Human Resources

Emergency Services Dispatcher, O.C. #66-635

 

GENESEE COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES

COUNTY BUILDING I, BATAVIA, NEW YORK

ANNOUNCES

 AN OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR:

EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCHER, O.C. #66-635

SALARY:  $18.77 - $23.98 per hour (2018), Genesee County.

VACANCY: This examination is being held to establish an eligible list to fill future vacancies as they occur. An eligible may receive only one permanent appointment from this list. Once appointed, there will be a Probationary Period of 8-52 weeks based on performance of duties. During this probationary period the Department Head has the ability to terminate employment, without cause.

CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF GENESEE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST TWO (2) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION, AND MUST HAVE CONTINUED THEIR RESIDENCY THROUGH THE PERIOD LEADING TO THEIR INITIAL APPOINTMENT. 

                         LAST FILING DATE----------NOVEMBER  29, 2017

                                        EXAMINATION DATE----------JANUARY 6, 2018

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma recognized by the NYS Department of Education, AND EITHER:

A.        Completion of at least 12 semester credit hours at a regionally accredited NYS registered college or university in either Criminal Justice, Communications, Computer Sciences, Customer Service, Emergency Management, or related field, [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR OFFICIAL COLLEGE TRANSCRIPT TO YOUR APPLICATION];

OR:

B.        Six (6) months experience as a Dispatcher or an active member of an emergency services organization, i.e., firefighter in an organized fire department, law enforcement officer, emergency medical personnel for an ambulance service, or closely-related position, or as a Dispatcher in a private business, [IF CLAIMED, PLEASE INDICATE ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION];

OR:    

C.        One (1) year experience in customer service position performing data entry, telephone operations, and dealing directly with the public or customers,[IF CLAIMED, PLEASE INDICATE ALL RELEVENAT EXPERIENCE ON YOUR APPLICATION].

A copy of an official transcript is acceptable for the purpose of taking this examination, however, at such time a candidate is offered an appointment, an official sealed transcript with a raised college seal must be on file with Human Resources prior to the appointment.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT AND CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT:
If you are offered employment, you must be willing to submit to criminal history checks by both the State of New York Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Successful candidate will be required to pass additional background checks including screening, interviews, fingerprint checks, psychological exam(s), and may include polygraph.  A valid driver’s license is required.

CANDIDATES, PLEASE NOTE: It is vital that you submit, with your application, all information necessary to show your qualification for examination.  APPLICATIONS WHICH DO NOT SHOW TRAINING AND/OR EXPERIENCE TO MEET MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE DISAPPROVED, AND WE WILL NOT REFER TO OTHER APPLICATIONS ON FILE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

NOTE: PHOTO ID WILL BE REQUIRED ON THE DAY OF THE EXAMINATION.

NOTE – FILING FEES: (The acceptance of your application is dependent upon your following these instructions accurately):

A fee of $25.00 is required for each separately-numbered examination for which you apply.  The required fee must accompany your application.  The fee may be submitted in the form of either CASH or CREDIT CARD (if delivered in person), PERSONAL CHECK or MONEY ORDER, (if by mail).  Personal Checks and Money Orders must be payable to the GENESEE COUNTY TREASURER.  Please write the examination number(s) on your personal check or money order.  YOUR APPLICATION FEE WILL NOT BE REFUNDED if you do not meet the requirements for admission to the examination. Compare your qualifications carefully to the requirements stated on the announcement and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified. A waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are receiving unemployment and primarily responsible for the support of a household.  In addition, a waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are determined eligible for Medicaid, or are receiving Supplemental Security Income payments, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Family assistance or Safety Net Assistance, or are certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency.  All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.  In order for us to verify your eligibility for an application fee waiver, you must complete a “Request for Fee Waiver” form and submit it with your application by the close of business on the Last Filing Date as indicated on the Examination Announcement. The “Request for Fee Waiver” form can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:
Receives calls from the public in need of fire, rescue, emergency medical, law enforcement or other emergency services and dispatches appropriate emergency personnel;

