Communications Operator Jobs

Posted: Thursday, July 20, 2023

Job Number: PB-23-03

Job Type: Permanent Full-time, Barrie Professional Fire Fighters Association Bargaining Unit

Position Closing Date: Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

Choose Barrie

The City of Barrie is a vibrant, progressive, and growing community with deep connections to our heritage, to nature and to the opportunities surrounding us.

Our community values quality of life; the ability to play year-round with 300 hectares of park space, our beautiful waterfront, our lively downtown core and the nearby hills, wetlands, and forests. We also value connections; to our neighbours and the community, to our road and rail network, and to the opportunity Barrie provides to enjoy life.

Everything Barrie has to offer, from the water we drink to the roads we travel on, has one thing in common - municipal workers. Joining a municipality is one of the most rewarding, engaging, and exciting careers you could choose. It is a career you can take pride in knowing that every day you make a positive impact on an entire community. We are one team, with one goal and we all work together to continue making our community great.

The Opportunity

Barrie Fire and Emergency Service (BFES) is a team of dedicated professionals delivering a vast array of emergency services to the citizens, business and visitors to Barrie. Originally organized in 1844, BFES has become one of the most respected fire services in Ontario, providing high-level service in: fire inspection/code enforcement, fire protection, technical rescue, training, communications, origin and cause investigations, and emergency management planning.

Under the general guidance and direction of the Communications Officer, the Communications Operator position is responsible for call processing from receipt of call to the dispatching of fire apparatus for Barrie Fire and Emergency Service and for those municipalities or other agencies with which contractual agreements are in effect. Specifically, this position receives calls, collects, and relays information to the appropriate personnel or unit, conveys instructions, information, and direction to the service requester, and maintains radio communication with emergency responders. Additionally, this position maintains documentation of all calls and ensures communications equipment is regularly tested. Overall, this position plays an integral role in delivering timely and appropriate emergency services to the residents of the City of Barrie and the surrounding municipalities.

Our Culture And Qualifications Of The Job

Corporate Culture

• Your workplace values align with our corporate values of Strive, Share and Care and you want to join us in providing exceptional services and programs to build a prosperous, growing and sustainable community

Education (degree/diploma/certifications)

• Eligibility for and willingness to obtain the Emergency Services Communicator Certification from an accredited association, organization, or institution
• NFPA 1061 – Standard for Public Safety Telecommunications Personnel Professional Qualifications Levels I and II
• Secondary School Diploma
• Eligibility for and willingness to obtain the following National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) qualifications:

Experience

• Demonstrated dispatching experience
• Demonstrated experience in a customer service work environment

Knowledge/Skill/Ability

• Basic keyboarding speed of 40 wpm
• Advanced verbal communication skills
• Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA);
• General knowledge of the following legislation, regulations, or requirements:
• Maintain a high standard of public relations at all times
• Exercise discretion and judgment in order to make sound decisions under tight timelines/deadlines or while managing multiple project or conflicting priorities
• Communicate and present information to a wide range of internal and external contacts using the appropriate medium
• General knowledge of the following principles and standards:
• NFPA 1061 -– Standard for Professional Qualifications for Public Safety Telecommunications Personnel Qualifications
• Enter, transcribe, record, store, and maintain information in written or electronic form
• Fire Protection and Prevention Act;
• NFPA 1221 - Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems;
• Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA);
• Demonstrated ability to:
• Perform calmly and effectively in highly stressful, emergency situations
• Fire Marshal’s Directives;
• Interact effectively and courteously with all levels of staff and contacts in a political and community/client service environment
• Workplace Safety Insurance Act;
• General knowledge of fire, rescue and emergency incident management and medical services
• Intermediate administrative, customer service, interpersonal, written communication skills
• Office of the Fire Marshal Guidelines;
• Listen to, interpret, and understand information and ideas presented verbally
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
• Ontario Human Rights Code;
• Ontario Fire Code; and
• Barrie Professional Fire Fighters Association (BPFFA)
• Intermediate computer literacy utilizing Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, Word)
• Communications best practices

Conditions of Employment

• Satisfactory Criminal Record Check*
• Please note that this is a requirement of the position for any new employees to the City of Barrie in accordance with the Police Record Check Procedure. Existing employees will be grandparented from this requirement.

Other Important Information

Location: Barrie Fire and Emergency Services, Station 1, 155 Dunlop Street West, Barrie, Ontario

Hours: The normal hours of work will be an average of forty-two (42) hours per week, in accordance with the following repeating schedule: two (2) twelve hour day shifts (7:30am - 7:30pm) followed by two (2) twelve hour night shifts (7:30pm - 7:30am) and four (4) days off.

Wage: This position is within the BPFFA Bargaining Unit with the following pay level and 2023 pay range:

• Yearly Salary: $65,471 per year to $109,118 per year, and in accordance with the BPFFA Collective Agreement
• Hourly Pay Rate: $29.87 per hour to $49.79 per hour, and in accordance with the BPFFA Collective Agreement

Benefits: This position includes a comprehensive BPFFA union benefit plan, including but not limited to extended health and dental coverage, life and accident insurance, paid vacation and sick days, short/long term disability plans, OMERS pension plan, discounted rate for City Fitness Memberships and much more.

Don’t meet the credentials as outlined but have years of directly related experience? Please see the City’s Education Equivalency Procedure to determine if you may qualify for equivalency. Further information is available at www.barrie.ca/JobOpps.

• Position Equivalency Code: A

Please note that verification of educational credentials will be required from the preferred candidate prior to an employment offer.

The City of Barrie is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness and welcomes applications from qualified individuals of diverse backgrounds. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices and we will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. If contacted for an employment opportunity, please advise if you require Code-protected accommodation and we will work with you to meet your needs.

We thank all applicants and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.