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Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city.
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Monitor alarm systems to detect emergencies, such as fires and illegal entry into establishments.
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Observe alarm registers and scan maps to determine whether a specific emergency is in the dispatch service area.
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Test and adjust communication and alarm systems, and report malfunctions to maintenance units.
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Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.
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Operate and maintain mobile dispatch vehicles and equipment.
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Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions.
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Maintain files of information relating to emergency calls, such as personnel rosters and emergency call-out and pager files.
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Answer routine inquiries, and refer calls not requiring dispatches to appropriate departments and agencies.
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Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
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Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
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Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
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Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
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Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations.
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Learn material and pass required tests for certification.
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Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles.
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Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.
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Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.