Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To participate as a member of the Provincial Communication Unit in the delivery of an effective 24/7 multi-service, integrated program consistent with MNRF Enforcement Branch needs and philosophy, and the needs of various other clients registered with the unit for the provision of services.
To provide effective safety monitoring, radio monitor, telecommunication and information services to internal personnel and other clients. To assist in the integration and delivery of procedures for staff safety in emergency response, remote communications, the tracking of ground and marine vehicles
and the field activities of OPS enforcement and civilian personnel, as well as fielding calls from the public and internal personnel, recording and relay of occurrences to the field from public reporting lines associated with various MNRF programs. Assist in the deployment of MNRF personnel and clients,
in non-emergency situations, within the province.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Under general supervision of PCU management
Provide 24/7 enforcement and program-related (i.e. Bearwise) information while assisting with provisions of the policy, procedures and operations of the Provincial Communication Unit (PCU);
Provide intelligence assistance on enforcement and compliance matters and emergency situations to all approved law enforcement clients on a 24/7 basis.
Provide safety monitoring and emergency response as required for all MNRF field staff and registered clients.
Monitor conservation officers' activities in the field during routine/general patrols and critical incidents by following PCU policy and procedure for officer safety. Monitor and follow procedures established by regulations in suspected case of officer in need of assistance. When the situation requires, remains on the phone with the caller until emergency personnel arrive.
Obtain relevant background information on occurrences and provides details to conservation officers including updates (i.e., safety measures, review of previous incidents at same address). Answer queries for information from officers in the field (e.g. license plate check, criminal background check).
Log conservation officers on duty into the staff tracking system at beginning of each shift, monitor conservation officer activity during the shift, and ensure all officers have returned and logged off at the end of the officers shift.
As requested by clients, enter, update, retrieve data, and performs systems queries pertaining to incidents and occurrences on various specialized computer systems including: Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), Niche Records Management System, Fish and Wildlife Branch licensing
Information applications , Bear Incident and Response Tracking Application (BIRTA), TIPS-MNR public reporting database, Fleet Net Radio (Comm Logger),Citrix based Conservation Officer (CO) Log, Ministry of Transportation ISS (MTO), Fur Management Information System (FURMIS), ICON, Map Registry (RASC), Mapper, BaitFish, IRT, telecommunication operating systems (ICEBar), various other internet intelligence research tools.
As first point of contact, receive telephone calls from MNRF personnel, members of the public, including persons using Telephone Device for Deaf People (Telephone/Teletype ' TTY). Prioritize type of call, and elicits required information (i.e. exact location, clear directions, concise and acute details of a situation) taking into consideration relevance to various MNRF programs (310-Fire, Bearwise, PERC, MNRF Peer Support) to provide adequate response.
Logs calls for service and creates occurrence reports.
Receive and respond to or transfer calls of an administrative nature from internal personnel and clients. Notify appropriate staff of serious incidents e.g., officer safety alerts, road closures, severe weather etc. Provide relevant information and/or confirms information. Logs calls for service, creates occurrence reports and will notify appropriate agencies regarding calls for service (i.e. AFFES / fire) in areas where the Communication Unit does not coordinate service.
Provide accurate effective information services relating to natural resource enforcement and compliance activities, natural resource license and authorizations, problem bear occurrences, weather and road conditions, and notices or bulletins relating to staff or officer safety.
Liaise and maintain professional working relationships with clients and members of partner enforcement agencies both Provincial and Federal (e.g.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), US and Canadian Customs, etc.
Function as a first level point of contact in the registration and coordination of emergency response for personal locator beacons (PLB) and emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB) with the Canadian Beacon Registry for all beacons used by MNRF personnel and other PCU clients, ensuring
policies, procedures, guidelines and directives are followed.
Operate Fleet Net radio consoles / equipment as required.
Adheres to the Provincial Services Division Code of Conduct and OPS Respect Policy.
Document all elements of call activities in accordance with Ministry, and PCU policy and procedure and prepares a variety of reports electronically and/or paper-based, any of which may be used in legal proceedings.
Perform basic equipment checks and trouble-shooting to ensure operational readiness and IT functionality; maintains familiarization with equipment operation, catchment area geography/resources, and communication, policy, procedures and practices.
Participate in a team environment to resolve work related issues and refers contentious issues (e.g. public/stakeholder complaints, inquiries, and equipment failures) to the Manager/Supervisor.
Position requires the ability to work shifts of varying lengths in accordance with a compressed work week agreement in a 24/7 environment.
Perform additional duties as assigned by manager / supervisor (or delegate).
The incumbent shall, while in the workplace, conduct themselves in compliance with the Enforcement Code of Ethics and Professionalism, Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and any workplace practices as directed by their immediate supervisor and in
accordance with IRS as outlined in the OH&S Act.

