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Assistant Director of Emergency Response & Communications Page 1 I 3 Jurisdiction: Cortland County Jurisdictional Class: Competitive Adopted: 3/1/13 Amended: 10/28/13; 11/30/15; 6/29/20; 10/19/22; 5/30/23; 11/8/23; 10/2/25; 2/23/26 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE & COMMUNICATIONS DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The Assistant Director of Emergency Response/911 works under the general supervision of the Director of the Department of Emergency Response and is responsible for the management, planning, organization, and administration of a countywide emergency services communications program. This program serves law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and various non–public-safety agencies. The position encompasses personnel administration, including oversight of staffing in the 911 Communications Center. The incumbent must possess a strong working knowledge of effective human-resource management and supervisory practices. Responsibilities include shift scheduling, equipment inventory management, report preparation, and oversight of training programs, quality assurance, and performance improvement initiatives. This role requires substantial technical expertise with respect to the systems, software, and technologies utilized in the Communications Center. The Assistant Director must work collaboratively with the Information Technology Services Department, outside consultants, vendors, and internal technology staff. The position involves considerable autonomy, requiring the exercise of independent judgment in decision-making. The Assistant Director supervises all subordinate employees within the Communications Center and performs all related duties as assigned. TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative only) Coordinates and integrates Communications Center operations with emergency management programs and partner agencies; Provides administrative oversight of all dispatch operations; Supervises Communications Center staff, including conducting performance appraisals, scheduling shifts, authorizing leave, and enforcing disciplinary action when necessary; Plans, organizes and directs Communication Center operations, including management of facilities, resources, equipment and personnel; Establishes, interprets, approves, and enforces communication policies, procedures and operating standards; continually evaluates system efficiency in managing emergency service requests; Collaborates with emergency service providers and works closely with the County Fire Coordinator and County Emergency Services Coordinator to ensure coordination, support, and problem resolution; Oversees the design and delivery of training programs to ensure staff proficiency; Monitors compliance with regulatory standards and statutes to maintain required certifications and represents the Communications Center in dealings with regulatory agencies; Prepares public information materials related to the Communications Center; Maintains awareness of local and national trends, laws, technologies, and procedures affecting Communications Center operations; Serves on-call to coordinate emergency response during critical events; Identifies and intervenes in high-risk behavior of subordinates; Coordinates routine testing, inspection and system upgrades of communications systems and ---PAGE BREAK--- Assistant Director of Emergency Response & Communications Page 2 I 3 related equipment; Collaborates with various public safety agencies – including police, fire, and EMS – and represents the Communications Center before boards and partner organizations as needed; Documents and distributes information regarding equipment malfunctions and proposed enhancements through appropriate communication channels and work-order systems; Provides guidance and support to departmental staff, IT personnel, consultants, and vendors regarding maintenance, administration, repair, and upgrades of communication systems and equipment; Perform additional duties as assigned by the Director of the Department of Emergency Response or their designee. FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Thorough knowledge of law enforcement, fire services, and emergency medical dispatching principals, practices, techniques and equipment; Strong understanding of the operation regulatory requirements of emergency service communication systems and related technologies; Good knowledge of applicable State and local laws, rules and regulations governing mutual aid, disaster preparedness, disaster assistance, police operations, alarm systems, operational standards, and emergency response procedures; Knowledge of supervisory principles and practices; Knowledge of staff development and training methodologies; Knowledge of contractual regulations and compliance requirements affecting Communications Center employees; Ability to plan, schedule and supervise the work of others; Ability to operate a wide variety of emergency communications tools and equipment requiring precision and dexterity; Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; Ability to prepare accurate reports and maintain detailed records; Ability to maintain equipment and inventory; Ability to train new employees in proper procedures and the professional conduct; Ability to exercise sound judgement, tact and courtesy in stressful or challenging situations; Physical and mental capacity commensurate with the demands of the position. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either: Possession of an Associate’s degree or higher and two years of experience working in a multi-agency public safety communications center; OR Possession of a high school diploma or equivalency diploma and four years of experience working in a multi-agency public safety communications center; OR An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of and NOTE: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the ---PAGE BREAK--- Assistant Director of Emergency Response & Communications Page 3 I 3 U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. Must be eligible for all required eJustice and NCIC certifications at the time of application and maintain eligibility throughout employment. 2. Must obtain and maintain CPR certification within six months of appointment. 3. Must obtain and maintain Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Certification within six months of appointment. 4. Must obtain and maintain Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD) Certification within six months of appointment. 5. Must obtain and maintain IAED Emergency Medical Dispatch Quality Assurance (EMD- Q) Certification within six months of appointment. 6. Must obtain and maintain IAED Emergency Fire Dispatch Quality Assurance (EFD-Q) Certification within six months of appointment. 7. Must obtain and maintain APCO certifications, including: a) Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST-1) or equivalent within one year. b) Communications Center Supervisor (CCS) or equivalent within one year. c) Communications Training Officer (CTO) or equivalent within one year. d) Communications Center Manager (CCM) or equivalent within two years. 8. Must obtain certification as a CAD System Applications Administrator from the department’s CAD vendor within one year of appointment and maintain certification thereafter.