86-336

SUFFOLK COUNTY

EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCHER I

CIVIL SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service

· LAST FILING DATE: DECEMBER 20, 2023

· WRITTEN TEST DATE: JANUARY 27, 2024

· COUNTY ANNUAL SALARY $46,301

· GRADE 18

SPECIFICATION # 0173

All statements made on the application may be verified and the backgrounds of successful candidates are subject to investigation by the appointing authority.

APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE and FEE WAIVER

The application processing fee is $40. Application may be made via the internet at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service. Payment must be made by VISA or MasterCard credit card and there will be an additional convenience fee of $1.95. An acknowledgement of receipt of application will be sent to all internet applicants via e-mail. A separate application and processing fee are required for each examination (identified by examination number) for which you are applying. The application processing fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.

The application processing fee may be waived for Suffolk County residents who are veterans, active duty military, members of the reserves or National Guard, auxiliary police, firefighters, members in good standing of a local fire district or ambulance company, members of a Volunteer Fire Department or Volunteer Emergency Medical Services Agency Explorers programs, volunteer CERT members and members of the Suffolk County Police Explorers program. The fee may also be waived if you are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household and for recipients of Medicaid, SSI, Public Assistance or those in a training program under the Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act administered by a state or local social service agency. Applicants should complete the “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form online. All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.

VACANCIES

The eligible list for this title will be used to fill future vacancies in the Suffolk County Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services.

DUTIES

An employee in this class receives telephone and radio calls for emergency assistance, and contacts emergency medical service units, fire departments and rescue units via a two-way communication system. The incumbent must elicit sufficient information to determine the nature of the emergency and the extent of assistance required. The incumbent coordinates the activities of the emergency service unit contacted, the ambulance dispatched, and the hospital or other emergency services provider. Work requires maintaining clerical records of incoming and outgoing communications, and may involve working rotating shifts. The incumbent works under the direct supervision of a higher-level Emergency Services Dispatcher. Does related work as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Graduation from a standard senior high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma.

Necessary Special Requirements

Candidates must possess an Emergency Medical Technician certificate, issued by the New York State Department of Health, at the time of appointment. Appointees must obtain a certificate both as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher and as a Fire Services Dispatcher through an approved course as determined by the appointing authority within six (6) months of the date of appointment, and must maintain valid certificates as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher and as a Fire Services Dispatcher throughout their employment in this title. Candidates must be free of any speech, hearing or vision defects, which would impair their functioning in this position.

SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION

This examination will consist of four parts:

I. The written test will cover knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Coding/decoding information;

2. Name and number checking;

3. Understanding and interpreting written material;

4. Following directions (maps);

5. Retaining and comprehending spoken information from calls for emergency services*.

* This section of the written test is audio-based and uses two media: booklet(s) and audio CD. After each call is played, candidates will read questions in the test booklet and answer them on a standard answer sheet.

Note: The use of calculators is allowed for this examination.

Note: 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 online at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

II. The keyboard performance test will be administered at a later date to candidates who pass the written test. The test will be given on a personal computer (PC) and consists of three (3) parts; each proceeded by a separate practice session. This is a keyboard performance test, designed to test your ability to enter common forms of the information with which emergency telecommunicators deal in fire services, police services, and emergency medical services settings. Each candidate for the performance test will be sent more detailed information prior to the test. Your rating on this test will be based on the amount of information you enter and on the accuracy of your entries. In order to pass this test you must enter data at a rate of at least 6,000 keystrokes per hour (which is the equivalent to typing approximately 20 words per minute), with an accuracy rate of at least 97.5%.

Waiver Policy: You may qualify for a waiver of the keyboard performance portion of the examination if you took and passed the Emergency Dispatcher Keyboard Performance Test for Public Safety Dispatcher I or Emergency Complaint Operator administered by the Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service.

Re-test Policy: Candidates who fail the keyboard performance test will be rescheduled for one (1) re-test at a later date.

III. & IV. Candidates who pass the written and performance tests will be called for a qualifying personality/psychological evaluation and physical/medical evaluation (see medical standards on page 4 of this announcement) as the needs of the service required. Candidates who successfully meet the standards may be required to be re-evaluated as needed.

Candidates must pass all parts of the examination in order to be eligible for appointment. Rank on the eligible list will be determined by the written scores only, plus veterans’ credits if applicable.

NOTES

1. Should it become necessary to amend any part of this announcement, the Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service reserves the right to make such amendment on the Department’s web page without notification to applicants. The most current copy of this announcement is available during the filing period at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service.

2. Expanded Description of the examination subtests.

3. Candidates who apply for this examination and who have not heard from the Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service by January 24, 2024 are advised to contact the Department before the written test date at (631) 853-5500.

N.Y.S.

DATE PREPARED: October 30, 2023

GENERAL CONDITIONS OPEN-COMPETITIVE ANNOUNCEMENT

1. Application may be made using the Suffolk County Application for Employment (Forms CS-205A and CS-205B).

2. Applicants may complete a “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form and submit it with Forms CS-205A and CS-205B.

3. Unless otherwise stated, candidates must meet the minimum qualifications by the date of the written test, or last filing date in the case of training and experience evaluations. Unless otherwise stated part-time experience will be pro-rated.

4. Candidates found ineligible to compete in the written examination may appeal to the Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service for reconsideration prior to the written test date appearing on this announcement. Appeals received on or after the announced written test date will not be considered.

