State of Maryland

An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Communication Operator II is the full performance level of work operating emergency communication equipment, computer workstations and software packages in the Emergency Medical Resources Center/System Communication Center.  Employees in this classification receive, clarify and relay medical information and coordinate medical consultations between field clinicians, local emergency communication centers, Physicians and hospital personnel.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from the Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator Supervisor.  Employees are subject to be on call and will be assigned to day, evening or rotating shifts to include weekends and holidays.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator I and the Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator II are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed while the Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator II is differentiated from the Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator, Lead in that the Emergency Medical Services Communication Operator, Lead assigns, reviews and approves the work of and trains lower-level Emergency Medical Services Communication Operators.

Coordinates radio and telephone consultations between field emergency medical personnel and designated Physicians;

Determines priority for multiple requests for information and informs ambulances and Medevac helicopters of patients needing emergency treatment;

Monitors the status of hospitals and medical specialty centers to provide emergency medical treatments such as pediatric, hand, eye and burn care;

Obtains information such as the location and nature of the emergency incident and the number, names and ages of the injured to expedite patient treatment and maintains accurate records;

Provides field emergency medical personnel with information on the nearest or most appropriate medical facility;

Relays medical information to Physicians and other medical facility personnel such as Emergency Room Nurses and attendants on patients being brought to them;

Monitors a computerized tracking system as back-up for the Maryland State Police to determine the availability and location of Medevac helicopters;

Operates a computerized paging system to inform Physicians, technicians and public officials of the details of emergency incidents;

Operates emergency communications equipment, computer workstations and several software packages at workstations;

Answers questions from a variety of State agencies and the media concerning specific emergency incidents and the patients involved according to appropriate protocols and procedures;

Identifies any key issues or trends that should be brought to the attention of the EMS Communication Operator Lead or Supervisor or Operations Chief;

Attends all required classes, seminars, workshops and other educational opportunities designed to maintain or enhance their work production and emergency communication skills;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the operation of multi-band, multi-channel two-way radios, computers, and other communication equipment used to receive, clarify and relay information and to coordinate medical consultations;

Knowledge of medical terminology used by physicians and field emergency medical personnel in describing, diagnosing and prescribing emergency medical treatments;

Skill in typing and standard office procedures;

Skill in the use of multi-band, multi-channel two-way radios, computers, and other communication equipment;

Skill in performing multiple tasks simultaneously;

Skill in obtaining information that can be relayed ahead to Physicians to expedite patient emergency medical treatments;

Skill in maintaining logs of daily communications activities;

Ability to understand and carry out directions;

Ability to receive, record and transmit radio messages clearly, accurately and distinctly;

Ability to determine work priorities, quickly assess the urgency of multiple requests for assistance and exercise sound judgement under stressful conditions;

Ability to read maps and estimate the time it will take for a patient to be transported from one location to another by ambulance or by helicopter;

Ability to communicate clearly when using radios, telephones and other communication equipment;

Ability to apply protocols and procedures in maintaining the confidentiality of medical information.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Two years of experience at an Emergency Communication System as an operator or from the field as a pre-hospital clinician. This experience can include experience working as a licensed Emergency Medical Technician (or above) or Emergency Medical Dispatcher.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute additional experience in an emergency communication system receiving, relaying and dispatching information on a year-for-year-basis for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Emergency Communications or Management classifications or Emergency Communications or Management specialty codes in the Emergency Management field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Preferred certification for candidates applying for positions in this classification is an Emergency Medical Technician certificate or above.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

1. Employees in this classification are subject to call 24 hours a day and will be required to provide the employing agency with a telephone number where they can be reached.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions      Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series. In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.