Careers
Who works at a 9-1-1 center?
Telecommunicators staff 9-1-1 Centers.
These members of the emergency services are not just phone operators, but highly trained individuals who gather vital information from callers and provide information to responders.
Telecommunicators manage the information flow between callers and responders.
What We Do
- Answer 9-1-1 Calls
- Answer non-emergency phone calls
- Dispatch responders to emergency and non-emergency incidents
- Handle responder requests (for example, Telecommunicators may attempt to find business owners to ask them to re-secure their buildings after a fire or break- in)
- Enter stolen items into national databases
- Check vehicle tag and registration information for law enforcement officers
- Provide 9-1-1 callers with instructions on what to do during their emergency
Our Center in Numbers
- Total staff: 60 people (6 administration, 54 front line personnel)
- Total annual 9-1-1 calls: 60,000
- Total annual non-emergency calls: 168,000
- Total annual dispatched calls for service: 114,000
- Total self-initiated activity (officers on traffic stops, etc.): 100,000
- Total departments supported: 5 law enforcement , 9 fire, 1 emergency medical
Internal Committees
- Telecommunicator Appreciation and Engagement Committee (CARES)- (Co-Chairs: Erin Jakuboski/Tanya Perry) - This committee exists to develop and maintain ongoing telecommunicator appreciation and engagement activities, such as Telecommunicator Appreciation Week and holiday events like Halloween costume contests, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and Super Bowl viewing parties. They also seek out engagement opportunities in community service, such as shift vs. shift food drives, or fund-raising efforts like the March of Dimes' "Blue Jeans for Babies" campaign or the Special Olympics' "Polar Plunge."
- Standard Operating Procedure Committee - (Co-chairs: Kristy Borden/Jessica Stewart) - This committee exists to identify and assist in proposing, revising, and implementing standard operating procedures and/or policies in the PSAP to meet national standards including NENA, APCO, NFPA, CALEA and NHTSA.
- Training Committee - (Chair: Jonathan Hopson) - This committee exists to identify and assist in addressing the basic and continuing education needs of our personnel to achieve a variety of operational and technical needs and goals.
- NCIC Committee -(Chair: Chris Hazelwood, TAC) - This committee exists to identify and assist in addressing the current and ongoing operational and technical needs of our NCIC program, ensuring CJIS compliance with TBI, preparing for audits, and assisting with operational improvements and quality for entries and removals.
- Database Management Committee - (Chair: Kathy Burridge) - This committee exists to identify and assist in ensuring our records housed in various databases (CAD, Inform 911, ECC-Shared Folder, etc.) are current, accurate, and easily accessible to all shifts and team members.
- Information Technology Committee - (Co-chairs: Sean Cothron/Ryan Cagle) - This committee exists to identify and assist in addressing our technical needs on the PSAP floor, including hardware, software, and maintenance of existing equipment.
- Public Education and Recruitment Committee - (Chair: Jessica Stewart) - This committee exists to develop and maintain the department's external outreach to the community, either through public education and awareness or employee recruitment efforts, including identification of and participation in career fairs, public safety activities, and public education events. This committee works closely with the EMA Public Information Officer to identify events and coordinate participation.
- Tactical Incident Dispatch Committee -(Co-chairs: Kristy Borden/Chris Burst - This committee exists to identify the needs of developing and maintaining a Tactical Incident Dispatch Team, developing a deployable Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team (TERT), and reviewing after-action reports from assignments or deployments to better assess the effectiveness of this specialized team.
- Disaster Preparedness Committee - (Chair: Kristy Borden) - This committee exists to develop and maintain the department's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) in case of a disaster or need to evacuate. This committee also develops relationships with the Emergency Management Agency to understand how to serve as a communications liaison to the Emergency Operations Center in times of disaster to ensure a common operating picture.
- Quality Assurance Committee - (Chair: Jonathan Hopson) - This committee exists to identify the needs of developing and maintaining a functional quality assurance and quality improvement program that is compliant with national association standards, including NENA, APCO, NFPA, CALEA and NHTSA, to ensure training and SOP are producing quality performance.
- Peer Support Committee - (Chair: Erin Jakuboski) - This committee exists to develop and maintain ongoing peer support program. They are responsible for gathering and providing resources to our telecommunicators when dealing with internal and external crisis.
Employment
The Williamson County Department of Emergency Communications hires new telecommunicators in cycles throughout the year. If there are openings, they will be listed on the Williamson County Government employment page.
Telecommunicator Interest Form
Interested in more information about working as a dispatcher for Williamson County? Fill out our interest form here and someone will reach out to you!