5. Candidates who fail the examination, or who fail to appear for the examination as scheduled, will be eliminated from further consideration for purposes of this competition. Unless otherwise specified, the final rank order of the eligible list will be determined on the basis of the score received on the written test, plus veterans’ credits where appropriate.

6. Eligible applicants will be notified when and where to appear for examination. If an application is rejected, due notice will be sent.

7. Unless specifically prohibited by the examination instructions, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, solar or battery-powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards, spell-checker, personal digital assistant, address books, language translators, dictionaries and any similar devices are prohibited.

8. When the examination is prepared and rated by the Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service, the provisions of the Suffolk County Civil Service Rules dealing with the rating of examination will apply.

9. When the written examination is 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 which deal with the rating of examination will apply.

10. The eligible list established as a result of this examination will remain in force for at least one year and may be extended by the Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service for a maximum of four years. Changing conditions may make it necessary to certify to future vacancies at higher or lower salaries than those announced.

11. Information regarding eligibility for veterans’ credits appears on the open-competitive application form.

12. Pursuant to Section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points added to a passing score attained in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination, and you are the child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty, please so notify us in writing when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility to receive these additional credits before the eligible list is established. No additional credits will be granted after the eligible list is established.

13. Inquiries may be made as to character and ability and all statements made by candidates are subject to verification. Some employers may require the candidate to be fingerprinted and to pass a background investigation.

14. Candidates must be medically, physically and psychologically capable of performing the duties of the job. Candidates who are appointed to positions in the Suffolk County service may be required to pass qualifying medical and/or physical and/or psychological evaluations.

15. Residency is not required for taking any examinations. However, some jurisdictions, such as schools, libraries, etc., give hiring preference to residents. Some towns also require employees to establish residency within the township. For employment in a Suffolk County Department, with only limited exceptions set forth in Suffolk County Law, residency within Suffolk County is required within five years of employment with the county. In any case in which residency preference is given, the appointee(s) must meet a specific residency standard as defined in the Civil Service Rules.

16. Saturday Sabbath Observers and handicapped persons: If special arrangements for testing are required, indicate this on your application.

17. No smoking is permitted in the building or on the grounds of the examination site.

18. If you will be on active military duty with the armed forces of the United States on the date of this test, please contact the Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service before the last filing date appearing on this announcement for alternate test date information.

19. Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day: If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date, so they can make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All examinations for positions in State government will be held at a State examination center. If you have any questions, please call the Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service at (631) 853-5500.

20. For information regarding a weather-related cancellation of this examination, please refer to our website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service and click on the “Weather Related Exam Cancellations” link. Civil Service Announcements are shown at the bottom of that page. Also check News 12 Long Island for notice of cancellation of this examination: NEWS 12 LONG ISLAND, TV CHANNEL 12 or at their website: www.news12.com.

Suffolk County Department of Human Resources, Personnel and Civil Service

725 Veterans Memorial Hwy.

William J. Lindsay County Complex, Bldg. # 158

P.O. Box 6100

Hauppauge, NY 11788-0099

Phone: (631) 853-5500

SUFFOLK COUNTY OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH SERVICES

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

EMERGENCY SERVICES DISPATCHER I

Vision: Candidates must have vision correctable to 20/40 binocular for distance and reading. Candidates must be able to recognize color traffic lenses (yellow).

Hearing: Single hearing levels should not exceed 25 decibels (DB) at either 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz nor exceed 30 DB at 3000 Hz frequencies in each ear. For abnormal testing results between 4000 and 6000 Hz frequencies, further refined audiological evaluation is recommended. Use of one hearing aid is permitted provided the other ear is within normal standards. Candidates with a hearing aid, at their own expense, must provide evidence from a licensed audiologist that their aid meets the stipulated manufacture’s standards using functional gain or real ear measurements.

Speech: Candidates must be free of speech impediment which would interfere with the ability to communicate clearly.

Cardiovascular Health: Candidate must be free of chronically disabling conditions that would interfere with the performance of required duties; uncontrolled high blood pressure will be restricted pending remediation.

Respiratory Health: The respiratory system must be free of chronic disabling conditions that would interfere with the candidate’s ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Endocrine & Metabolic: Candidates having a condition or disorder will be evaluated on a case-by-case assessment including control of disorder, and the presence and severity of symptoms and/or complications. Ability to perform shift work and overtime will be assessed.

Neurological Health: Candidates must be free of neurological disorders that interfere with the candidate’s ability to perform the essential functions of the position. Candidates with epilepsy or seizure disorders must provide evidence of one-year seizure free history with or without drug control.

Musculoskeletal Health: Candidates must have manual dexterity to operate computer and manual equipment and must be free of any impairment that would interfere with the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Gastrointestinal Health: Candidates must be free of gastrointestinal disorders or deformities that would interfere with the performance of job duties.

Mental Health: Candidates must be free of mental illness, serious emotional disturbance or nervous disorders, drug dependence or abuse that would interfere with the performance of their duties.

General Medical Statement: Candidates must be free of any medical condition, including alcohol abuse, and/or psychiatric disorder which would jeopardize the safety and health of the public and/or other employees or would clearly interfere with the ability to perform the essential functions of the position. Candidates found to be abusing legal or illegal drugs will be disqualified.

** The physical and medical requirements are subject to change.

11/2023