THP DISPATCHER 1** - 12142023-53319

Job Information

LOCATION OF (75) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY & HOMELAND SECURITY, COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION, STATEWIDE

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This classification of THP Dispatcher 1* currently includes a shift differential which increases the monthly salary to $3,107.50 monthly.

I understand this recruitment advertisement will remain open until an active job is posted. Once an active job is opened, I will be notified and assigned to the posting. This recruitment will remain open until an adequate pool of candidates is established. It is in the applicant's best interest to submit all required materials as early as possible.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Education equivalent to graduation from a standard high school.

OR

Substitution of Experience for Education: Qualifying experience in communications equipment operations may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Other Requirements

Necessary Special Qualifications: Applicants for this class must:

1. Be at least eighteen (18) years of age;

2. Be a citizen of the United States;

3. Have a good moral character, as determined by investigation;

4. Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;

5. Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority;

6. Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check;

7. Not have been convicted or pleaded guilty to or entered a plea of nolo contendere to any felony charge or to any violation of federal or state laws or city ordinances relating to force, violence, theft, dishonesty, gambling, liquor, or controlled substances, Tennessee Code Annotated 7-86-205;

8. Not have been discharged under any other than honorable conditions from any branch of the United States armed forces;

9. Pass a physical examination administered by a licensed physician that is consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and that relates to the essential functions of the position;

10. Upon appointment, successfully complete a prescribed course of instruction approved by the Tennessee Public Safety Committee.

Applicants for positions in the Department of Safety and Homeland Security must pass a psychological evaluation administered by a licensed mental health professional that is consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and that relates to the essential functions of the position.

Examination Method: Education and Experience, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.

Summary

Summary: Under general supervision, is responsible for communications equipment operations work of average difficulty in operating teletype and two-way radio equipment in receiving and transmitting law enforcement, disaster and/or weather information; and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Features: *This is the entry class in the THP Dispatcher sub-series. An employee in this class performs shift work, on a rotating basis, in receiving law enforcement, disaster and/or weather information, by telephone, teletype and two-way radio, and transmitting messages based on this information to the most appropriate agencies or individuals. Work involves making decisions on the most appropriate agencies or individuals to receive the information and preparing and maintaining communications logs and statistical reports. This class differs from that of THP Dispatcher 2* in that an incumbent of the latter performs at the intermediate level. This class flexes to and differs from that of THP Dispatcher 3* in that an incumbent of the latter performs at the working level.

*An applicant appointed to this class will be reclassified to the THP Dispatcher 3* after successful completion of a two-year training period; inadequate or marginal performance during the training period will result in automatic demotion or termination.

Responsibilities

Getting Information:

1. Answers multiple telephone calls, monitoring, transmitting and receiving information on multiple channel two-way radio, and entering data into computer system.
2. Provides liaison functions by receiving and properly handling, directing or prioritizing calls for emergency and non-emergency needs to and from THP units, other public safety agencies, and the public as well as critical incident intelligence.
3. Receives law enforcement information by telephone, teletype, and multiple channel two-way radio, and transmits messages based on this information to the appropriate law enforcement agencies or personnel; receives and transmits information on motor vehicle crashes, fatalities, and hazardous weather conditions and handles communications requests for information regarding driver's license, motor vehicle or boat title and registration, wanted or missing persons, and wrecker and ambulance services.
4. Gathers information and refer calls for service to the appropriate agencies when necessary.
5. Conducts inquiries for guns, drugs, and illegal smuggling, human trafficking.
6. Assists troopers and law enforcement personnel with locating families for next of kin notifications.
7. Conducts inquiries for immigration/naturalization status.

Monitor Processes, Materials or Surroundings:

1. Monitors multiple channel, two-way radio for officer safety and provide emergency response to officers in distress.
2. Monitors the location and status of field law enforcement personnel by multiple channel two-way radio on a regular basis and dispatch additional law enforcement personnel to assist with handling certain situations.
3. Operates and monitors statewide emergency teletype and radio communications systems and receive notification of emergency or disaster situations, including hazardous materials spills, tornadoes, flash flooding and the search and rescue of specific individuals or groups; evaluates the nature of the emergency and notifies by telephone, teletype and/or multiple channel two-way radio, agencies or pertinent individuals with the expertise and/or authority to handle the situation.
4. Monitors detection of an alarm when road personnel receive possible confirmation of stolen vehicles/articles or wanted persons and/or the terrorist watch list.
5. Monitors CAD for unit emergency alarm; checks trooper status and sends appropriate backup if the Trooper fails to respond.
6. Verifies trooper/road personnel location and status to insure their safety during traffic stops, crashes, commercial motor vehicle inspections and motorists assists at the pre-assigned time intervals.

