Personal Statement
I am an emergency dispatch communicator with experience in call processing, emergency management, radio dispatch, and conflict management. I have five years experience in crisis management and suicide intervention, and I am regularly certified in first aid and CPR.
My extensive customer service background allows me to integrate with any team to provide excellent customer care. My experience as a shift supervisor has prepared me to handle more complex customer care situations, requiring the ability to think quickly under pressure.
I am pursuing my career goal of working in social work and crisis intervention with a focus on queer and trans communities. I am actively working to decolonize my life and my thought processes, and I approach my work with the goal of providing mutual aid to my peers, rather than as a rescuer.
Education
Ontario College Certificate in 911 and Emergency Services Communications
2014-2015
- Graduated from Emergency Service Communications program. Studied EMS, Fire, and Police communications procedures.
- Trained with phone, radio, and TTY practice consoles.
- Completed courses in crisis management, emergency management, and personal health and wellness.
- Completed Fire and EMS communications scenarios using Ministry of Health and APCO Guidecards.
- Participated in extracurricular case study of mass casualty emergency management with 911, firefighting, nursing and police foundations students.
Certifications
Standard First Aid, Health Care Provider CPR, AED
2019
Incident Management System Level 200
2018
Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatcher
2015
Standard First Aid, CPR Level C, AED
2015
Fire Services Communicator I
2015
Incident Management System Level 100
2015
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
2015
Public Safety Telecommunicator
2014
Work Experience
COMPASS Traffic Management System Operator
July 2016 - Present
- Receive calls from police agencies, fire services, MTO patrols, and public callers.
- Determine most appropriate response for incident quickly using standard procedures and personal judgement.
- Use traffic cameras and knowledge of 400 series highways to ensure accurate location is distributed to responding agencies.
- Work closely with OPP and Toronto Fire to ensure rapid response to emergency calls.
Emergency Dispatcher
Summer 2017
- Operated multiple phone lines, assigning calls according to call type, location, and priority.
- Dispatched calls to in-park security, medical, and fire safety units using simplex radio, monitoring scene safety at regular intervals.
- Used incident management CAD software to ensure all calls were correctly categorized and fully logged.
- Notified Georgian CACC immediately for high priority medical calls including chest pain, loss of consciousness, among others as medical units required.
- Coordinated responses with York Regional Police, and Vaughan Fire for incidents requiring police or fire assistance.
Shift Supervisor, Secretary JHSC
September 2015 - June 2017
- Leader of quick, friendly, and effective customer service.
- Use leadership and communications skills to train and direct staff, and to diffuse conflicts with customers and co-workers.
- Co-develop standard operating procedures over Quantum's first two years of business.
- Co-develop health and safety procedures, and fire safety and communication plan.
- Record minutes for Joint Health and Safety Committee Meetings.
Seasonal Courier & Merchandiser
December 2013, December 2014
- Planned and executed delivery routes for large quantities of gift baskets to customers throughout the financial district.
- Installed computer database system for inventory tracking. Performed daily restocking, inventory maintenance, and point-of-sale duties.
IT/Media Services Summer Student
Summer 2014
- Configured BIOS, network, and basic operating system settings of incoming computer fleet.
- Scheduled deployment of over 700 computer and printer systems, and worked with team to assemble workstations.
- Organized storage spaces for easy access and quick deployment.
Events Technician
Summer 2012
- Installed, maintained, and assembled theatrical equipment throughout park grounds.
- Operated portable radio equipment to facilitate communications between multiple crews.
- Assisted in backstage operation of performances at Kingswood Music Festival.
- Constructed theatrical sets and Halloween Haunt mazes.
QA and Documentation Summer Student
Summer 2010
- Created product documentation from entity relationship diagrams.
- Worked with database programmers to create prototype documentation literature.
- Learned about content management systems with an emphasis on open source software, Plone and Zope.
Volunteer Experience
Emergency Dispatcher
June 21-24 2019
- Answered emergency calls from Pride volunteers and members of the public; relayed information for medical calls to Toronto Paramedics for medic dispatch.
- Used Computer-Aided Dispatch software to track ongoing incidents, vendor requests, and threats to public safety.
- Set up dispatch operations centre; installed phone lines, computer workstations, and radio equipment.
- Monitored local media to track parade progress and ensure situational awareness was maintained.
- Coordinated operations between festival booths, suppliers, and Pride volunteers.
- Provided information to members of the public regarding festival hours, public access areas, and garbage removal within festival boundaries.
Box Office Volunteeer, Support Coordinator
April 2011 - Present
- Work in a call centre managing ticket sales for multiple theatre groups, providing courteous and efficient service to many customers.
- Manage orders and customer information, ensuring customer privacy is maintained at every step.
- Provide technical support and advice to other volunteers.
- Worked on-call for on-site and remote support when issues arise. Troubleshoot common problems with software and devices.
Sound Designer/Operator
Community Theatre Groups throughout GTA
October 2010 - Present
- Create plans for complex musical sound designs.
- Work with directors, artistic staff to bring creative visions to life.
- Create budgets for sound equipment, ensuring the best possible sound within financial constraints.
- Operate digital and analogue sound mixers for musicals ranging from classical Broadway to modern rock operas.
- Design detailed and immersive soundscapes.
- Use signal processors to enhance or alter voices for effect and for greater clarity.
Awards
Best Sound Design of a Musical
April 2020
Awarded for sound design of Scarborough Music Theatre's production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Best Sound Design of a Musical
April 2019
Awarded for outstanding sound design of Scarborough Music Theatre's production of Next to Normal.
Ben Gans Rising Star Award
August 2012
Awarded for exceptional contribution to Scarborough Players productions during the 2011/2012 Season.
Best Sound Design of a Musical
April 2011
Awarded for sound design of Scarborough Music Theatre's production of Annie. "An exceptional mix of sound and impressive first time sound design and operation." - Adjudicator, Andrew Lamb
Additional Skills
- Computer Aided Dispatch
- Centracom Elite Dispatch Software
- Extensive Knowledge of Ontario 400 Series Highways
- PHP Scripting
- Javascript
- HTML
- Google Scripting
- Microsoft Office
- Documentation Writing
- Conflict Resolution
- Procedure Creation
- Microsoft Office
- Centracom Elite Dispatch Software
- Google Scripting
- Spreadhseet Macros
- PHP Scripting
- Javascript
- HTML
- Documentation Writing
- Conflict Resolution
- Procedure Creation
Hobbies & Interests
Throughout my life I have dedicated many hours to volunteering with many GTA community theatres, such as Scarborough Music Theatre, Scarborough Players, Curtain Call Players, and many more. I enjoy all aspects of theatre, from performing in the largest musicals and most intimate plays, to designing and executing larger-than-life soundscapes, to stage managing a complex show with hundreds of cues; I love it all.
In addition to theatre, my second-greatest passion is coffee. I absolutely have a weakness for new coffees -- whether trying a brand new bold Brazilian blend, savouring a delightfully bright cup of Ethiopian, or simply enjoying a classic Colombian, you can be sure I'll have consumed it.
When you've run out of musicals to sing, and you've consumed all your coffee, what else is there to do but code? I enjoy creating programs that make my everyday life easier. I have worked on several projects for previous and current workplaces, as well as simple tools to help with my own personal computing needs.