Ambulance Communications Officer - Bilingual (English/French)

Job ID: 231396 

Posting status: Open 

Organization: Ministry of Health 

Division: Emergency Health Services Division 

City: Hamilton 

Position(s) language:  Bilingual English/French 

Job term: 1 Permanent 

Job code: 16710 - Ambulance Communications Officer 1 

Salary: $37.36 - $45.69 Per hour*
 *Indicates the salary listed as per the OPSEU Collective Agreement.

Consider this challenging and rewarding opportunity as an Ambulance Communications Officer with the Ministry of Health, Hamilton Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC) where you will coordinate life-saving work.

Central Ambulance Communications Centres across the Province receive 911, emergency and non-emergency requests for ambulance services and ensure the right people and resources arrive on scene, no matter the time of day or place. You will join a team of dedicated individuals who serve Ontario's citizens and visitors with high-quality pre-hospital care and are often the first point of contact for patients entering the Ontario health care system.

Learn more about the recruitment process, training program and certification for a career as an Ambulance Communications Officer  here. We have also developed a  self-assessment survey to help you determine if a career as an Ambulance Communications Officer is the right fit for you.

Join Our Information Session

To learn more about the role, the Ontario Public Service and the recruitment process, we welcome you to attend our information session on July 4th, 2025, at 12:00pm. Please register. Attendance is optional and will have no influence on the screening and selection process.

About the job

In this role, you will:
• Process 9-1-1 emergency and non-emergency requests for ambulance service using a complex Computer-Aided Dispatch system
• Provide timely and accurate dispatch services to callers, ambulance service providers, and other emergency health services system stakeholders.
• Communicate with individuals who are under stress in a respectful, patient, and calming manner
• Apply your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to assess real-time emergency situations • Direct ambulance movements and coordinate response efforts with partners such as Fire, Police and Ornge Air Ambulance
• Provide pre-arrival instructions including first aid and telephone-assisted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while awaiting the arrival of paramedics or tiered emergency responders.

 Ambulance Communications Officer Training Program:

Upon hiring the successful candidate will be required to complete a comprehensive six-week Entry-to-Practice (ETP) training program. The training will focus on core protocols, procedures, and systems for land ambulance dispatching and emergency call taking.
If successful the employee will then return to their dispatch centre for an up to 6-month, local on-the job training and coaching program. For training only, the incumbent will be required to work full-time hours. This will allow them to develop and enhance their newly acquired skills with the support of experienced peers and supervisory staff.

What you bring to the team

Mandatory requirements

• You must possess oral French language skills at the advanced level. Your proficiency level will be confirmed before hire.

Job offer is conditional on the candidate successfully completing the following requirements:
• Proficiency in typing at 35 w.p.m. with 90% accuracy
• Successfully pass CritiCall pre-employment testing
• Security clearance, including Criminal Record Check
• Entry-to-Practice (ETP) training and local on-the job training
• Ambulance Communications Officer Certification
• Standard First-Aid and Targeted Responder CPR Certificate within 30 days of employment
• Restricted Radio Operator Certificate within 30 days of employment

Multi-Tasking, Organizational and Memory Recall Skills

• You can coordinate and prioritize multiple concurrent calls for services and delegate tasks when required
• You can maintain control of situations under pressure and manage on-going stress effectively
• You have memory recall skills to receive and retain critical information from callers

Decision Making, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Skills

• You have professional judgement to assess “real-time” circumstances of emergency situations to determine and deploy appropriate assistance to callers
• You can critically assess and anticipate problems to determine alternative solutions that will ensure the timely delivery of effective patient care.
• You have the ability to acquire, interpret and apply knowledge of Central Ambulance Communications Centre operations, policies, practices and processes, as well as sections of the Ambulance Act and other related Acts.

Interpersonal, Communication and People Skills

• You have patience, empathy, and assertiveness to effectively communicate with callers and maintain control of a call while calming others
• You can manage issues using appropriate communication techniques and escalate when necessary
• You have written communication skills to update information, prepare reports, and respond to requests for information.
• You have teamwork skills to work collaboratively with others in a fast-paced, critical incident environment
• You have listening skills to function effectively in a non-visual environment to receive, discuss and understand detailed information from callers

Other Professional Skills

• You demonstrate customer service skills and respect towards others in all areas of your work
• You have proficiency in computer software and computer-based telecommunications applications
• You can demonstrate resiliency in the workplace by remaining positive, flexible, and organized even under pressure.
• You have the ability to work in a fast-paced, high stressful environment.

Don't meet every qualification?

If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!

How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility

We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.

Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer  accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please  contact us.

Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

 Additional information: 

Apply by: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 11:59 pm EDT 

Position details: 1 Bilingual English/French Permanent - Full Time, Hamilton, West Region, Criminal Record Check

Compensation group: Ontario Public Service Employees Union 

Work hours: Schedule 4.7

Category: Health and Social Services
 Posted on: Tuesday, June 24, 2025 

Note: 

• This ad is also available in French.
• About security checks:
  A criminal or other federal offence record does not automatically disqualify you from the position. We consider each situation based on the position's responsibilities.
  If a check is needed and you've lived outside of Canada in the past 5 years for 6 or more months in a row, or if you are not a Canadian resident, you'll need to provide an out-of-country police clearance certificate from the country you lived in.
  Employment screening checks are only reviewed and evaluated by the Transition and Security Office, which also maintains them and keeps them strictly confidential.

 How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the  Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test. 

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français. 
Strengthening Ontario, together