Police Communications Operator

Job Description

Police Communications Operator I-II-III-IV | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

The Tone:
This is a critical first responder position with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, located in Austin, TX, focusing on public safety and emergency management. The department is dedicated to managing and conserving Texas’s natural and cultural resources, providing vital hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future generations. This role is essential to ensuring public safety and supporting law enforcement operations across the state by serving as the primary communications link during routine and high-risk incidents. The Police Communications Operator directly contributes to the agency’s mission by providing immediate and coordinated support to officers and other agencies.

The TL;DR
• Role: Police Communications Operator (licensed first responder)
• Location: In-person, Austin, TX

• Team: Reports directly to the Communications Supervisor within the Law Enforcement Communications unit.
• Mission: To provide critical police and emergency management communications, ensuring public safety and supporting law enforcement efforts across various agencies by serving as a central point of contact.

What You’ll Actually Do
• First Response Operations: Operate as a licensed first responder, executing essential police and emergency management communications work in strict adherence to established Standard Operational Procedures (SOP).
• Communications Coordination: Skillfully perform and coordinate all radio and telephone communications to effectively provide timely assistance and critical information to callers in diverse situations.
• High-Risk Incident Response: Respond promptly and professionally to high-risk incidents that directly involve the safety and well-being of the public or active law enforcement personnel, ensuring rapid and appropriate communication.
• Multi-Agency Liaison: Serve as the primary contact point for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officers, as well as collaborating with other state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies, providing crucial assistance, information, and coordination.
• Special Project Support: May be assigned responsibilities functioning as the Unit’s Project Liaison, contributing specialized expertise and support for specific areas or undertaking special projects as directed.

The Must-Haves
• Background: This vital role is structured for individuals ranging from an entry-level Police Communications Operator I up to experienced Police Communications Operator V professionals within the realm of police and emergency management communications. All candidates are required to possess a high school diploma or a GED.
• Experience: For the entry-level Police Communications Operator I position, no prior experience is required. For higher levels, specific progressive experience is mandatory: PCO II requires one year experience as a Police Communications Operator I; PCO III requires three years experience as a Police Communications Operator, with one year as a Police Communications Operator II; PCO IV requires four years experience as a Police Communications Operator, with one year as a Police Communications Operator III; and PCO V requires eight years experience as a Police Communications Operator, with four years as a Police Communications Operator IV. All levels require relevant experience in dispatch, telephone, police, and emergency management communications work.
• Skills:
• A valid Class “C” Texas driver’s license is mandatory.
• The ability to obtain, within six months of employment, both a Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) Basic Telecommunicators Course and Crisis Communications certification.
• The ability to obtain, within one year of employment, an approved Department of Public Safety (DPS) NLETS/TLETS Basic Procedures course and a TCIC/NCIC Full Access course.
• The ability to successfully pass, within one year of employment, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) State Telecommunicators examination.
• The ability to obtain, within one year of employment, a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Telecommunicator License.
• For candidates applying for or progressing to Police Communications Operator III and higher, possession of a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Intermediate Telecommunicator Proficiency Certification (120 hours) or higher is required.