Fire Telecommunicator I
The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 17th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 872,498 citizens. A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation’s largest banks and technology companies.
Also known as the Queen City, Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We work hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone – a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play. Join us in helping to keep our City thriving, ensuring upward mobility and advancement in the workplace.
This is moderately complex work in
receiving and transmitting telephone and radio emergency class for fire and
emergency medical incidents and coordinating response with other City/County
emergency service and/or non –emergency organizations.
A Telecommunicator receives incoming
routine and emergency calls, dispatches, and maintains contact with all
operational units. Work involves detailed record keeping, data entry, and acute
listening skills. Responsibilities include frequent public contact requiring
tact, firmness, and decisiveness, the ability to obtain important information
from callers who are under extreme stress, and the skill to choose the
appropriate course of action. Work is performed in conjunction with
departmental policy as well as state, federal, and FCC regulations.
Process emergency and non-emergency
calls from the public, dispatch appropriate Charlotte Fire Department
apparatus, and monitor and respond to emergency and non-emergency radio
traffic. Work involves monitoring multiple calls with different agencies,
apparatus, and personnel.
Candidates MUST be able to work
a flexible, rotating schedule including night shift, weekends, and holidays.
The current Communications schedule is a rotation between the day shift (6:45
am to 3:00 pm) and the evening shift (2:45 pm to 11:00 pm) or a consistent
night shift (10:45 pm to 7:00 am). Schedules may be modified, and overtime work
is required.
All newly hired Fire Telecommunicators will go through a training
program of approximately 20 weeks. This includes 6 weeks at the Fire Training Academy
and approximately 14 weeks of on the job training in the Emergency
Communications Center (ECC). Telecommunicator recruits must meet all standards
established by the department, including but not limited to:
· Successful completion of all academic portions of recruit training
· Certification as an APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator
· Certification as an APCO Fire Service Telecommunicator
· Adherence to all standards, rules, guidelines, and requirements as established by department General Orders and by Training Staff expectations
Additionally, Fire Telecommunicators must have the:
1. Knowledge of
the operations of an electronic radio and telecommunications system and related
Federal Communications Commission regulations.
2. Ability to
assess people and situations, to apply sound judgment, to remain calm under
stressful conditions and to elicit sufficient and essential information for
dispatching and assisting field personnel in a timely and efficient manner.
3. Ability to work simultaneously on different calls with different
agencies and staff.
4. Ability to speak clearly and distinctly.
5. Ability to maintain accurate and complete work activity records
and files.
6. Knowledge of the Charlotte area road system and geography.
7. Ability to work in a team setting
8. Ability to
obtain and maintain minimum training standards and certifications. This
includes an initial training period and continuing education.
Eligibility Requirements:
· The Charlotte Fire Department requires its Fire Telecommunicators to have a valid driver's license in their current state of residence as a condition of employment. All applicants must have valid driver's license listing current residence to be considered for the Fire Telecommunicator position.
· At least 18 years of age by the date of the written assessment
· High school diploma/GED by the date of the written assessment
· Must meet NENA Hearing Standards for Public Safety Telecommunicators (NENA-STA-007.3-00)
Automatic Disqualifiers Include, but are not Limited to:
· Reason(s) other than Honorable discharge from military
· Admission and/or conviction of felony offense
· Admission and/or conviction of misdemeanor involving moral turpitude
· Illegal drug use within twelve months before or after the date of the telecommunicator exam
· Pattern of illegal drug use including distribution
· Pattern of theft
· Six or more points for moving violations on driving record during past three years. Court decisions such as Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will be counted as convictions. Three-year period calculated from date of conviction for each violation
· DUI / DWI conviction within the last five years
ADA and Other Requirements:
Positions in this class
typically require grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.
Physical Requirements:
Sensory Requirements:
Concentrated and
attentive use of one or more senses (visual, audio, and other sensory
modalities) for proofreading, data entry, and tabulating data.
Working Conditions:
Work is performed in an indoor environment with moderate exposure to atmospheric conditions, moderate exposure to environmental conditions and frequent exposure to computer screens, files, and phone.
As of October 1, 2021:
The City of Charlotte requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment for any new City of Charlotte employees. The city is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and as such, will consider reasonable accommodations as required by law. Proof of vaccination is NOT required until a candidate receives and accepts a Conditional Offer of employment, at which time the candidate will be advised that proof must be submitted to CFD HR prior to the first date of employment.
The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.
Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.
Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.
The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Apply online.
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.
You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where we have workstations available. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.
Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may call (704) 336-2285 for assistance or you may email questions to CityHrJobPostingsNotify@ci.charlotte.nc.us.
The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.
Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.
The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.