Queries the caller in a calm, systematic manner to determine the seriousness and nature of the situation, the location, the services needed, and other information necessary to evaluate the situation;

Exercises sound independent judgment in dispatching services and coordinating the participation of various emergency personnel/equipment to the scene;

Maintains a continuous log of all telephone and radio calls sent out or received, records all fire and emergency equipment in the county, and logs equipment out of service;

Operates telephone communications equipment and inputs data into computer aided dispatch systems utilizing a typewriter style computer terminal keyboard;

Utilizes computerized data-bases (including NYSPIN system) to access and record data and information;

Acts as a secondary radio dispatcher for other agencies;

Receives and answers radio calls for various agencies and transfers calls to appropriate personnel;

Receives and relays intra-county mutual aid calls;

Receives and records in log, location of fire alarms and emergency calls;

Performs filing, typing, and other clerical duties as needed;

Gives instructions to callers and provides emergency medical instruction to callers using standard accepted medical guidelines.

 

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the following areas:

1.         Coding/Decoding Information

2.         Following Directions (Maps)

3.         Retaining and Comprehending Spoken Information from Calls for                          Emergency Services

4.         Radio Operations and Dispatching Procedures

5.         Understanding and Interpreting Written Material

Performance Test - A performance test will also be held at a later date, to be announced. The written test will be a ranking test and the performance test will be a qualifying (pass/fail) test.  You must pass both the written and performance tests to be considered for appointment.  You will not be called to the performance test unless you have passed the written test.  Since the performance test is qualifying (pass/fail), if you pass the performance test your final score for the examination will be the score that you achieve on the written test.

Candidates may be invited to the performance test in the order of the scores they achieve on the written test.  The County reserves the right to give the performance test to only as many candidates as are needed to fill available vacancies.

The test will be administered on a conventional personal computer (PC).  You will be using a conventional PC keyboard, but you will not be using a mouse.

Subject - The test consists of three parts, each preceded by a separate practice session. It will test your ability to enter the kinds of information that dispatchers and related personnel must process for fire, police, and emergency medical services.

You will not need any specific information prior to the test; rather, complete on-screen instructions will tell you all that you need to know in order to take the test.  In order to pass, you must enter the data at a rate of at least 6,000 keystrokes per hour (which is equal to typing approximately 20 words per minute), with an accuracy rate of at least 97.5%.

Retest Policy - Candidates who fail the performance test will be permitted one retest which will be given on the same day as the original performance test.

CANDIDATES ARE PERMITTED TO USE QUIET, HAND-HELD, SOLAR OR BATTERY POWERED CALCULATORS.  CELL PHONES OR DEVICES WITH TYPEWRITER KEYBOARDS ARE PROHIBITED.
 
The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm.

EXPANDED SUB-TEST DESCRIPTION:
Coding/Decoding information-These questions test for the ability to follow a set of coding rules. Some questions will require you to code information by converting certain information into letters or numbers. Other questions will require you to decode information by determining if the information that has already been converted into letters or numbers is correct. Complete directions will be provided; no previous knowledge of or training in any coding system is required.

Following Directions (Maps)-These questions test your ability to follow physical/geographic directions using street maps or building maps. You will have to read and understand a set of directions and then use them on a simple map.

Retaining and Comprehending Spoken Information From Calls for Emergency Services-These questions test for your ability to retain specific information that is heard in calls for emergency service, such as a street address, or to comprehend spoken information from emergency service calls, such as determining the location of a site in relation to landmarks. Simulated 911 calls will be played on audio CD. Immediately following each call, candidates are given audio instructions identifying which questions they are to answer within the test booklet. The questions that candidates are directed to answer for each simulated call will not be in sequential order. Candidates will need to retain and comprehend the information and instruction provided in this portion of the test to respond appropriately to the questions asked and to determine which questions to answer. The time allotted to answer these questions will be limited. At the end of each answer period, the CD will automatically play the next call. Note paper will be provided. Candidates will be permitted to take notes and to refer to them when answering the questions.

