Emergency Communications Centre

Over the course of a career in the ComCen, opportunities may arise for further advancement in terms of pay and skills including: 

• Non-Emergency Patient Transport Dispatch. 
• Emergency Medical Response Dispatch. 
• Large scale Incident Management Team, Radio and Computer Aided Dispatch Operations. 
• As well as other training opportunities. 

Emergency Communications Officers may also advance to a team leader role (Communications Coordinator), Communications Duty Officer in Charge or become a member of the Communications Management Team.

See ComCen Structure.

The ESA Communications Centre operates 24/7. 

To accommodate this, the shift pattern for both Communications Officers (Ambulance) and Communications Officers (Fire & Emergency) involves a 4 days on and 4 days off roster. This is broken into 2 day shifts, 2 night shifts, followed by four days off. 

Shifts are 12 hours in length. You will work between the hours of 7am to 7pm (day shift) and 7pm to 7am (night shift).

The ESA Communications Centre operates 24/7. 

To accommodate this, the shift pattern for Communications Duty Officer in Charge involves a 4 days on and 4 days off roster. This is broken into 2 day shifts, 2 night shifts, followed by four days off. 

Shifts are 12 hours in length. You will work between the hours of 6am to 6pm (day shift) and 6pm to 6am (night shift).

Applicants for the Communications Officer (Fire & Emergency) will be paid at the Technical Officer Level 1 classification. The base salary for this level is currently $60,942 - $63,894, plus a loading for shift work. (Correct as at 10/06/2021) 

Applicants for the Communications Officer (Ambulance) will be paid at the Ambulance Support Officer Level 1 classification. The base salary for this level is currently $61,197 - $65,034, plus a loading for shift work. (Correct as at 10/06/2021) 

Applicants for the Communications Duty Officer in Charge will be paid at the Technical Officer Level 4 classification. The base salary for this level is currently $88,899 - $101,743, plus a loading for shift work. (Correct as at 10/06/2021)

We recommend you read the appropriate Enterprise Agreement for up-to-date working conditions and salary at Enterprise Agreements - ACTPS Employment Portal

Yes.  

The Emergency Communications Centre is an operational area of the ACT Emergency Services Agency. As such, an ESA uniform will be supplied to successful applicants during training.

The Emergency Communications Centre is located within the ESA's Headquarters, located at 9 Amberley Avenue, Majura ACT. 

Training is located at the ESA Training Precinct, located in Hume.

The Communications Officers (Fire & Emergency) course is 14 weeks, fully paid. 

The Communications Officer (Ambulance) course is 12 weeks, fully paid. 

The Communications Duty Officer in Charge course is 6 weeks, fully paid.

The course covers in detail all significant aspects of working in an emergency communications centre. This includes: 

• ESA introduction 
• Emergency call taking 
• Resources and vehicles used in the ESA 
• Use of the Computer Aided Dispatch system 
• First Aid and how to instruct over the phone 
• Emergency terminology and incident command process 
• Emergencies responded to by ACT Emergency Services.

Fire & Emergency will undertake additional subjects to specialise in this area. Subjects include: 

• How to dispatch ESA resources, 
• Radio communications

Upon successful completion of the Fire & Emergency course, you will receive the Certificate III in Emergency Communications Centre Operations

Ambulance will undertake additional subjects to specialise in this area. Subjects include: 

• Medical terminologies 
• Advanced First Aid 

Upon successful completion of the Ambulance course, you will receive the Certificate III in Ambulance Communications (Call taking).

There is no physical fitness standard, though applicants will be expected to have an ability to work in an environment as described in the Work Environment Description. All successful applicants will be expected to undergo an ACT Government Pre-Employment medical, including sight and hearing.

The ACT Public Service supports workforce diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, culturally diverse people and those who identify as LGBTIQ are encouraged to apply.

Yes. 

Due to the nature of the work or material you may be exposed to, it is requirement to pass a psychometric test. This will be undertaken at the ESA’s expense as part of the Selection Process. 

This will assist determining that staff have the required mental and emotional capability for the role.

1. Applications are managed on the jobs.act.gov.au website and will be specific to the role as advertised. 
2. Applicants will be shortlisted, then asked to undertake a psychometric test at ESA’s expense. 
3. Applicants who meet the criterion of the psychometric test, will be interviewed. 
4. Successful applicants at this stage will be offered employment or merit-listed / merit-pooled (as advertised) and may be subject to a successful pre-employment medical check. 
5. Successful applicants will commence their appropriate training course. 
6. Upon successful completion of training, applicants will be appointed to the position with a probationary period.

All persons joining the Emergency Communications Centre will have a probation period. Probation starts upon commencement of training.  

Communications Officers (Fire & Emergency) will be hired under the ACT Public Sector Technical and Other Professionals Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021, and consequently will have a probation period of six months covering training with the remainder in the ComCen. Confirmation of appointment will be dependent on the successful completion of the training course and probation period. 

Communications Officers (Ambulance Call Takers) will be hired under the ACT Public Sector ACT Ambulance Service Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021, and consequently will have a probation period of six months covering training with the remainder in the ComCen. Confirmation of appointment will be dependent on the successful completion of the training course and probation period. 

Communications Duty Officers in Charge will be hired under the ACT Public Sector Technical and Other Professionals Enterprise Agreement 2018-2021, and consequently will have a probation period of six months covering training with the remainder in the ComCen. Confirmation of appointment will be dependent on the successful completion of the training course and probation period.