PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATION

72321-010

PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER II

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

· LAST FILING DATE: JANUARY 1, 2025

· WRITTEN TEST DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2025

· COUNTY ANNUAL SALARY $51,913

· GRADE 20

· SALARIES VARY BY JURISDICTION

SPECIFICATION # 0178

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. 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 and volunteer CERT members. Internet applicants should complete the “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form online. All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.

DUTIES

The work involves supervision of an emergency communications center with responsibility for training personnel, supervising the work and planning adequate staff coverage. The employee monitors work performance and maintenance of activity records and participates in receiving calls and dispatching vehicles. Work is reviewed by an administrative supervisor through observation of results and review of reports. Performs related work as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To be eligible, a candidate must now be serving and have served on a continuous basis with permanent or contingent permanent competitive status as a Public Safety Dispatcher I for at least two (2) years in the jurisdiction in which the candidate seeks promotion immediately preceding the written examination date. Provisional time immediately preceding a permanent appointment to the same title(s) will be credited.

Necessary Special Requirement

Candidates must be free of any speech, hearing or vision defects that would impair their functioning in this position. There will be a qualifying psychological evaluation for open-competitive candidates.

SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION

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

1. Coding/decoding information;

2. Understanding and interpreting written material;

3. Work planning and scheduling;

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

5. Radio operations and dispatching procedures;

6. Supervision and training.

*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 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

NOTES

1. Should it become necessary to amend any part of this announcement, the Department of 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 Civil Service by February 5, 2025 are advised to contact the department before the written test date at (631) 853-5500.

N.Y.S.

DATE PREPARED: November 18, 2024

GENERAL CONDITIONS PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

1. Application may be made using the Suffolk County Application for Promotional Examination (Form CS-203).

2. Applicants may complete a “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form and submit it with Form CS-203.

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 Civil Service for reconsideration prior to the last filing date appearing on this announcement. Appeals received on or after the last filing 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 scores received on the written test, plus seniority and 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-checkers, personal digital assistants, address books, language translators, dictionaries and any similar devices are prohibited.

8. Eligible lists resulting from promotional examinations are only certified to the jurisdiction in which a candidate is employed. In accordance with Section 52 of the Civil Service Law, for county service, first consideration in appointment will be given to employees in the department where a vacancy occurs after which appointments will be made from the general eligible list.

9. When an examination is prepared and rated by the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service, the provisions of the Suffolk County Civil Service Rules dealing with the rating of examination will apply.

10. When the 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.

11. 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 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.

12. Information regarding eligibility for veterans' credits appears on the promotional application form.

13. For each six months of continuous permanent competitive service within the jurisdiction, to a maximum of 20 years, .10 credits for seniority will be added to the scores of passing candidates only.

14. 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.

15. 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.

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 Department of Civil Service before the last filing date appearing on this announcement for alternate test date information.

19. Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Date: If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, towns, 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 test 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 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/CivilService and click on the “Weather Related Exam Cancellations” link. Civil Service Announcements are shown at the bottom of that page.

Suffolk County Department of Civil Service

725 Veterans Memorial Highway

William J. Lindsay County Complex, Bldg. # 158

P. O. Box 6100

Hauppauge, NY 11788-0099

Phone (631) 853-5500