Job Information
County of Blair Telecommunicator Trainee in Altoona, Pennsylvania
Essential duties of a telecommunicator include receiving calls, monitoring radio frequencies, and monitoring intrusion and fire alarms in a fast, courteous, accurate, and efficient manner; ascertaining nature and location of service required; taking action(s) needed to ensure service is provided; documenting response activities; operating console equipped with multiple computer terminals, mapping and camera systems, radio channels, telephone lines, and keyboard, etc.; providing callers with medical and/or other emergency instructions prior to arrival of emergency units; calming callers as needed to extract pertinent information; remaining alert during up to 12-hour shift with consistent steadiness, courtesy, or patience and regardless of workload; completing training as directed; staffing and operating field equipment; maintaining confidentiality; and performing other duties as required.
Requirements
Qualifications required of trainees are a high school diploma or GED; fluency in English; data entry skills that allow for accurate, efficient recording of communications recorded in real-time or later; demonstrated abilities to work, organize, and operate with a high level of productivity when under pressure; demonstrated abilities to effectively handle multiple differing tasks simultaneously; superior accuracy in all duties; learns ad demonstrates capacity for work and essential duties of job via successful completion of 12-week training program provided through the employer that consists of:
Three months of full-time classroom training (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Three months maximum of hands-on training across multiple shifts in a 24-hour operation
Forty hours of accredited training in telecommunications, APCO Institute or equivalent, and accompanying certification
Training in emergency medical dispatching or emergency police dispatch with accompanying certification
Working knowledge of or ability to learn policies and procedures of an emergency communications center
Knowledge of or ability to learn geography, topography, and environmental characteristics of Blair County
Knowledge of or ability to learn use of municipal/county/state road maps
Hires must pass post-offer, pre-employment drug screen and criminal background checks. Incumbents cannot use medical marijuana because of federal funding provided to the role. Physical requirements of work environment include stamina to work 12-hour shifts, including evenings, nights, holidays, and weekends; frequent periods of sitting; and movement that can include bending, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, grabbing, and typing; vision requires varying focus, distinguishing colors, and long periods of reading computer monitors; hearing and speaking; manual dexterity; and reliable transportation for reliable attendance.
Benefits
Trainees are enrolled in the pension plan upon hire, which includes a required 5% pre-tax withholding; the remaining provisions of the benefits package begin the first of the month following classroom and hands-on training completion upon successful training graduation. Benefits after graduation and assignment to a shift include 90% employer-paid PPO healthcare with vision and three-tier prescription components, public employer's equivalent of 401(k), short-term disability, term life insurance, a menu of voluntary benefits that includes dental and Aflac, 14 annual paid holidays, and other time-off provisions. Trainees start at $13.88/hour. If trainee graduates and is placed onto the work schedule, pay increases to $16.30/hour.
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