Public Safety Telecommunicator - South Walton Fire District : Job Details

Public Safety Telecommunicator

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The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) is actively hiring for the position of Public Safety Telecommunicator. This is a non-exempt, at-will position that plays a vital role in the day-to-day operations of our communications Division. Telecommunicators are the critical first link in emergency response, handling both emergency and non-emergency calls with professionalism and precision.

This position works under the direction of the Director of Communications or their designee and receives supervision and performance evaluation from the Communications Lieutenant(s) or Director based on effectiveness, efficiency, and adherence to established protocols.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Operate multi-line telephone systems, alerting and text-to-911 systems, and TDD for the hearing impaired
• Transmit and receive communications on a complex 800 MHz trunked radio network
• Determine call priority and accurately input data into the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system
• Provide pre-arrival instructions and emergency dispatching for medical, fire, and beach safety incidents
• Interpret and analyze caller information to anticipate needs and coordinate an appropriate response
• Dispatch and coordinate multiple public safety resources and personnel
• Monitor radio consoles and computer systems during active incidents
• Use maps, computer systems, phones, and reference materials to manage emergency information quickly and accurately
• Access and update various databases and information systems to verify or input critical data
• Make strategic decisions when selecting emergency apparatus to support life safety and property conservation

The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) is a professional fire/rescue agency located in Walton County, Florida. SWFD maintains 5 fire stations, a communications center and provides beach safety services for the South Walton Beaches. SWFD is responsible for Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services Transport, Lifeguards, Hazard Mitigation, Public Fire/Life Safety Education and Prevention as well as 911 Communication Services for an area of 84 square miles. South Walton is an area that runs from the Okaloosa/Walton County line on the west, to the Walton/Bay County line on the east and from Choctawhatchee Bay (Intracoastal Waterway) north to the Gulf of Mexico on the south. Included in this area are 26 miles of beaches and 26 miles of inland waterways. The population of South Walton ranges from 40,000 to over 150,000 during the tourist season

Required Skills:

• The ability to develop and maintain cooperative and professional relationships with
• fellow employees, representatives from other departments and supervisors.
• Knowledge of District policies, guidelines, protocols and related ordinances.
• The ability to follow directions, protocols, and procedures.
• The ability to speak clearly and succinctly during stressful situations and speak with
• upset people in such a way as to determine the nature of the problem for appropriatecall transfer and pre-arrival procedures.
• The ability to use logic and reasoning to reach conclusions and approaches toproblems.
• The ability to use judgment and decision-making skills to evaluate situations, establishpriorities and resolve matters.
• The ability to think quickly.
• The ability to remain calm in stressful situations; the capacity to work with advancedtelecommunications equipment.
• The ability to understand and follow written and oral instructions.
• The ability to write clearly and spell correctly.
• The ability to establish priorities and pass on information as needed.
• The ability to remain on duty for extended periods when staffing or other emergenciesexist.
• The ability to report for duty in extreme weather and road conditions.
• The ability to perform multiple physical functions often simultaneously (listen, speak,record, type, and transfer calls

Physical Demands:

• Reaching, extensive sitting, speaking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
• Exerting up to 15 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of forcefrequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including thehuman body.
• Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking andstanding are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Must successfully pass the Fire District's drug screen, background check and referencecheck requirement as a condition of employment.

Work Environment

• General office environment.
• Position subject to high stress situations with varying hours of operations, extendedhours of operations to include night shift work.
• Work shifts are performed in 12-hour shifts, day or night.
• NOTE: Reasonable accommodation considerations will be made for otherwise qualified individuals with a disability

Minimum Qualifications for Telecommunicator:

• High School diploma or GED, or an equivalent combination of education and experiencesufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listedabove
• Valid unrestricted Florida Driver's License
• Must be able to work rotating shifts, days, nights, holidays and weekends.
• Must possess above average data entry and typing skills.
• Must be a non-smoking/non-tobacco using person while on duty as long as an employee with SWFD.
• Must have or obtain within 12 months of employment:
• International Academy of Emergency Dispatcho Emergency Fire Dispatch certificationo Emergency Medical Dispatch certification
• Priority Dispatcho Self-Paced ProQA Training Fireo Self-Paced ProQA Training Medical
• Federal Bureau of Investigationso Fingerprintingo Criminal Justice Information Services Training
• FEMA National Incident Management System certificationso IS-100 Introduction to the Incident Command Systemo IS-200 Basic Incident Command System for Initial Responseo IS-700 Introduction to the National Incident Management Systemo IS-800 Introduction to the National Response Framework
• Florida Department of Healtho 911 Public Safety Telecommunicatoro Nationally accepted CPR certification

Certified Applicants With Experience: Applicants may be considered for advanced placement as a Telecommunicator II or IIIbased upon their certifications and experience.SWFD orientation and probationary period still applies