About this role
Department or Location: Transportation Department Position Type: Classified / Non-Contracted
Job Title: Dispatcher FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: Operations Manager of Routing Efficiency Days Worked: 235 Days (12 months)
JOB QUALIFICATIONS: Education: High School education preferred. Certification or Licensure: None is required. Skills: knowledge of job, professionalism, interpersonal, communication, organization, and problem-solving. Considerable knowledge of bookkeeping principles, methods, procedures, and techniques as applied to the processing of payables; considerable knowledge of office methods and procedures and familiarity with the use of standard office equipment; working knowledge of bookkeeping practices and procedures; ability to carry out continuing assignments requiring the organization and presentation of material and the making of decisions. Good oral and written communication and human relations skills. Have basic computer skills, good interpersonal skills, possess good telephone etiquette, and work well under considerable pressure. Must be able to work independently, accept and process continual input from various sources, sort critical information, maintain logs, and make good operational decisions promptly. Work Experience: Experience working with two-way radio systems, office management, and general bookkeeping practices. PRIMARY DUTY:
• Interacts well with a large number (approximately 300) of diverse employees.
• Serves as the radio net controller for the Transportation Department two-way radio net
• Maintain operational control of the Transportation radio base station. Control all mobile units operating within the net.
• Monitor the operational status of all units, maintain the accurate status of the vehicles, provide emergency assistance, and make limited operational decisions.
• Provides operational supervision over the bus drivers via the radio system as they perform route services.
• Assists the coordination of timely deployment of buses from the Transportation Department for morning and afternoon bus routes, as well as the deployment of drivers to support after-school programs, midday activity runs, mid-afternoon sports trips, after-school programs, and various other supported programs.
• Attends the driver's emergency telephone line and responds appropriately.
• Respond to emergency calls (over the phone or radio) requiring immediate assistance and coordinate with RCBE Public Safety, Richmond County Sheriff's Department, Richmond County Board of Education, Transportation Department Supervisors, or others as appropriate to provide the appropriate response within the necessary timeframe.
• Maintains an accurate running log indicating the current status of each bus on a minute-to-minute basis.
• Evaluate the continually changing operational status and initiate corrective actions as necessary. Identifies trouble issues and makes recommendations for resolution. Provides instructions to the drivers as necessary over the two-way radio.
• Supports the customer assistance effort by communicating with and providing an accurate status of buses to the clerical staff and Transportation supervisors.
• Helps maintain a database of information concerning bus routes and schedules. Updates information and produces accurate bus route maps for each school, each driver, and the Transportation Department.
• Must be able and willing to work a schedule that facilitates a work day extending from 5:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. daily, to include occasional weekends.
• Provides suggestions for revising bus routes to meet continual demographic shifts in the population of the county.
• Consistent with available time, assists the clerical staff in responding to telephone calls.
• Assists the Director by helping coordinate driver-related records and reports as required by the Georgia Department of Driver Services and Georgia Department of Education.
• Assists in the updating of bus route maps during the summer.
• The employee shall carry out such other and further duties, whether specifically listed above or not, as are assigned or required by such employee's supervisor, other appropriate school personnel, law board policy administrative regulation, department handbook, as are reasonably necessary to the efficient operation of the school system and its mission.
WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL DEMANDS : The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to walk, stand, and sit.