Overview:
Position Summary
The Communications Specialist coordinates both routine and emergency air and ground medical transportation requests. Working as part of a team, this role supports helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, and ground ambulance operations to help ensure patients receive timely and appropriate transport services.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will:
- Stay calm and professional in high-pressure situations
- Have strong attention to detail
- Be able to multitask effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Maintain awareness of multiple active transport missions at the same time
- Communicate clearly and work well as part of a team
Training & Compliance
- Must complete required Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) crew resource management and flight emergency training
- Must comply with all Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services (CAMTS) standards for Communications Specialists
Responsibilities:
Key Responsibilities
- Receive and coordinate requests for air and ground medical transport services
- Use computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software to identify and assign the closest appropriate transport resource
- Communicate with transport teams using radio and telephone systems
- Monitor and track aircraft and ambulance missions from start to finish
- Provide operational support throughout each mission to help ensure successful completion
- Receive patient reports from EMS units transporting patients into the UF Health Shands system
- Process emergency hospital activation requests, including:
- Stroke alerts
- STEMI alerts
- Trauma alerts
- Work closely with internal and external clinical teams during emergency situations
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required
- Knowledge of medical terminology preferred
- Basic understanding of communication equipment, including telephones, radios, and recording systems
- Knowledge of navigational terms is helpful, but not required
- Preferred experience:
- At least 1 year of dispatch experience in an EMS, 911, or aviation environment, or
- At least 1 year of experience working in a 911 center or hospital setting
Vehicle Operation
- This position does not require operating a vehicle for work-related purposes
Required Certifications
Applicants must hold one of the following current certifications:
- Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification
- Florida 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator certification
- Florida EMT-Basic certification
- Florida Paramedic certification
In addition, the following certification is required within 1 year of hire:
- International Association of Medical Transport Communication Specialists (IAMTCS) Certified Flight Communications Specialist certification