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- What to Know Before You Apply
What to Know Before You Apply
In order to apply for a career with is as an Emergency Communications Specialist, you must:
- Be a high school graduate or the equivalent
- Be minimum 18 years of age
- Possess a valid automobile operator's license
Additionally, you must possess:
- Ability to effectively read maps and give directions
- Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality
- Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills, including the ability to speak clearly and distinctly, and to accurately summarize and describe information
- Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, user agencies and the general public
- Ability to perform quickly and effectively in emergency situations
If this sounds like you, we encourage you to read the full job posting and apply today!
Salary
An Emergency Communications Specialist Recruit can expect a starting salary of $20.96 per hour.
Upon successful release to take call independently, employees qualify for a promotion to ECS 1 with a 7% raise. There is also a $3.00 shift differential for night shift and you are eligible for overtime pay.
Benefits
The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full time benefited Frederick County Government employee.
- 11 days of Vacation leave to start with increase after 2 years of employment
- 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
- 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays
- Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan option to include generous County HSA contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Account.
- 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance benefit
- Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
- Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program.
- Potential to qualify for the federal student loan Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
- County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
- Vesting after 10 years of service
- Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc
- Other optional benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Accident Insurance, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, and more.
9-1-1 Emergency Communications Specialists are not immune to physical and mental health problems.
It is a reality in this career that you may hear things and deal with situations that most of us never want to experience.
We recognize how important it is to look after the health and safety of all its employees and provide support including:
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) The county’s EAP provides employees and their families with free confidential assistance to help in resolving problems that affect their personal lives and job performance.
- Peer Support Group: Trained employees supporting employees. Access to support and guidance from the people who truly know and understand the weight of the job.
- Wellness Programs
Various wellness programs are offered by Frederick County Government to their employees including informative seminars on nutrition, exercise, etc.
Before you ever take a single call, we ensure you have a solid foundation of skills and resources via our Training Academy.
The Academy consists of approximately 10 weeks, Monday-Friday from 8 am - 4 pm.
During the Academy you will learn:
- Basic Emergency Telecommunications (ETC)
- Emergency Medical Dispatch Protocols (EMD)
- Emergency Fire Dispatch Protocols (EFD)
- Emergency Police Dispatch Calls (EPD)
- CPR
- Caller Management
- Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD)
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
- Phone System
- Geography
After the Academy, you will be assigned to an operational shift to complete one-on-one training and observation until you are able to independently process emergency and non-emergency calls.
All shifts are 12 hours (6 am - 6 pm or 6 pm – 6 am). You will work a combination of both day and night shifts as you follow the rotation of your assigned shift. Occasionally, staff may be assigned to our power shifts, also working 12 hours at a time but with a different rotation. The operational shifts work days, nights, weekends, holidays, and during inclement weather.