Become a Communications Specialist

Becoming a Communications Specialist is an excellent place to develop a career where you make a difference in your community! Employees learn the conceptual fundamentals of public safety and develop the skills to effectively use the equipment, speak with callers and process policy driven protocol while handling emergency situations. The knowledge and confidence gained through the training and on the job experience help employees to grow in ways they never dreamed.

The Communications Bureau is part of the Administrative Division and is the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the City of Greenville. Thirty-one (31) civilian employees are responsible for answering over 220,000 telephone calls a year and for maintaining efficient radio contact with all police, fire and forensics responders for over 110,000 calls for service each year.

Apply online for this position.

Work Schedule

The Bureau is staffed 24 hours a day/365 days a year. Employees work 12-hour days with every other weekend off. Each year, operators bid for their shift of choice of nights or days. Shift assignments are made based on longevity scores and performance evaluations with the opportunity to earn points for perfect attendance.

Employment Process

New employees start in a temp-to-full-time work status with full-time hours and receive pay adjustments as the employee acquires necessary skills. Employees progress into full-time employment when the training program is completed; typically in three to four months. Applicants with South Carolina SLED/NCIC Certification, South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy-Basic 911 Certification and current APCO certifications may be eligible for a 5% increase in salary. Lateral applicants are also eligible to receive pay for their years of experience.

Work Environment

Communications Specialists work with at least four other specialists on a shift and handle incoming 911 and non-emergency calls for service. While we receive emergency calls for police and fire, we also process a significant number of administrative calls where our expertise in government operations is critical. Each Communications Specialist has their own work area with computer programs that can be tailored by each employee for how they process calls. The work requires the ability to multi-task with multiple senses (hearing, vision, speech, spatial awareness) and determine the most important task to focus on in a given situation. Working as part of a team provides support during busy call periods and also with difficult calls encountered in the course of business.

Overtime Pay

All hours worked in excess of 40 hours a week are compensated at the rate of time and a half.

Benefits

Medical and dental Insurance at a group rate; City pays a portion of the coverage
$25,000 life insurance policy for all full-time employees
Deferred compensation plans (401K or 457b) are offered
Membership in the credit union is available
Eligible for South Carolina state retirement after 30 years of service
$5,000 education tuition reimbursement
Yearly physicals at no cost to the employee
Three days of funeral leave for the death of an immediate family member
Excellent leave benefits that increase with service time

Employment Requirements

At least 18 years of age
United States citizen
High school diploma or GED equivalency
Never convicted of a felony
Never convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or a misdemeanor carrying a possible sentence of more than one year
Pass a medical exam and drug testing screening