Staffing and Licencing :

Ability to obtain a valid Radio Operator's Certificate.
Successful Completion of PCU training.
This position requires the incumbent to successfully pass an enhanced-level screening check under the OPS Employment Screening Checks Policy which includes a criminal record check (CPIC), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) check, Niche/RMS file check (Local Police Record check) and
Credit (Equifax) check.

Knowledge :

Knowledge of legislation enforced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Advanced working knowledge of personal computers operation including spreadsheets, e-mail, word processing, corporate network applications including Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), Compliance Activity and Violation Reporting System (CAVRS),Fish and Wildlife Branch licensing
Information applications, Bear Incident and Response Tracking Application, TIPS MNR database, Fleet Net radio, Comm Logger, Daily Activity Report (DAR), Citrix based, COLog, MTO, RMS/NICHE, Fur Management Information System (FURMIS), ICON, Map Registry (RASC), Mapper, BaitFish, IRT, various other internet intelligence research tools and telecommunication operating systems (ICEBar).
Knowledge of Provincial Bear Wise program delivery procedures, TIPS MNR natural resource violation reporting procedures, PERC provincial emergency response coordination and any other relevant MNRF policy, procedures and services provided and/or delivered by PCU.
Knowledge of provincial and MNRF geographical references and map reading / geo spatial software, in order to ensure incidents and occurrences are directed to the appropriate district.
Knowledge and understanding of evacuation procedures and contingency site operations.
Knowledge of policy and procedure guidelines and quality assurance service standards.
Working knowledge of Fleet Net Radio System, geographical areas serviced by the communication unit, map reading / geo spatial software, telephone etiquette and radio protocols.
Knowledge of phonetic alphabet, TTY, various terminology and codes used by law enforcement and other emergency services personnel to understand and converse with conservation officers, police, fire, etc., regarding incidents.
Standard desktop computing tools in a Windows environment and specialized software used to research, analyze and to aid in providing advice, guidance, direction, interpretation and training.
Knowledge of OPS Common Service Standards to provide a professional level of customer service by ensuring customer / client requests are dealt with in a timely and accurate manner when answering inquiries by telephone and email.
Understanding of effective call management and data collection techniques/Best Practices (listening, evaluating, clarifying, confirming, probing, questioning) to provide customer service which meets or exceeds specific standards.
Knowledge of relevant sections of Freedom of Information and Protection Act to determine what information can and cannot be discussed with clients.
Knowledge of worker responsibilities as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations.

