Salary : $67,788.76 – $119,296.06 Annually
Location : Alexandria, VA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 2024-00024
Department: Department of Emergency Communications
Division: Operations
Opening Date: 07/21/2023
Closing Date: 8/4/2023 11:59 PM Eastern
Watch Officer
The City of Alexandria is in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City’s square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for Watch Officer position.
An Overview
The Watch Officer oversees the Department of Emergency & Customer Communications (DECC) call center operations and provides supervision to the department’s Public Safety Communications Supervisors. This position is responsible for monitoring, analyzing and assessing the potential impact that local and national threats may have on City-wide systems and resources; maintains communication with stakeholders including departmental staff, local and regional emergency communications officials, and the public; manages the department’s quality assurance program and accreditation program; and serves as the notification point-of-contact for information responsible for managing the Employee and Public Alerting System utilized by the City. The work is performed under the general supervision of the Deputy Director.
What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate will possess thorough knowledge of emergency management technologies supporting watch desk operational activities, dispatching and communications systems, policies, procedures, and equipment; thorough knowledge of the geography of the City, or the ability to readily acquire such knowledge; good knowledge of Federal Communications Commission regulations; good knowledge of Virginia Criminal Law applicable to Fire Emergency Communications and departmental operations and services; emergency rescue, and emergency medical services procedures; good knowledge of mutual aid agreements with other jurisdictions and medical center services; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental staff, City officials, representatives of other organizations, and the general public; ability to problem solve with limited supervision; ability to supervise the work of others; ability to develop and monitor a budget; and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing.
The Opportunity
- Manages the operational functions of the Department of Emergency and Customer Communications call center through Public Safety Communications Supervisors with responsibility for hiring, training, staffing assignments, evaluating performance, etc.;
- Ensures the Department’s compliance with the accreditation process and requirements for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), Association of Public Safety Communication Officer (APCO), National Emergency Numbers Association (NENA), International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and International Association Fire Chiefs (IAFC) standards;
- Reviews changes, updates, and/or amendments that are required to meet the standards set by accrediting agencies; reviews the impact of said updates on the Department’s current written directives, policies and procedures on changes; and recommends departmental updates and amendments;
- Develops and implements standard operating procedures, reviews and analyzes center operations and prepares recommendations for technical training, procedural changes and improvements;
- Monitors the Fire Mutual Aid Radio System (FMARS), Police Mutual Aid Radio Systems (PMARS), National Area Warning Alert Systems (NAWAS), Washington Area Warning Alert System (WAWAS) local and national media and other local state and federal systems for relevant information concerning incidents and its impact on the City
- Represents the Department in meetings with representatives of other jurisdictions, regional organizations, and local agencies to discuss, revise, or adopt communication operations policy;
- May be required to performs the duties of a Public Safety Communications Supervisor or Public Safety Communications Officer in the event of insufficient coverage as a result of heavy workloads and/or staffing shortages to include acting in the role of a Fire/Police Dispatcher and 9-1-1 call taker;
- Performs related work as required.
About the Department
The Department of Emergency and Customer Communications (DECC) ensures the effective delivery of routine and emergency calls for service to the City of Alexandria public safety departments. Our highly trained staff of professionals always strives to provide the best service possible to the public. Our employees are the most dedicated you will find anywhere, going above and beyond the call of duty to serve. Alexandria’s 9-1-1 center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Alexandria’s 9-1-1 center is one of only eight in Virginia to hold such accreditation. If you would like to review more about our department, please click the following link
Minimum & Additional Requirements
High School Diploma or GED and two (2) years of work experience as a public safety communications supervisor or equivalent; certified as a Fire and Police dispatcher and 9-1-1- call taker.
Preferred Qualifications
Associate of Arts (AA) Degree or equivalent college credits; education in the National Incident Management System (NIMS); and bilingual in English and Spanish or any other foreign language. Experience developing and providing 911 and 311 training.
Notes
This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment checks and medical testing including but not limited to a criminal history records check, fingerprinting, drug screening, vision and hearing exam, psychological and polygraph testing. The selection process may include an exercise.
This position is considered essential personnel and will be required to report to work regardless of the emergency (i.e., weather, transportation or other disaster).
We are proud to welcome you to explore the City of Alexandria’s excellent benefits and programs!
The benefits referenced on this site, may be changed from time to time without notice. Also, temporary and some part-time positions are not eligible for these benefits. For further information, please contact the Benefits Division of the Department of Human Resources at 703.746.3785 or email
01
I understand that failure to thoroughly and accurately complete the “Education” and “Work Experience” sections on my application and the “Supplement Questionnaire” will result in my application being rejected.
- Yes
- No
02
Are you a United States Citizen or a lawful resident of the United States for the past ten (10) consecutive years?
- Yes
- No
03
Are you willing to work varied shift schedules? Night, Day 3-7 days week with 24-hour accessibility?
- Yes
- No
04
Do you have a High School Diploma or GED?
- Yes
- No
05
Do you have an Associate of Arts (AA) Degree or equivalent college credits?
- Yes
- No
06
If yes to question 5 and you do not have an AA degree. Please provide how many equivalent college credits you have obtained. If not, please enter N/A.
07
Have you dispatched Police?
- Yes
- No
08
If yes to question 7, please explain when the last time you police was dispatched. If not, please enter N/A.
09
Have you dispatched Fire?
- Yes
- No
10
If yes to question 9, please explain when the last time was you fire dispatched? if not, please enter N/A.
11
Are you fluent in any other languages other than English? Please check all that apply.
- Amharic
- Arabic
- Korean
- Spanish
- Other
- None of the above
12
If you selected “other” in question 11, please indicate the foreign language(s). If not, please enter N/A.
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Do you have any experience providing 911 training? If yes, briefly describe your experience. If not, please enter N/A.
Required Question