Bartow, FL
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS CENTER
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Jane Casselman, Telecommunications Supervisor
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The Bartow Police Department's Telecommunications Center is the primary 9-1-1 public safety answering point for the City of Bartow. Certified Emergency Communications Specialists are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to handle 9-1-1 and all other calls, including less critical non-emergency calls to determine the nature of an emergency and what resources are needed to assist. Besides providing dispatch services to the Bartow Police and Fire Departments, the Communications Center also provides dispatch services for the Bartow City Electric Department and Fleet Maintenance.
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On January 14, 2021, the Department's Communications Center was approved as a Certified 9-1-1 Public Safety Telecommunications Training Center. The 232-hour training program has been certified by the Florida Department of Health and is the first time the Department Communications Center has been certified as such, and joins the ranks of the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Lakeland Police Department |
The Communications Center averages 7,000 incoming 9-1-1 calls per month, in addition to nearly 13,000 monthly administrative or non-emergency calls making their way through the Center. These calls may range from a medical emergency to someone who is the victim of a vicious crime, to the depressed individual who needs someone to talk to at the moment.
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Emergency Communications Specialists are the first responders to an emergency situation when they handle the initial call for help and deal with callers who are confused, angry, frightened, or hysterical. Through a calm demeanor and specific approach to call handling, these specialists utilize their training to get help route quickly and provide assistance before the first units arrive on scene.
New Communications Specialists undergo an extensive six month training program to learn the skills necessary to handle 9-1-1 calls, conduct police dispatch and fire dispatch operations, and learn the computer software that is an essential part of daily operations in the Communications Center.
During the training program, members must demonstrate proficiency in multi-tasking, including active listening, interviewing callers, dispatching resources as needed to multiple calls for service at any given moment, entering information into the computer-aided dispatch system, and maintaining overall situational awareness of active calls for service throughout the community.
The job of a public safety telecommunications operator is challenging and stressful. Not everyone can do this line of work, but many find this to be a personally rewarding career in public safety.
To check for Telecommunications Job Openings, go to: Employment Opportunities
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