KEY POINTS:
Qualification: Basic communicator course (Police recognised course).
Where: Northern Communications Centre, Grey Lynn.
Contact: Select teleresources, ph 0800 SELECT (0800 735 328), email, website select-teleresources.co.nz
Course cost: No cost to employee.
Prerequisites: Potential candidates must have passed an initial interview and assessment day with Select Teleresources.
Salary: During training
$39,831, after training $45,555. Pay increases at six, 12 and 18 months.
Career opportunities: Employees can follow a career path within the communications centre and within the wider police organisation.
The communications centre in Grey Lynn is the front door to the police in the force's northern region.
It is here that police communicators answer the public's 111 calls from the northern area between Cape Reinga and Turangi.
Communicators evaluate calls by listening, filtering information, picking out key details and entering that information into the computer system, which assigns that job to the police station in the relevant district.
They provide advice to callers, and verify where the emergency is, as well as noting the phone's caller identification location display.
They also get "no-speech emergency calls" where they have to rely on that information that comes up on screen. (Where a person has a stroke and can reach the phone but is too ill to talk or someone in a domestic who has taken the phone off the hook so the centre can hear what is going on).
The communications centre relies on Select Teleresources to screen job applicants.
After the initial telephone interview candidates are invited to an assessment day where testing includes a team exercise, spelling test, geography, Microsoft Word exercise, psychometric testing, role play exercise and interview. Candidates who pass the assessment day criteria are shortlisted to have a panel interview.
Once accepted, there is an eight-week communicator course - six weeks' training plus two weeks taking calls under strict supervision.
That training includes learning communication skills; basic law and practical application of it; computer applications; working knowledge of police policies, procedures and processes; identifying information; four theory tests and one practical assessment.
When communicators start work, they are on 24/7 roster which follows a pattern of six days on and four days off. The 10-week rotating roster includes two early shifts (6.45am to 4pm), two late shifts (11.45am to 10pm) and two night shifts (9.45pm to 7am). This roster is best suited to the body's circadian rhythm.
THE EMPLOYEE
Frances Nimeti, Police communicator.
Completed training October 2006.
I have always been drawn to roles that focus on customer service. I thought working as a communicator would give me a really good insight into police work. The training gave me an understanding of what I needed to know to find out what is happening from a legal perspective. Learning about the law was interesting.
I know a lot more now about New Zealand geography as locating an address quickly is a priority.
Keeping calm and being patient under pressure is a key to getting the right information and also letting the caller know that I am listening to them but not judging their situation. Training gives the opportunity to think on the job as each call is different.
My favourite part of the course was going out to see other areas in the police such as the dogs, maritime police and motorways.
The police work was a shock at first because of the reality of the situations you are dealing with. It is happening now, such as suicides, domestic violence, robberies, burglaries and rape.
This is my opportunity to give something back to the community.
Other good reasons for my staying here include good rostered hours - six days on and four days off - and good leave provisions and my family benefits from this. I'm in a good team with good managers supporting me to do my job better.
THE EMPLOYER
Erin Edwards, Training facilitator.
Frances is dedicated to her work. It's the strength of character. We look for someone who is strong but not arrogant, a little bit softer around the edges.
Someone who has emotional intelligence, can talk to a huge cross-section of the community, a 3-year-old boy through to a 95-year-old female.
They have to be communication practitioners. People don't call us on 111 when they are having a good day; you are going to have the English problems, someone who may not operate well in pressure. You always have that injection of stress.
Frances is positive, she doesn't burden herself with the problems of the world. She can switch off at the end of the day.
The training equips people with the tangible skills, the computer system, multi-tasking, privacy issues. We don't train them on how to be compassionate, empathetic and talk right. We do touch on customer service and communication skills but that is more to keep it within our own internal policies, procedures and values.
