Review Vacancy
TitleState EMS Medical Operations Coordination Center Communications Specialist (Disaster Preparedness Program Representative 1) (NY HELPS) - 52507, 52508, 52509, 52510, 52511, 52513, 52515, 52517, 52518
Occupational CategoryOther Professional Careers
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $53764 to $68630 Annually
Duties Description The Communications Specialist (Disaster Preparedness Program Representative 1) plays a frontline operational role within the State Medical Operations Coordination Center (SMOCC), which serves as the Department’s 24/7 hub for statewide health system situational awareness, operational coordination, and decision support. Working under the direct supervision of the SMOCC Duty Officer, the position maintains real-time visibility of health care system conditions, identifies emerging operational concerns, supports the coordination and tracking of patient movement and interfacility transfer activities, and manages the flow of information during routine operations, planned events, system disruptions, disasters, and major incidents.
Communications Specialists continuously monitor information from Department-regulated health care facilities, emergency medical services agencies, Department programs, emergency management partners, operational data systems, and other authorized sources to identify incidents or emerging conditions that may affect health care delivery or statewide health and medical operations. They verify and reconcile reports, identify trends and potential cascading impacts, prepare and disseminate timely operational updates, and elevate conditions requiring further assessment or action by Duty Officers and Department leadership. The position supports continuity of operations by maintaining the communication systems, data feeds, operational records, and common operating picture necessary for informed statewide health and medical response decisions.
Work involves the simultaneous monitoring and interpretation of multiple operational data streams, real-time prioritization of events, and continuous communication with internal and external partners. Information may be incomplete, conflicting, preliminary, or rapidly changing, requiring the employee to validate reports, assess operational significance, recognize emerging patterns, and distinguish routine conditions from those requiring escalation.
The position requires sound judgment, situational awareness, composure, and precision under pressure. Communications Specialists must apply established policies and procedures while adapting to evolving circumstances and coordinating multiple activities within time-sensitive operational environments. Errors, delays, or failures to recognize and elevate significant conditions may affect life safety, delay Department decision-making, or disrupt statewide health and medical response coordination.
Major Functions and Associated Duties:
Incident Monitoring, Information Management, and Initial Assessment – 25%
Continuously monitors information from Department-regulated health care facilities, emergency medical services agencies, Department programs, emergency management partners, field personnel, operational data systems, automated alerts, weather services, infrastructure monitoring tools, and other authorized sources to identify incidents or emerging conditions that may affect health care delivery or statewide health and medical operations; Receives reports, notifications, requests, and inquiries through telephone, radio, email, secure messaging, incident-management systems, automated alerts, and the Department’s emergency duty officer line; Collects essential information using established scripts, protocols, checklists, reporting criteria, and incident-specific procedures; Confirms the identity and contact information of reporting parties and obtains sufficient information to establish the nature, location, scope, timing, and potential impact of reported conditions; Validates and reconciles information obtained from multiple sources and identifies incomplete, conflicting, duplicate, or unconfirmed reports requiring follow-up; Documents incident information, facility impacts, operational conditions, notifications, actions, resource requests, and pending issues in electronic case-management, logging, and situational-awareness systems; Applies established classification, prioritization, and escalation criteria to identify reports requiring immediate Duty Officer review or additional coordination; Initiates routine notifications and promptly elevates urgent, unusual, or potentially significant conditions to the Duty Officer; Maintains accurate and current operational records throughout the life cycle of each incident and ensures unresolved matters remain visible for continued monitoring and follow-up.
Situational Awareness, Operational Analysis, and Decision Support – 30%
Maintains the Department’s common operating picture by continuously monitoring, integrating, and updating operational information from health care facilities, emergency medical services systems, Department programs, emergency management partners, field personnel, geographic information systems, weather products, infrastructure data, and other decision-support platforms; Monitors hospital and health care facility status, emergency department conditions, service disruptions, patient care impacts, infrastructure failures, resource limitations, staffing concerns, transportation barriers, and other conditions that may affect health care delivery; Identifies developing trends, regional patterns, resource constraints, infrastructure disruptions, and potential cascading impacts based on information received from multiple facilities, systems, or geographic areas; Distinguishes verified information from preliminary, conflicting, or unconfirmed reports and clearly identifies the status of information before dissemination; Compares current conditions with historical information, established thresholds, operating norms, or related incidents to recognize changes that may require additional assessment; Conducts follow-up with reporting organizations, Department programs, regional partners, or other authorized sources to clarify incident conditions, confirm impacts, and obtain updated information; Maintains incident timelines, status boards, maps, dashboards, resource displays, and other situational-awareness products used by the Duty Officer and Department leadership; Prepares concise operational summaries, executive notifications, briefing materials, situation report content, and other decision-support products using verified information and established formats; Identifies unresolved questions, data gaps, pending actions, or changes in conditions and promptly elevates them to the Duty Officer; Continuously updates priority incident records and the common operating picture as new information, response actions, resource needs, or operational impacts are reported.
