Fire and EMS Dispatcher

**You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along**

Salary Information:
2016 Wages $3,751.00 per month while in training.
2016 Wages $3,976.00 per month when fully trained.

This recruitment process will create a Civil Service eligibility register that will be used to fill vacancies should they occur.

NATURE OF WORK:
The Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Dispatcher processes and dispatches all requests for Fire and EMS response.  Receives transferred calls from What-Comm Communications Center, various other agencies and directly from the public for Fire/EMS, public assistance, and hazmat responses.  Gathers information from calling parties; prioritizes and triages emergency requests for various types of assistance.  When appropriate, transfers the caller to another appropriate agency.  Fire/EMS Dispatchers located in the Prospect Communication Center (PCC) dispatch fire, rescue, medical, hazmat and other support units according to established policies and procedures.  PCC dispatchers use a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and Medical/Fire Priority Dispatch Protocols to triage information from the caller to determine the most appropriate apparatus to send, the level of coverage required and manage deployment of available units.  PCC dispatchers monitor current status of Fire/EMS Department resources and assist in making recommendations for temporary or permanent changes to fire response standards.  PCC dispatchers are responsible for protecting and upholding the Washington State HIPAA/Confidentiality Laws as they relate to the dispatch work.

PCC is the primary answering point for the City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Whatcom County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and dispatches all hazmat incidents.  As the secondary PSAP in Whatcom County, PCC has the capability and equipment necessary to receive all 911 calls directly in the event that What-Comm Communications Center needs to be evacuated.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Receives, prioritizes, and routes emergency and non-emergency calls from the public, transferred calls and calls received directly from other agencies.  Based on established procedures, enters non-emergent caller’s information and dispatches according to priority or transfer/refers to the appropriate agency. Gathers information from calling parties and enters the type, location, source and all information for emergency calls into CAD. Triages emergency requests for assistance, and dispatches fire, rescue, medical, hazmat and other support units based on established protocols.  Relays pertinent information between responders via radio.
2. Provides pre-arrival emergency and non-emergency instruction to the caller, including but not limited to, CPR, childbirth instruction and other life-saving instructions.  Continually updates the status of patients and responders to apparatus responding to the incident.
3. Retrieves and evaluates information from computers based on knowledge of dispatch and emergency response protocols, status of available apparatus and familiarity with county and city geography.  Dispatches and relays call information to responding personnel and apparatus.
4. Manages multiple radio frequencies and radio communications simultaneously per established policies and procedures.
5. Communicates and coordinates closely with field units and command officers to support and meet the needs of the incident and to accurately monitor incident status and unit response availability.  May work closely with other fire service personnel assigned to assist dispatch operations.
6. Checks the Fire/EMS dispatch consoles on a scheduled basis by running maintenance tests and monitors all other dispatch equipment as needed.  Reports problems to the COO or Communications Division Chief for facilitation of repair service for malfunctioning system components.
7. Provides vehicle routing information to responding units as needed.  Establishes and maintains current road closure information in a local database.
8. Appropriately monitors city-wide webcams, weather, local and national news during active incidents or weather-related emergencies for safety and scene information and relays that information to responders and other agencies as staffing and workload allows.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

The work is performed in an office environment at a computer/telecommunications work station, in close proximity to co-workers.  PCC Fire/EMS Dispatchers use different computer systems, a multi-line telephone system utilizing a headset and complex radio communications system to receive, input and process information.  PCC Fire/EMS Dispatchers frequently take calls from people in various emotional states requesting an emergency response.  The workload intensity varies considerably and requires frequent swings from emergency calls for service to less emergent assistance calls all dependent on cooperative teamwork.  Specifically defined circumstances may require the response to an emergency scene to provide and coordinate on-scene emergency communications.

The work includes shift work and the need to keep current with changing operational policies and procedures.  It also includes the requirement to attend and participate in fire service drills and certain fire trainings, as well as the requirement to maintain specialized training certifications as determined by policy and union contract.  The work environment requires long periods of sitting or standing.

• Minimum of one year of experience in a position with intensive public contact.
• Minimum keyboarding skill of 40 wpm net.
• Experience or training in the use of computer software such as word processing, spreadsheets, database management preferred.
• Experience using multi-line phone systems preferred.

• Must have completed and successfully passed an approved EMT training course series prior to date of hire and within the last ten (10) years;

OR

• Must have worked as a certified EMT within the previous ten (10) years.

OR

• Must have at least two years’ experience as a What-Comm Dispatcher or a dispatcher in a public safety dispatching setting with comparable duties to the Fire/EMS Dispatcher within the last 5 years

AND

• Must obtain EMD, EFD, certification within one year of hire or the time period specified by policy or contract.
• Must have a telephone at place of residence or a cell phone.
• Must pass a hearing evaluation prior to hire.
• Employment contingent upon passing a criminal convictions check.
• Must pass a pre-employment drug screen.
• Must be willing to work 12 hour shifts, weekends and holidays, including responding to callouts and overtime needs.
• This position is represented by a union and union membership is required within 30 days.

National Testing Network offers multiple dates and locations to complete testing. They will be offering two testing dates in Bellingham on October 25, 2016 and November 7, 2016.

Step 2: The City of Bellingham will use the scoring criteria recommended by National Testing Network to determine the highest ranked qualified applicants. The top thirty scoring candidates will be invited via email on or around November 22, 2016 to complete a City of Bellingham Employment Application online.

Step 3: After the City of Bellingham Employment Application is completed, candidates will be invited via email on or around December 12, 2016 to participate in Skills Testing. The Skills Testing sessions are tentatively scheduled for December 19th – 21st in Bellingham, WA. Candidates must appear in person to complete Skills Testing.

Step 4:Candidates will be placed on a ranked eligibility register based on the National Testing Network score and the Skills Test score, each will be worth 50% of the final score.The top scoring 15 candidates or the top 25%, whichever is greater, will be referred to the Department for final assessment.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently.

Fair Hiring Practices

• The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.
• The City will not inquire about an applicant’s criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.
• The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.
• The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.