and coordinates additional units based on evolving circumstances.
• Maintains open lines of communication with public safety during emergency situations.
• Maintains accurate records of authorizations, warrants, and other essential information related to DCI/NCIC entries, ensuring compliance with operational procedures.
• Utilizes the eWarrants system to check for outstanding warrants and communicates real-time results to officers in the field, aiding their decision-making process.
• Keeps detailed logs of criminal history and updates relevant databases in a timely manner to support law enforcement efforts.
• Coordinates multi-agency responses with telecommunicators from other agencies for large-scale events or other emergency situations.
• Handles public contact with tact, firmness, and decisiveness, ensuring that all communications are in alignment with department policy, as well as federal and state law.
• Closes telecommunications calls for service, ensuring that fire and police units are accounted for and returned to service promptly after resolving incidents.

Qualifications

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Telecommunications & Emergency Operations Knowledge
• General understanding of modern telecommunications practices, procedures, and technologies
• Familiarity with police and fire department operational procedures
• Strong grasp of city geography and street locations
• Technology & Equipment Expertise:
• Ability to learn how to operate computer-aided dispatch (CAD) consoles, radio systems, telephones, and computer terminals
• Ability to learn how to read and interpret maps quickly
• Ability to learn how to review recorded tapes
• Resource & Manual Utilization Knowledge:
• Knowledgeable in utilizing various support resources
• Knowledge of HAZMAT manuals, tactical dispatch manuals, and other standard operating procedure guides
• Language & Communication Support:
• Ability to learn how to use Language Line interpreting services
• Ability to control telephone conversations
• Ability to think clearly and act decisively in high-pressure emergency situations
• Demonstrated ability to speak clearly and use proper diction during all forms of communication

Minimum Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship
• High School Diploma or GED equivalency
• At least six (6) months of work experience in a dispatch function or extensive public contact role
• NC DCI Certification or ability to obtain within first six (6) months (Modules 1, 2 and 3)
• Basic Telecommunicator Certificate through NC Sheriffs' Standards or the ability to obtain within first six (6) months

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in a law enforcement or fire/EMS environment
• Current certification as an emergency service Telecommunicator by NC Sheriffs' Standards

Special Requirements

• NC DCI Certification or ability to obtain within first six (6) months (Modules 1, 2 and 3)
• Basic Telecommunicator Certificate through NC Sheriffs' Standards or the ability to obtain within first six (6) months

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Ability to transfer North Carolina local government earned sick leave
• Paid holidays for New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
• Enrollment in the Local Government branch of the North Carolina State Retirement System
• Enrollment in Empower 401k
• Health and dental insurance coverage for employee and children; spouses may be added to the policy if they are not offered coverage at their own place of employment
• Voluntary enrollment in a Flexible Spending Plan
• Life insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Other voluntary insurances and deferred compensation plans