Communications Officer

Purpose

To receive calls from the public or health care facilities/agencies requiring emergency medical assistance and transportation to an Emergency Health Care Centre and to respond appropriately to those requests, under strict time constraints in accordance with various legislation, such as the Ambulance Act, the Coroner’s Act, Health Promotion and Protection Act, Fire Protection and Prevention Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act, Health Facilities Special Orders Act, and others.

What To Expect In This Role

• Process 911 Emergency and non – emergency requests for ambulance service.
• Direct ambulance movements.
• Provide pre-arrival instructions.
• Highly responsible for fast, accurate assessment of patient condition, location, situational awareness.
• Communicate with individuals under stress and in highly traumatic situations.
• Operate complex computer-aided telecommunications equipment.
  
  

Duties

• Understanding of all applicable legislation as it applies to the job as well as the CACC Manual of Operational Policy and Procedure, and all local operational policies and procedures, and to consistently apply these policies to everyday operations.
• Working knowledge of all equipment in the CACC and back up functions for same.
• Receive emergency and non-emergency calls and obtain all necessary information for immediate and effective processing of the emergency response required, provide approved pre arrival instructions as applicable to all callers in an empathetic and professional manner.
• Ensure all calls for assistance are responded to in the appropriate manner in accordance with policy and procedure.
• Monitor and record the status of all emergency responses.
• Relay all necessary information received from the emergency responders to the appropriate agencies.
• Ensure that all the equipment is functioning at all times and to log all equipment failures into the ARIS log as well as notify the manager and/or supervisor and the Technical Services Officer, as required.
• Participate in all training and maintain required training levels/certification.
• Ensure complete and appropriate documentation into the ARIS system and complete all reports, as may be required, in a manner acceptable to provide legal documentation.
• Promote professionalism within the centre with particular emphasis on confidentiality, public relations conduct and team work.
• Participate in on-going Quality Assurance Programs and encourage fellow staff to consistently perform at their best.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

• Provincially certified as a Communications Officer with the Province of Ontario as defined by the Ambulance Act.
• Secondary school diploma.
• Valid First Aid Certificate & CPR.
  
  

Experience

• Minimum of 1 year experience in an Ambulance Communications Centre
  
  

Skills

• Computer literacy in a Microsoft environment.
• Keyboarding skills of 35 wpm, minimum.
  
  

Ability

• Ability to work all shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays and ability to take shifts with less than 24 hours’ notice.
• Understanding of spatial concepts and can read maps, calculate time, distance and movement.
• Ability to participate in continuing medical education, as directed.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently as a team member in a fast paced environment in stressful situations.
• Ability to maintain successful working relationships with the interdisciplinary team to achieve positive patient outcomes.
• Ability to organize time effectively to perform the duties of the position.
• Ability to meet and interact with people in a pleasant, professional, responsible and reassuring manner.
• Ability to read, write and communicate to perform the duties of the position.
• Human relations skills including empathy, sensitivity, understanding of human and organizational behavior, motivational techniques and counseling skills (e.g. teaching patients).
• Behaviour consistent with Hospital Mission, Values and Standards of Performance.
  
  

Note: Because of the changing nature of the work and work to be done, other responsibilities and duties may by assigned and qualifications may be adjusted from time to time. Only those selected for the test/ interview will be contacted.

Individuals will be selected on the basis of their ability, experience and qualifications as identified in the resume which they have attached to the posting application form. The Hospital reserves the right to conduct a formal interview and/or testing where required.