Operational Communications, Incident Coordination, and Shift Continuity – 20%
Facilitates timely and accurate operational information exchange among Department programs, health care facilities, emergency medical services agencies, emergency management organizations, field personnel, regional partners, transportation providers, and other authorized response entities during routine operations, planned events, and emergency incidents; Operates telephone, radio, paging, secure messaging, satellite communication, video-conferencing, incident-management, and other communications and coordination platforms used by the SMOCC; Relays verified incident information, operational instructions, notification messages, resource status, and requests for follow-up to designated recipients in accordance with Duty Officer direction and established procedures; Initiates and documents notifications using approved contact directories, notification matrices, paging systems, call-down procedures, and automated alerting tools; Tracks notification acknowledgments, unsuccessful contact attempts, callback requests, assigned actions, and outstanding information needs; Coordinates routine information exchange involving patient movement and interfacility transfer activities among sending facilities, receiving facilities, transportation providers, Department programs, and other involved organizations under Duty Officer oversight; Maintains communication logs, unified activity records, incident timelines, and related documentation to preserve an accurate account of significant communications, decisions, and actions; Monitors multiple concurrent communication channels and prioritizes urgent traffic while maintaining professional communication standards during high-tempo or stressful events; Participates in structured shift briefings and conducts complete operational turnover to ensure unresolved incidents, pending notifications, assigned follow-up actions, resource requests, system issues, and emerging concerns are accurately transferred between shifts; Supports continuity throughout extended incidents by maintaining current records, tracking pending actions, and confirming that significant updates are communicated to oncoming personnel and the Duty Officer.
Emergency Response, State EMS Task Force, and Resource Support – 15%
Supports statewide health and medical response operations during emergencies, disasters, planned events, public health incidents, and health care system disruptions; Assists the Duty Officer with approved activation, deployment, tracking, operational support, and demobilization activities involving State EMS Task Force personnel, vehicles, equipment, and other assigned health and medical assets; Receives and documents resource requests, mission information, operational requirements, points of contact, reporting instructions, staging information, and other details necessary to support deployment coordination; Verifies resource availability, readiness, staffing, location, mission status, operational capability, logistical needs, and anticipated release using Department resource-management and situational-awareness systems; Maintains current rosters, deployment records, mission assignments, check-in information, status updates, equipment records, and demobilization documentation; Communicates approved mission information, reporting instructions, communication plans, safety information, logistical details, and changes in operational direction to deployed personnel and supporting organizations; Tracks the movement and operational status of deployed resources and promptly reports delays, communication failures, staffing issues, logistical needs, safety concerns, or mission changes to the Duty Officer; Receives and documents field reports and integrates verified resource and mission information into the Department’s common operating picture; Facilitates information exchange between deployed personnel, State EMS Task Force leadership, health care facilities, transportation resources, Department leadership, emergency management partners, and SMOCC staff; Supports patient movement, interfacility transfer, and health care resource coordination by tracking requests, facility status, transportation availability, assigned actions, and unresolved barriers; Assists with incident documentation, operational timelines, resource utilization records, after-action data collection, and post-incident reporting.
