Emergency Communications Officer

Salary: $37,535 – $48,795

Position Summary:

An employee in this position serves as an Emergency Communications Officer (ECO) for the Orange County Emergency Communications Center (OCECC.) The ECO works as an essential staff member, being the first of the first responders that the community interacts within reporting emergencies in Orange County.

Essential Functions:

• Receiving, classifying, processing and dispatching emergency service calls; receiving, recording and forwarding non-emergency service calls; preparing and maintaining records and files; preparing reports.
• Receives, screens, processes and monitors emergency 911 calls from the public and other police/public safety agencies by radio and telephone; evaluates, categorizes and prioritizes calls; determines location of incidents and confirms jurisdiction of requests.
• Gathering, analyzing, and reporting critical information during life-or-death situations such as crimes in progress, medical emergencies, and fire/rescue incidents;
• Dispatches appropriate agency personnel to incident locations; determines nature of emergency, type of responder needed, number of units needed and nearest available units; dispatches law enforcement units, fire fighters, ambulances, wreckers, breathalyzer operators, VDOT, utility crews or others as appropriate; coordinates services/actions with other fire/rescue and law enforcement agencies.
• Operates telephones, communications equipment and computers associated with police, fire, rescue and emergency medical communications; operates general office equipment such as a typewriter, printer, copy machine, facsimile machine, shredder or calculator.
• Managing communications of emergency personnel responding to incidents and assisting with incident operations during events such as active shooter and officer down responses; monitors status/location of responding emergency units; assists emergency personnel in locating addresses; provides pre-arrival medical instructions as appropriate; conveys information between callers and emergency personnel, general public, public safety agencies, utilities, businesses, alarm companies, department personnel or other individuals/agencies; responds to requests from officers for backup, emergency units, information or other assistance; notifies hospitals of major accidents.
• Responds to non-emergency calls from the public or other individuals; directs callers to various agencies as appropriate; takes/relays messages for department employees or other departments; pages various county personnel as needed.
• Responds to requests from authorized individuals for license plate, driver’s license, missing/wanted person, criminal history, warrant, location of individual, stolen property, telephone number, or other information.
• Operates teletype terminals on NCIC/VCIN networks; monitors VCIN computer; provides information to deputies; inputs and retrieves a variety of data.
• Administering care by providing pre-arrival medical instruction or directing callers through procedures such as CPR, childbirth, or controlling of blood loss while emergency medical services are enroute;
• Enters warrants issued by numerous jurisdictions into system; enters incident reports completed by officers or investigators; enters all information pertaining to report.
• Enters or clears stolen property and wanted or missing subjects into VCIN and NCIC systems; requests criminal histories.
• Performs general cleaning/maintenance tasks associated with maintaining work areas.
• Performs related tasks as required.
• Bilingual a plus!

Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED with certifications and training as indicated below in the Special Requirements section and moderate experience in communications basics or equivalent combination of education and experience.