Emergency Communications Oper

JOB TITLE:                Emergency Communications Operator

SALARY:                    $45,100 salary non-negotiable

DEPT/DIV:                Police Communications Unit 

LOCATION:               Long Island City, Queens

SUPERVISOR:          Sergeant or Emergency Communications Supervisor

HOURS OF WORK:  Varying shifts*

(Must be available to work day, afternoon, or overnight shifts, including holidays and weekends as assigned).

**This position is covered by IBT Local 808 collective bargaining agreement**

Summary

The Emergency Communications Operators are responsible for handling both emergency and non-emergency calls for police assistance.  When assigned to the Communications Center this position monitors and reports on alarms received through the integrated electronic security network in order to provide for the safety and security of the customers and employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and its affiliated and subsidiary agencies (MTA agencies) and the protection of the critical infrastructure of the MTA agencies.

When assigned to Police Dispatch, Emergency Communications Operators must be able to gather and disseminate information obtained from callers in crisis, suicidal callers, and callers in high-risk incidents. They must be able to provide resources to emergency responders who are in distress, and immediate response to any event, alarm or condition that may jeopardize safety and security.  To accomplish these functions, they must make critical decisions rapidly under high-stress conditions.

Emergency Communications Operators must make decisions on dispatching emergency response personnel and resources to the scene of an incident.  They are required to determine if an alarm indication necessitates a response and to determine the nature and scope of the response.

Selected candidates must pass a written examination and may then be invited for additional steps in the process, including a typing test, a panel interview, a complete background investigation, which will include fingerprinting.  In addition, candidates may be required to successfully complete a medical examination.  Each of these steps must be successfully completed by the applicant to be eligible for employment.  Emergency Communications Operators candidates hired by MTA will be subject to a one year probationary period.

Please note that there is no guarantee that any candidate will be selected to take the written examination or considered for any of the other steps in the selection process, and passing any one step in the process does not guarantee an invitation to participate in any further steps.

Responsibilities

• Receive emergency calls for assistance and dispatch emergency responders.
• Prioritize emergency calls to provide critical incident response, identify and utilize available resources and tools to enhance the delivery of public safety services.
• Use existing map interfaces, mapping program features, and zone beat configurations in order to identify resources to support Police operations.
• Monitor security related systems in the Communication Center, which includes but is not limited to intrusion detection, access control, intercom, closed circuit television, and radio telephone communications.
• Identify alarms and make appropriate notifications.
• Process basic system administration tasks and other related work to determine system failures and make notification to MTA Information Technology for repairs.
• Maintain a comprehensive situation awareness of system security.
• Notify appropriate law enforcement agencies of incidents and other agencies in the MTA as required.
• Monitor system health by monitoring, tracking, and reporting to maintenance groups any systems problems that occur.
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports as required relative to alarm activities and Communication Center Operations.
• Perform trend analysis of various security events and alarms as directed by supervision.
• Research and collect data for system audits.

Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to make critical decisions based on current data, past experience, and business rules
• Ability to prioritize tasks
• Excellent analytical abilities
• Must pass written examination
• Ability to work rotating and non-traditional tours (evenings, overnight, weekends, holidays) and mandatory overtime
• Proficiency in a second language, a plus

Education and Experience

• High School diploma
• Two to three years of work experience in a customer service environment required.
• Dispatching or emergency services work experience is highly preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other applications.
• Basic keyboarding ability with a standard typing speed of 25 words per minute with 98% accuracy.

Equal Employment Opportunity

MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including with respect to veteran status and individuals with disabilities.

The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.