Processing Information:

1. Processes limited, vague and sometimes false information to make positive identification of individuals and/or property. Decides what information is needed to complete the task.
2. Analyzes database information to assist trooper/other law enforcement agencies in investigations.
3. Receives weather information and forecasts by teletype, multiple channel two way radio, electronically and transmits information to road personnel and other appropriate emergency agencies.
4. Submits suspicious activity reports to Fusion Center relating to possible terrorist or homeland security matters.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:

1. Maintains confidentiality of law enforcement sensitive information and documents in compliance with laws and policies.
2. Interprets, complies and keeps up-to-date with all department general orders, policy and procedure and guidelines while performing daily activities.
3. Maintains up-to-date information on traffic incident management, prison escape plan, emergency management, etc.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems:

1. Anticipates routes of travel, traffic and weather conditions and obstacles to advise troopers/officers during pursuits.
2. Knows which units to utilize, refers calls for service, prioritizes calls for service, determines the appropriate support agencies to send, what notifications have to be made.
3. Immediately notifies appropriate authorities of equipment failure.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:

1. Keeps up-to-date on general orders, policies, procedures and standards.
2. Attends required training and maintain required certification, including but not limited to, public safety telecommunicator course, TIES, NCIC, NIMS< Amber Alert, CPR, Respectful Workplace, Customer Service, CAD, on-the-job training by the Communications Training Officer, new database training, TDOT Fog Zone training, TDOT Smart Way training, CJIS training.

Interacting with Computers:

1. Conducts hit confirmations with entering agencies on stolen/wanted or any other NCIC entries, including but not limited to license plate readers.
2. Accesses road maps and provide directions to road personnel and the public.
3. Conducts CAD searches to obtain general information such as crashes, trooper times, vehicle information.
4. Enters/queries gang related information.
5. Enters stolen records in NCIC.
6. Monitors LoJack stolen vehicle tracking system.
7. Updates road assignments in appropriate databases.
8. Resets expired/invalid passwords in iMobile.

Documenting/Recording Information:

1. Creates, updates, and documents all requests for service and other data into CAD.
2. Prepares and maintains essential logs and pertinent statistical data and reports on motor vehicle crashes, fatalities, and/or emergency or disaster situations.
3. Ensures that all case files are current, submits status reports per established time frames and keeps management apprised of case events as they occur.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:

1. Dispatches additional resources for natural and man-made disasters.
2. Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility when working with co-workers, subordinates, and management to complete a job. Demonstrates a sense of cooperativeness by remaining open and positive when receiving direction or constructive feedback.
3. Demonstrates clear, effective communication in individual group settings.
4. Completes accurate reports and keep supervisor and others fully informed on work status, issues and problems that need resolution.
5. Notifies public information office of critical incidents to ensure public awareness and safety.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:

1. Assists the other operator on duty and operating as a team.
2. Conducts shift briefing and pass along information to on-coming operators and road personnel.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:

1. Provides 24-hour a day support to the road personnel and to the public.
2. Provides access to the appropriate interpreting service for non-English speaking calls for service pursuant to state and federal law requirements.
3. Talks with non-English speaking parents through the children.
4. Assists distraught, emotional and irate callers.
5. Communicating with children and the elderly involved in critical incidents.
6. Provides motorist assistance, general assistance, emergency assistance, and public information and directions in an efficient, courteous, knowledgeable manner treating all customers with dignity and respect.
7. Keeps the public informed about road closures and hazardous road conditions.

Performing Administrative Tasks:

1. Notifies Consulate regarding foreign nationals that have been arrested/detained, seriously or fatally injured in crashes.
2. Completes required reports, forms and documents within the established time frames, (including but not limited to travel claims, time and labor, collection and reporting trooper activity, entering serious or fatal crash report).
3. Stays up-to-date on schedule.
4. Updates wrecker call lists/logs.
5. Update sdepartment personnel, other agency contact information in CAD.
6. Completes all requested forms and documents prior to commissioned members court appearance such as but not limited to certified driving histories and criminal histories.
7. Maintains call out lists for road personnel and dispatcher.
8. Relays messages to road personnel form the public.
9. Disseminates subpoenas for court to troopers/road personnel.
10. Obtains proofs of compliance for accreditation process.
11. Maintains contact information for Chaplains.

Competencies

Competency:

1. Honesty
2. Professionalism
3. Loyalty

Knowledge:

1. Clerical knowledge
2. Knowledge of Windows Office
3. Geography and map reading
4. Knowledge of basic math
5. Customer and personal service

Skills:

1. Active learning
2. Critical thinking
3. Reading comprehension
4. Speaking
5. Listening Skills
6. Writing
7. Service orientation
8. Manage own time
9. Typing Skills
10. Stress Management Stress
11. Working Independently Skills

Abilities:

1. Communication skills both verbal and written
2. Deductive reasoning
3. Memorization
4. Oral comprehension
5. Oral expression
6. Written Comprehension
7. Written expression
8. Hearing sensitivity
9. Speech recognition

Tools & Equipment

1. Computer
2. Telephone
3. Printer/Copier
4. MCC7500 Communications Console
5. Computer Aided Dispatch
6. Communications Training Officer Software