Radio Operations and Dispatching Procedures-These questions test for knowledge of two-way radio systems and operations, and may cover dispatching procedures when appropriate.

Understanding and Interpreting Written Material-These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.

CROSS-FILING:If you have applied for other local government or state examinations, call or write to each civil service agency to make arrangements no later than two weeks before the date of the examinations.  You must notify all local government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application of the test site at which you wish to take your examinations.  The “Cross-filer Form” for Genesee County can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

NOTE: Religious Accommodations, Persons with Disabilities or Active Military: If special arrangements for testing are required, please indicate this on your application. An explanation of your need for special testing accommodations must be attached to your application.  If due to disability – medical documentation must be provided.

ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS: Any member of the armed forces of the United States who has duly filed an application to compete in a scheduled competitive examination but was deprived of the opportunity to compete in the examination due to active military duty could be provided with a special military make-up examination.

Current members of the Armed Forces may apply for Veteran’s credits by filing an “Application for Veteran’s Credits” (Form VC-1).  The “Application for Veteran’s Credits” can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website at, www.co.genesee.ny.us. Proof of military status must also be presented and verified in order for consideration of granting of “conditional” Veteran’s credit.  Acceptable proof may include a military I.D. card, military orders, or other official military document that substantiates active military service at time of exam. This documentation and VC-1 Form must be received prior to the establishment of the Eligible List for this examination.  The “conditional” status of the additional credits will remain until proof is provided indicating that the service was in time of war and that the veteran received an honorable discharge, or was released under honorable circumstances.

VETERANS: Additional credits are available to veterans who meet certain established requirements.  Veterans who have not exhausted their credits should make application for their use, if desired.  A COMPLETED APPLICATION FOR VETERANS CREDITS (FORM VC-1) AND a COPY OF SEPARATION PAPERS (FORM DD-214) MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE ELIGIBLE LIST FOR THIS EXAMINATION IS ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO UTILIZE ADDITIONAL CREDITS.  DISABLED VETERANS MUST SUBMIT, IN ADDITION, A COPY OF FORM VC-3 (AUTHORIZATION FOR DISABILITY RECORD). The “Application for Veteran’s Credits” can be obtained at Genesee County Human Resources, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020 or from our website at, www.co.genesee.ny.us.

ADDITIONAL CREDIT AUTHORIZED:  Additional credits shall be allowed for children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty, as “child” in this section in competitive examinations for original appointment.  (a) On all eligible lists resulting from competitive examinations, the names of eligible persons shall be entered in the order of their respective final earned ratings on examinations, with the name of the eligible person with the highest final earned ratings at the head of such list, provided, however, that for the purpose of determining final earned ratings, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten (10) points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served.  (b) Such additional credit shall be added to the final earned rating of such child, as the case may be, after he or she has qualified in the competitive examination and shall be granted only at the time of establishment of the resulting eligible list.

PLACE TO FILE: To get an application, come in or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Genesee County Human Resources, County Building I, 15 Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020 or download from website: www.co.genesee.ny.us. Phone 344-2550, Ext. 2221.

Applications mailed to us must be postmarked with a date no later than the last filing date indicated on this announcement.

All correspondence will be sent only to the address provided on the application for examination. It is your responsibility to inform the Genesee County Human Resources office of any change of address. Correspondence returned for incorrect address will not be forwarded.  All address changes must be submitted to the Genesee County Human Resources office in writing.

APPLICANTS: Please contact this office three days prior to examination if you have not been notified by us, as to your eligibility to participate in this examination. This examination is being prepared and rated by the New York State Department of

Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of the Civil Service Law.  The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations dealing with this rating of the examination will apply to this test.

THE COUNTY OF GENESEE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, RELIGION, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, DISABILITY, MARITAL STATUS, CITIZENSHIP STATUS, MILITARY OR VETERAN STATUS, CRIMINAL CONVICTION STATUS, PREDISPOSING GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS OR GENETIC INFORMATION, PREGNANCY, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM STATUS OR ANY OTHER PROTECTED GROUP OR ACTIVITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT.

GENESEE COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER