New York State of Opportunity

Disaster Preparedness Assistant

Written Test To Be Held
January 14, 2023
You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday to take your test.
You cannot request or change your scheduled day.
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked By
November 30, 2022

 

Exams Included on This Announcement
Exam Number Exam Title Salary Salary Grade Non−Refundable Processing Fee (Waivers available)
26-902 Disaster Preparedness Assistant $46,146 SG-12 $25

You must review important information on the New York State Department of Civil Service COVID-19 policy that applies to all candidates sitting for in-person Civil Service examinations being administered at a New York State test center. You can access our full policy on the Department of Civil Service website.

Due to current testing space limitations, candidates may need to travel to a test site to take this examination. Candidates will be notified of their test site location on their admission notice.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before January 14, 2023, you must have:

Either 1.two years of emergency management experience as listed below;*

Or 2. a specialized associate's degree as listed below** AND one year of emergency management experience as listed below;*

Or 3. a specialized bachelor's degree or higher as listed below;**

**Specialized Degree Areas: Atmospheric Science, Business Continuity, Business Organizational Security Management, Criminal Intelligence Analysis, Criminal Investigations, Criminal Justice, Crisis, Critical Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Digital Forensics, Disaster or Emergency Management, Disaster Resilience, Disaster Science, Emergency Preparedness, Emergency or Public Safety Services, Emergency and/or Risk Management, Fire and Emergency Services, Geography, Homeland Security, Informatics, Meteorology, National Security, Political Science, Public Administration, Security Studies, System Safety and Security, or Urban or Regional Planning.

*Qualifying experience: For the purposes of this examination qualifying Emergency management experience must include one or more of the following areas:

  1. Coordination and implementation of emergency management and disaster preparedness programs.
  2. Preparation or modification of disaster plans.
  3. Preparation, modification, presentation of disaster educational training and/or exercises.
  4. Gather and analyze information to produce briefings or reports or to make timely and effective incident response decisions.
  5. Represent an agency or organization in an Emergency Operations Center or leadership position on the Incident Command System.
  6. Manage or supervise logistics operations during a major emergency or disaster by overseeing the distribution or staging of equipment and supplies.

If verifiable, we will accept and prorate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2023, you can be admitted to the written test, but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirement to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview. Failure to meet the educational requirements by June 30, 2023, may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Your required educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm .

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Duties

As a Disaster Preparedness Assistant, you would serve as the Office of Emergency Management's (OEM) first point of contact for all State agency liaisons in regard to incidents, emergencies or disasters. You will monitor, analyze, prioritize, and report information obtained from a wide variety of sources to federal, State and local government officials, emergency responders, agency partners, and the public on or within the State Watch Center. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, answering 24-hour emergency hotlines for various State agencies, synthesizing and prioritizing requests, distributing inquiries to appropriate agencies, and alerting responsible staff based on policies between agencies; preparing daily operational briefings; monitoring sources of information for situational awareness of incidents that may adversely impact areas of New York State; participating in the review, draft, and implementation of emergency communications plans; and monitoring, testing, and utilizing various communication systems including the E-Justice Portal, the State and National Warning System (NAWAS), the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), and the Radiological Emergency Communications Lines (RECS).

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Subject of Examination

To be considered for appointment to this title, you must pass the written test. The written test evaluates your knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas:

  1. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
  2. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be asked questions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the selections.
  3. Evaluating conclusions based on factual information - These questions test your ability to evaluate and draw conclusions from factual information presented. Each question consists of a set of factual statements and a conclusion. You will be asked to determine whether the conclusion can be proven to be true by the facts, proven to be false by the facts, or if the facts are inadequate to prove the conclusion.
  4. 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.

Your final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Note: The Department of Civil Service may administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets.

Admission To The Test: If approved for a written test, you will receive an admission notice which will indicate your assigned test date and the way your test will be administered. Your test may be administered with paper and pencil or online at a state test site using a state-provided Chromebook. You cannot request to change your scheduled day or request a specific type of test administration.

Applicants are required to have a Personal NY.gov account and keep their email address up to date. The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies will communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your test arrangements, examination results, and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number, and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

This announcement is for viewing purposes only.

Important: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. Any past due application processing fees must be paid in full prior to submitting an application. Please email FeeUnitMail@cs.ny.gov regarding inquiries about any past due fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination.

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local 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 to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

The use of cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices at your personal testing site or in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas, except as expressly authorized by the Department of Civil Service, could result in your disqualification.

S2/TC1 LAK-rkv
Issued: 10/28/22

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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