Aligning Your Agency’s Job Descriptions with State Standards: Why It Matters
One key step in advocating for the reclassification of 911 dispatchers is ensuring that your agency's job descriptions are aligned with state standards. When job descriptions clearly reflect the critical and complex nature of the role, it strengthens the case for why dispatchers should be classified as first responders.
Regularly reviewing and updating job descriptions ensures they accurately capture responsibilities like emergency call handling, crisis management, and providing lifesaving instructions. Agencies should work with HR and legal teams to align these descriptions with state-level definitions, providing a stronger foundation for advocacy efforts.
Currently, the State of Florida defines “911 Public Safety Telecommunicator” as a public safety dispatcher or 911 operator whose duties and responsibilities include:
the answering, receiving, transferring, and dispatching functions related to 911 calls
dispatching law enforcement officers, fire rescue services, emergency medical services, and other public safety services to the scene of an emergency
providing real-time information from federal, state, and local crime databases; or supervising or serving as the command officer to a person or persons having such duties and responsibilities.
**The term does not include administrative support personnel, including, but not limited to, those whose primary duties and responsibilities are in accounting, purchasing, legal, and personnel.
Florida’s standards for public safety telecommunicators lay out a foundation of knowledge, skills, and duties that underscore the demanding nature of this role. The standards emphasize emergency call handling, crisis intervention, and lifesaving assistance, all of which support the need for first responder reclassification.
During the legislative review process, agencies are often asked to submit job descriptions for comparison. If job descriptions vary significantly, it can undermine the argument that dispatchers fulfill a standardized, high-stakes role. Inconsistencies suggest that some agencies consider certain responsibilities less critical or that the role varies widely, which might hinder efforts to classify all dispatchers as first responders. Legislators rely on detailed job descriptions to understand the responsibilities and duties of 911 dispatchers. If an agency’s job description doesn’t accurately reflect the duties outlined in state standards, it could create confusion or even downplay the role of dispatchers as critical first responders. Legislators may interpret a misaligned job description as evidence that dispatchers don’t meet the necessary criteria for reclassification.
Steps to Align Job Descriptions with Florida’s Standards:
Review State Requirements: Familiarize yourself with Florida Statute 401.465, which governs public safety telecommunicator standards. Identify any additional competencies that might be unique to your agency and ensure they comply with state requirements.
Collaborate with HR and Legal Teams: Work closely with your HR department to ensure that job descriptions align with both the state standards and agency-specific needs. Legal teams can help verify compliance and highlight any additional regulatory requirements.
Update Regularly: Review and update job descriptions periodically, especially as new legislation or standards emerge. Keeping job descriptions current strengthens the agency’s position in advocating for reclassification and ensures clarity for all staff.
Provide Training and Certification Support: Ensure that all dispatchers meet state certification standards and are given opportunities for continuing education. Training support not only helps retain dispatchers but also reinforces the professional development essential for a recognized first responder role.
Aligning job descriptions with Florida’s standards offers a solid foundation for advocating for the reclassification of 911 dispatchers as first responders. By accurately reflecting the role's complexity and aligning with statutory requirements, agencies can present a strong, unified case for recognizing dispatchers as an integral part of the first responder network.
