Emergency Communications Assistant Shift Supervisor

Performs difficult technical and administrative work providing operational leadership and support for the daily operations of an assigned shift within the Emergency Communications Center. Serves as an assistant to the Emergency Communications Shift Supervisor by providing floor leadership, guidance, and operational support to communications personnel, coordinating communications center activities, helping ensure compliance with departmental policies and emergency dispatch protocols, and maintaining operational readiness. Serves as Acting Shift Supervisor when the assigned Shift Supervisor is absent or otherwise unavailable. This position does not exercise regular formal supervisory authority over employees except while serving in an acting supervisory capacity. Work is performed under the supervision of the Emergency Communications Shift Supervisor.The following essential functions serve as a general guide for this position. Position functions are subject to change based on departmental needs and external factors including, but not limited to, regulatory requirements.

• Assists the Emergency Communications Shift Supervisor with the day-to-day operations of an assigned shift within the Emergency Communications Center and provides operational leadership on the communications floor;
• Serves as a resource and point of contact for operational questions and routine issues during the assigned shift, escalating personnel, staffing, policy, or other supervisory matters to the Shift Supervisor as appropriate;
• Provides guidance, mentoring, coaching, and operational assistance to communications personnel and supports a positive, professional, and accountable work environment;
• Serves as Acting Shift Supervisor when the assigned Shift Supervisor is absent or otherwise unavailable and, while serving in that capacity, assumes responsibility for shift supervision, staffing, operational decisions, and other supervisory functions;
• Assists with maintaining adequate staffing and console coverage, monitoring staffing levels, equipment status, console assignments, and operational resources throughout the shift;
• Assists in ensuring compliance with departmental policies, procedures, emergency dispatch protocols, and applicable federal and state regulations;
• Provides operational leadership during emergency incidents and assists with coordinating communications center activities during critical incidents, major events, and emergencies;
• Monitors communications center operations to help ensure timely and accurate processing of emergency and non-emergency calls for service;
• Operates emergency communications systems and performs call-taking and dispatch functions for law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and other public safety agencies as operational needs require;
• Supports employee training and onboarding efforts in coordination with the Shift Supervisor and Training Coordinator and assists in identifying operational training needs;
• Provides observations and feedback to the Shift Supervisor regarding employee performance, training needs, policy compliance, and operational concerns;
• Assists with addressing questions or concerns from the public, partner agencies, and employees and refers matters requiring formal investigation or corrective action to the Shift Supervisor or management;
• Coordinates with public safety agencies, county departments, on-call personnel, and partner organizations to support effective service delivery;
• Monitors the operational status of the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, telephone systems, radio systems, and other communications technologies; reports issues, assists with troubleshooting, and coordinates with supervisory or management staff as needed;
• Utilizes Department of Criminal Information (DCI) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) systems in accordance with state and federal regulations;
• Retrieves, prepares, and maintains reports, recordings, CAD records, and other documentation for public safety agencies, court proceedings, records requests, quality improvement, and training purposes;
• Promotes a positive, professional, and collaborative work environment while supporting employee engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement;
• May be required to work outside normal business hours during emergencies, staffing shortages, special events, or severe weather;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

High school diploma or GED and considerable experience in emergency communications, including demonstrated leadership experience within a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), or an equivalent combination of education and experience

• Thorough knowledge of public safety communications operations, procedures, and best practices;
• Thorough knowledge of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), radio communications systems, telephone systems, and related public safety technologies;
• Thorough knowledge of emergency dispatch protocols and quality improvement processes;
• Thorough knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing emergency communications and criminal justice information systems;
• Thorough knowledge of the geography of Chatham County and surrounding jurisdictions;
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and make independent operational decisions under pressure;
• Ability to provide leadership, guidance, coaching, and support to employees without relying on formal supervisory authority;
• Ability to assume supervisory responsibilities and make personnel, staffing, and operational decisions when serving as Acting Shift Supervisor;
• Ability to make sound decisions quickly in high-stress emergency situations;
• Ability to effectively prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail;
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, partner agencies, county departments, and the public.

Physical Requirements
This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking, hearing, use of hands and fingers, handling, feeling, reaching with hands and arms and repetitive motions and occasionally requires standing, walking, pushing, pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; work requires vocal communication to express or exchange ideas orally and to convey detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; work requires hearing to perceive information at normal spoken levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data and observing general surroundings and activities; work has no exposure to environmental conditions; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Special Requirements
Must possess or obtain Department of Criminal Information Operator certification within one year of employment.
Must possess or obtain Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), and Emergency Police Dispatch (EPD) certifications within one year of employment.
Must possess or obtain FEMA NIMS ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-700, and ICS-800 Certifications within one year of employment.
Must possess or obtain APCO, NENA, or equivalent public safety communications supervisor or leadership certification within one year of employment.