Skills :

Ability to respond efficiently and effectively under high pressure/emergency situations utilizing appropriate response protocols, and to maintain a high degree of confidentiality throughout any emergency situation.
Ability to work efficiently and competently without direct supervision for extended periods of time, during critical events and the ability to work as a team member in a team environment in order to achieve common goals and targets with continuity and accountability.
Organizational and time management skills are required to manage workload/assignment responsibilities.
Teamwork skills to share workload, support team members and achieve team and organizational goals.
The ability to work in a fast-paced, high pressure, high volume environment and meet critical deadlines with the ability to quickly grasp, comprehend and relate new/changing information.
Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills to brief colleagues, Shift Leads, PCU management and at times external managers about on-going, routine, priority and emergent events; create, update and populate the Daily Activity Report as required, to log call details, update
information on incidents and provide written responses to requests for information according to procedures, to interact with officers and various agencies and services by telephone and radio, clearly and efficiently while conveying critical information.
Strong customer service skills with insight to respond courteously, professionally, tactfully and effectively to a diverse client group and during peer interaction and contributions in training, team sessions and daily work solutions.
Strong problem solving skills to determine appropriate alternate computer system to utilize when normal query is not successful in accordance with procedures and ability to trouble-shoot various technological resources utilized at PCU.
Performs duties in accordance with established policies, procedures and practices, reference manuals related to radio operations, call taking and information relay. Makes decisions quickly, acts within procedures on issues that could affect lives and the safety and well-being of the public, law
enforcement / emergency services personnel.
Prioritizes multiple calls from internal personnel and members of the public, taking into consideration the nature of the incident.
Decides, within established procedures, what information is pertinent and required by officers, such as criminal backgrounds, possible risks associated to a site, previous enforcement agency contacts, to ensure an appropriate response to the incident and to ensure the safety of officers and other
persons who are responding to the call.
NOTE: Position may require incumbent to work compressed shifts, weekends, and holidays. Position will require incumbent to work days, afternoons, and nights. Position may require incumbent to work overtime as required. Position may require incumbent to function on their own over long periods without breaks. The PCU operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Perform the role of 'lead operator in charge' (OIC) during emergent circumstances and in absence of management or a shift lead, as identified in PCU procedure.
Continued demands over the course of a shift as each call received over the enforcement radio and telephone lines may potentially be a critical incident
thus requires operators to be focused and completely attentive during the course of their duties .
Multi-tasking required in a fast-paced environment to listen and respond to telephone and radio callers and colleagues while using various computer programs, observing computer screens, relaying information, monitoring various talk groups and various incidents, and coordinating large numbers of
officers on patrol for prolonged periods.
Time pressures to execute calls/relay critical information within time constraints.
Ability to listening intently to callers while monitoring telephone lines or radio using headset technology, Hand/eye coordination to watch multiple computer screens to observe and monitor activity, enter and retrieve data/information on computer using various information systems for prolonged periods of time, Observing computer screens with great focus and attention to detail for extended periods of time.
Open concept office environment with noise of radio and telephone operations ongoing in background over prolonged periods of time.

Freedom of Action :

Work is performed within procedural controls including, but not limited to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Enforcement Branch and PCU administrative Policies, Operating Procedures, directives and guidelines, Emergency Response Plan, RCMP federal CPIC policies, directives
and guidelines, and other Provincial (i.e. MTO, OPP, MOF), Federal (i.e. ECCC) and various stakeholder administrative policies, procedures, directives, and guidelines.
Job requires determining best alternatives for service delivery based on resources available, and impacts to client groups and public trust; proper gathering of information needed to make informed decisions; relaying of appropriate information to the field; provision of excellent client service phone /
radio communications.
Work is regularly checked and monitored by peers, client services personnel, manager and supervisory staff including delegates to ensure timely delivery of accurate information and compliance with PCU policy, procedure and quality assurance program. All PCU telecommunications and radio communications are recorded and may be monitored or otherwise referenced for quality assurance by supervisory staff.

Impact of Errors
Errors in information could negatively impact the assessment and delivery of appropriate services and assistance to individuals. Failure to prepare accurate and complete reports could result in the presentation of erroneous or misleading information to support management decision making.
Failure to adhere to PCU policy, procedure and quality assurance expectations may result in the critical injury or death of a PCU client / clients, negative impact or damage to PCU client / stakeholder relationships and loss of public trust in the delivery of MNRF program expectations.