Public Safety Dispatcher- POLICE- (Provisional

Overview

An incumbent to a position in this class is responsible for operating the public safety communication system in the Department of Police. The Public Safety Dispatcher operates a telephone, radio, computer, Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) and related equipment, to dispatch police personnel and equipment to scenes of crimes, accidents and other emergencies. Incumbents must be able to function calmly under stress, and take appropriate action swiftly.

They must exercise sound judgment, alertness and responsiveness in emergency situations. Work is performed under direct supervision from a higher level police official and in accordance with established policies and procedures. Supervision is not a function of this position. Receives information regarding various incidents requiring police, fire or EMS attention emergencies, i.e. fires, robberies, stolen vehicles, missing persons, etc.

• Operates radio equipment to dispatch police personnel and equipment; dispatches vehicles and personnel for routine and emergency service calls; maintains continuous status and location records of police, fire and emergency vehicles;
• Operates computer terminal, AVL, to retrieve information and relay same as needed including e-mail system;
• Determines priorities of service when necessary in accordance with established policies and practices;
• Receives incoming telephone calls and provides information;
• Receives calls over the telephone from fire and other governmental agencies;
• Expediently accesses and reports to police staff and other civilian staff in the Department, sensitive information from criminal and personal databases, such as Criminal Justice Information System;
• Performs related duties as required.

Graduation from High School, GED or Equivalency Diploma. Proof of education must be presented at time of appointment.

Adopted: 11/30/94;
Revised: 12/6/95; 7/24/96; 10/8/10; 7/9/13; 11/10/21;
Reviewed: 11/4/98; 12/7/04;
Department of Human Resources, Civil Service Administration, Room 1001 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202.

Good knowledge of the operation and maintenance of radio and telephone equipment;

Good knowledge of the geography of the City;

Clerical aptitude;

Ability to quickly analyze emergency situations and take decisive action;

Ability to perform calmly and efficiently in all types of situations;

Ability to understand and follow oral and written directions;
Familiarity with police terminology and procedures;

Ability to maintain records and prepare reports;

Ability to speak clearly and distinctly;

Good hearing; mental alertness;

Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE QUALIFYING 911 PERFORMANCE TEST

A performance test will be held at a later date, to be announced. The written test will be a ranking test and the performance test will be a qualifying (pass/fail) test. You must pass both the written and performance tests to be considered for appointment. You will not be called to the performance test unless you have passed the written test.

Since the performance test is qualifying (pass/fail), if you pass the performance test your final score for the examination will be the score that you achieve on the written test.

Candidates may be invited to participate in the performance test in the order of the scores they achieve on the written test. The Department of Human Resources, Division of Civil Service reserves the right to give the performance test to only as many candidates as are needed to fill available vacancies.

The 911 test will be a performance test, administered on a conventional personal computer (PC). You will be using a conventional personal computer (PC) but you will not be using a mouse.

Subject: The test consists of three parts, each preceded by a separate practice session. It will test your ability to enter the kinds of information that dispatchers and related personnel must process for fire, police, and emergency medical services. You will not need any specific information prior to the test; rather, complete on-screen instructions will tell you all that you need to know in order to take the test.

In order to pass, you must enter the data at a rate of at least 6,000 key-strokes per hour (which is equal to typing approximately 20 words per minute), with an accuracy rate of at least 97.5%.

RETEST POLICY:

Candidates not successful on the 911 performance test may be allowed to participate in a retest. Such decision will be…