On September 16, 2021, staff from METCAD and the Human Resources Departments hosted a virtual information meeting about the Telecommunicator I recruitment process. These events transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 due to the pandemic to ensure the safety of presenters and attendees. This was the fifth information meeting to be hosted virtually during this time. These virtual events are proving to be an effective alternative for connecting with prospective applicants for this position, with almost 100% of attendees reporting as first-time participants in the testing process for this position.
Prior to the meeting, staff from CMO Communications Division, METCAD, and HR collaborated on an enhanced media strategy to help increase awareness of this career opportunity and promote the information meeting. This strategy included video interviews with TC II Brent Daughterty and TC I Mendy Beasley, newly designed social media visuals, and a news release. Clips of the video interviews were incorporated into the meeting presentation, Brent’s interview was released as a City podcast, and many local media outlets provided coverage of the event. As a result, around 20 people attended the virtual meeting which was more than double the attendance of the one held in April of this year.
Presenters included METCAD Operations Manager Betsy Smith, Telecommunicator Supervisor Jennifer Frost, and Human Resources Specialist Stacy Rachel. Topics included METCAD history and organizational structure; Telecommunicator job overview and duties; salary and benefits; new hire training; and the application and testing process. The presentation concluded with a video depicting a 9-1-1 call process from initial intake through completion including Police, Fire, and EMT dispatch and response coordination followed by a Q&A session.