Communications

Responsibilities

Communications Officers monitor and prioritize service and information requests from the public, and then dispatch the appropriate units. Communications Officers perform a vital function within the department and require skills and abilities that are unique. At all time, they must have the ability to be calm when talking to emotionally upset or irate individuals or when confronted with life and death situations. Communications Officers must listen carefully, while at the same time distinguish between, and monitor, multiple radio transmissions and telephone conversations. They also must have the ability to remember past calls and events and relay correct information to officers in the field. Working under pressure, Communications Officers must exercise good judgment and make sound decisions in highly charged emergency situations. In addition, a Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) is used to assist the hearing-impaired callers.