Public Safety Information Specialist at County of Riverside in Perris, California

Job Description:

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Riverside County Fire Department has an opportunity for a Public Safety Information Specialist inPerris. The incumbent will be responsible for creating public education graphics and videos for all ages. As the spokesperson for large incidents, the incumbent will be responsible for receiving non-emergency requests for information from the public and other agencies, providing information regarding the activities of the Fire Department to allied agencies, the media, including social media platforms, and the press/public, responding to emergency incidents/events, and performing other related duties as required.

Candidates with experience using Adobe Creative suite (Photoshop and Premiere Pro) and knowledge of Incident Command System (ICS) are encouraged to apply.

The incumbent will be required to work extended shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, be available to work overtime as needed, and be in a rotational on-call status . This position will require travel throughout Riverside County and a County vehicle will be provided.

Meet the Team!

The Riverside County Fire Department is one of California's largest integrated, cooperative, regional fire protection organizations. The Department, a unique partnership between State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the County of Riverside, serves 19 partner agencies and 1 community service district. The Department has five core values: Leadership, Competence, Integrity, Safety, and Customer Service.

Who May Apply?

This recruitment is open to all applicants.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Establish and maintain regular contacts with the press, community groups, and government officials to meet the organization's public information, awareness, and education needs.

• Develop and determine effectiveness of distribution and outreach media plans; make recommendations for modifications as required.

• Write articles and press releases on organization's activities, services, programs, and functions; prepare pamphlets and brochures.

• Coordinate release distribution to the media; organize and arrange public information campaigns and press conferences.

• Receive routine requests from the media and the public for information regarding emergency incidents.

• Determine jurisdiction of major incidents, notifying other agencies as required and forwarding requests/inquiries to other agencies when appropriate.

• Make inquiries to local, State, and Federal national computer systems to obtain information requested by personnel, the public, media, or other agencies.

• Read and interpret maps to research emergency incidents; may be deployed to an emergency in the field with communications equipment and may set up and operate such equipment.

• Assist in the on-the-job training of new employees learning the techniques and procedures of media communications.

• Train and participate in public safety community education events.

• Operate a variety of communications equipment including radio systems, various telephone and computer systems in accordance with Federal Communications Commission regulations, department policy, and standard operating procedures.

• Assist Senior Public Information Specialists with work to ensure completeness, accuracy, and conformance to appropriate standards.

• Maintain a record of the location of emergency incidents maintain and edit manuals relating to the Command Center, Communications Center, and departmental policies and procedures.

• Respond to emergency incidents in various locations across Riverside County.

• Carry out on-camera and off-camera interviews. These could be held in various locations and may require travel.

• Operate media production equipment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

OPTION I

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, English, public relations, public or business administration, or a closely related field. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the education on the basis of one year of full-time experience equaling 30 semester or 45 quarter units of education.)

Experience: Two years of full-time experience in public communications or community relations which included the dissemination of information to internal and/or external audiences through various communication mediums.

OPTION II

Two years of experience as a Fire Communications Dispatcher II (previous job title Public Safety Communications Officer II) with the County of Riverside.

Knowledge of: The functions, operations, rules, and regulations of the Fire Department; modern office practices and procedures including filing, record-keeping and operating standard office equipment; proper English language usage and grammar.

Ability to: Learn the codes, techniques, and procedures involved in fire emergency response, operating radio, telephone, playback machines CAD systems, and teleprocessing equipment; accomplish tasks in a controlled and competent manner while working in a stressful environment; follow oral and written directions quickly and accurately; establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, law enforcement and fire personnel, and the public; complete assigned clerical tasks with accuracy and speed; coordinate the work of clerical staff; train new and assigned personnel in the techniques, procedures, and operations of public communication and specialized clerical functions; analyze emergency situations quickly and adopt effective courses of action without immediate supervision; prepare accurate records and reports; discern the codes, techniques, and procedures used in dispatching and operating telephones and CAD equipment; understand Riverside County geography, including the location of principle cities, highways, streets, and buildings; apply applicable regulations of the Federal Communications Commission.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

For more information regarding the position, please contact the recruiter Mary Miller at 951-955-3464 or via email at mmiller@rivco.org .

________________________________________________________________________________________

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference.The Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 is available here: https://rivcocob.org/board-policies

Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability

Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).

Equal Opportunity Employer
The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

General Information
Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies.

Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com .

If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at support@governmentjobs.com or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.

MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• 
  Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.


• 
  Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.


• 
  Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.
  

A new member is defined as any of the following:

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.

A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.

Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.

VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):

0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)

4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)

10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)

Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.

SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.

HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance).

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.

DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.

POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable SEIU Memorandum of Understanding.

OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.

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