Think a career in law enforcement is exclusive to police or firefighters?
Think again. There’s an alternative.
Sitting in a dimly-lit room nestled in the center of Plant City Police Department (PCPD) headquarters, telecommunicators sit in front of multiple computer monitors, donned in headsets, and answer emergency and non-emergency calls for service, protected from natures’ elements.
The center is staffed 24/7 by five full-time employees. It’s in desperate need of telecommunicators. The center is so understaffed, the supervisor is also working a phone shift.
Police Chief James Bradford said telecommunicators are critical team members for public safety response. “The 911 operators and dispatchers (telecommunicators) are the first people to answer the telephone and gather pertinent information about an emergency,” he said. “An experienced, well-trained telecommunicator can gather so much important information that can help first responders form an early understanding as to what is actually happening at an emergency scene.”
Telecommunicator III Sarah Collins has been working with PCPD since 2010. “My father was a firefighter so I’ve always kind of been around first responders my entire life,” she said.
When she first applied for the position, she didn’t really understand what the job entailed but once she saw the comms center, she was hooked. “I walked through the comms center and knew it was going to be something I would enjoy,” she said. “I love a challenge and like to solve puzzles and that’s what it seemed like, listening to people that called in, figuring out what they needed and sending them the right help.”
Collins, who quickly learned the ropes during the required training period, works a 12-hour shift, alternating between 36 and 48-hour workweeks. She is paid weekly.
No two shifts are the same. Telecommunicators dispatch police, fire and medical units but they also answer normal calls on the non-emergency line. One caller might want to leave a message for a detective. The next might need a firefighter. The next might be someone who found a loved one deceased. “We stay on the line and are a calming presence until someone can get to them,” said Collins.
Particularly difficult for her are the medical calls when a child is having a seizure. “My own son is an epileptic and I’ve been through what those parents are going through so they get me more emotional than others because it hits so close to home,” she said.
Collins said being able to multi-task is critical to the job. “You have to be able to make split decisions in less than a second and they can be life or death decisions,” she said. Communication skills are also important. “I’ve learned how to really listen to people and how to ask questions in a way that the caller understands what information I’m trying to get and making them feel comfortable with providing that information,” she said. Patience also helps. “Even in simple calls, if someone is really agitated and calling me names, I can keep my cool,” she said.
There is satisfaction in doing the job well, said Collins. “We’re the first first responders and without us police, fire and medical wouldn’t know where to go,” she said. “We’re a team here, and there’s a lot to learn but it’s a rewarding place to work.”
Applicants must be graduates of an accredited high school or possess an acceptable equivalency diploma and have one year of experience in general clerical work or telephone operaiton. Pay rates starts at $18.04 per hour. The position requires availability for all shifts 365 days a year. For more information about the position call (813) 659-4235.