Operational Readiness, Training, and Continuous Improvement – 10%
Maintains SMOCC operational readiness by conducting pre-shift and periodic checks of communications equipment, telephones, radios, paging systems, information systems, situational-awareness platforms, data feeds, network connections, redundant capabilities, contact directories, and operational reference materials; Identifies system failures, degraded capabilities, outdated information, or equipment problems and reports or escalates them in accordance with established procedures; Maintains current familiarity with operational procedures, notification matrices, position checklists, job aids, emergency plans, continuity procedures, reporting requirements, and system changes; Participates in required training, drills, exercises, simulations, system demonstrations, and reviews of actual incidents and activations to maintain proficiency in emergency management principles, health care coordination, incident documentation, resource tracking, and communications procedures; Completes assigned competency assessments, refresher training, and corrective instruction necessary to maintain operational qualifications; Assists in testing new or modified systems, workflows, forms, dashboards, communication tools, and operational procedures before implementation; Reviews incident records, activity logs, notifications, data entries, and other assigned work products to identify errors, incomplete information, or opportunities to improve accuracy and efficiency; Provides observations and recommendations regarding operational procedures, job aids, system configuration, communication practices, and shift workflows based on experience during routine and emergency operations; Participates in after-action reviews, quality assurance activities, corrective action implementation, and lessons learned processes; Supports updates to operational procedures, training materials, reference documents, contact systems, and continuity resources that strengthen statewide health and medical coordination and SMOCC readiness.
Minimum Qualifications Permanent Transfer Candidates: Current NYS employee with one or more years of permanent or contingent-permanent, competitive service at or above a Grade 12 and eligible for transfer via Section 70.1 of the Civil Service Law.
Non Competitive via NY HELPS: *Four years of emergency management experience coordinating and implementing emergency management and disaster preparedness programs; preparation or modification of disaster plans; preparing, modifying, and presenting of disaster educational training and/or v exercises; gathering and analyzing information to produce briefings or reports or to make timely and effective incident response decisions; representing an agency or organization in an Emergency Operations Center or leadership position on the Incident Command System; and managing or supervising logistics operations during a major emergency or disaster by overseeing the distribution or staging of equipment and supplies.
*An associate degree in a related field can substitute for two years of specialized experience; a bachelor’s in a related field degree can substitute for four years of experience; a master’s degree in a related field can substitute for five years of experience; and a doctorate in a related field can substitute for six years of experience.
Preferred Qualifications: Certifications / Licenses:
ICS-100, ICS-200, and IS-700 are required or must be obtained within six months of appointment; Additional training or certification in emergency management, public safety communications, emergency operations center functions, health care emergency preparedness, or incident coordination is preferred; Emergency Medical Technician certification is preferred but not required.
Experience:
At least one year of experience in emergency management, health care operations, public health preparedness, emergency medical services, public safety communications, emergency operations center activities, or another environment involving time-sensitive information management and operational coordination is preferred; Experience using incident-management, situational-awareness, resource-tracking, or dispatch-related systems is desirable.
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities:
Knowledge of emergency communication, incident coordination, and health care response systems; Ability to manage multiple information feeds and prioritize concurrent events; Strong written and verbal communication skills for interagency coordination; Proficiency with operational databases, radio systems, and emergency management platforms; Ability to maintain focus, exercise sound judgment, prioritize competing demands, and take accurate, timely action in high-stress environments.
Additional Comments Health Emergency Management Statement: All Division of State Emergency Medical Services staff are expected to participate in emergency management activities as part of their roles. While not all positions require regular deployment to disaster sites, all employees may be subject to 24/7 recall for emergency operations. This may involve irregular work hours, duties outside of the official position description, and assignments at locations other than the designated duty station. Travel in support of emergency operations may be extensive (lasting from days to weeks), with little advance notice, and may involve relocation to sites with physically demanding and challenging operational conditions.
Shifts 7 A.M. - 8 P.M. & 7 P.M. - 8 A.M.
When reviewing qualifications, omissions and vagueness cannot be interpreted in the candidate’s favor. Candidates are responsible for providing accurate and clear descriptions of their experience demonstrating how they meet the minimum qualifications.
The NYS Department of Health is committed to making New York a safer, healthier, and more equitable place to live. Understanding health equity, social determinants of health and health disparities is critical to accomplish our goal of eliminating health disparities. For more information on the NYS Department of Health’s Mission, Vision, Values and Strategic Plan, please visit: https://health.ny.gov/commissioner/index.htm
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Name Human Resources Management Group
Email Address Resume@health.ny.gov
Address
Street Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Room 2217
Notes on ApplyingPlease submit your resume and cover letter through the online portal using the link below:
https://apps.health.ny.gov/pubpal/builder/survey/EMS088.2616
OR submit your resume & cover letter to Resume@health.ny.gov and include SM/DPPR1/MULTI in the subject line.