Senior Radio Dispatcher

You may be assigned to either Saturday or Sunday to take your test. The Department of Civil Service reserves the right to administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets. Your admission notice will tell you whether your test will be administered online. You cannot request a day in advance or change your scheduled day.

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. 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. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Interdepartmental promotion examination open to all qualified employees of New York State

For Promotion in State Departments, Facilities, and Agencies

1. Within Promotion Units 2. Within Entire Departments 3. To Other Departments

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before January 11, 2020, you must be a qualified employee of New York State and have had three months of permanent competitive, or non-competitive (including 55-b/55-c) service as a Communications Technician 1.

Only the title or titles listed are qualifying.

The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill positions at the Department of Environmental Conservation only. At present, there is one vacancy.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before October 11, 2019, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Qualifying Experience for Appointment from the Eligible List

After one year of the service described in the Minimum Qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list.

Notes

1. In accordance with Section 52.11 of the Civil Service Law, individuals serving permanently in the non competitive or labor class in a qualifying title (including those serving under Section 55-b/55-c) who otherwise meet the requirements for taking this examination are eligible to compete in this promotion examination.
2. This examination is being held on a promotion and open-competitive basis. If you are admitted to the promotion examination under anticipated eligibility (i.e., you do not have the required one year of Qualifying Experience For Appointment From The Eligible List) and if you meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications, you may also be admitted to the open-competitive examination. To be admitted, you must apply for the open-competitive examination according to the instructions given on the open-competitive announcement. Once you meet the required one year of qualifying service for appointment from the promotion list, you will not be eligible for appointment from the open-competitive eligible list.
3. Background Investigation: All candidates are required to successfully pass a background investigation prior to appointment. Because of the nature of the position, there is an investigative screening that will include a thorough character investigation. All convictions must be reported. Failure to pass the background investigation for any reason, including conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information, may bar appointment. The investigation performed is consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws.
4. Fingerprinting is required prior to appointment. You will be required to pay the processing fee.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Radio operations and dispatching procedures - These questions test for knowledge of two-way radio systems and operations, and may cover dispatching procedures when appropriate.
4. Supervision and training - These questions test for the knowledge required by a supervisor to set goals, plan and organize work, train workers in how to do their jobs, and direct workers towards meeting established goals. The supervisory questions cover such areas as assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, maintaining work quality, motivating employees, increasing efficiency, and dealing with problems that may arise on the job. The training questions cover such areas as determining the necessity for training, selecting appropriate training methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of training.
5. Work planning and scheduling - These questions test for knowledge of the principles used in developing and implementing work plans and for the ability to arrange work assignments in a manner that will achieve work goals while staying within scheduling criteria. This may include setting up vacation or work schedules, taking into consideration such factors as seniority, work skills, duty hours, and shift coverage.

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' credits to your final passing score.

Credit for Seniority

Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

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Duties

As a Senior Radio Dispatcher, you would provide direct supervision, training, and administrative support to subordinate staff. Your administrative duties and responsibilities would include scheduling and performance evaluations. You may become directly involved in communication transmissions and situations where decisions of an immediate and highly responsible nature must be made. You will evaluate and take remedial and corrective action to address and resolve routine or emergency incidents. You may perform the duties of a Radio Dispatcher during times of high radio traffic or call volume. You may perform the duties of a Radio Dispatcher when required by management or provide relief for dispatchers as required. You may be called in during off duty hours in emergency or high radio traffic or call volume situations. The duties of this position are often carried out under stressful conditions.

IMPORTANT: These positions involve shift work within a 24-hour work schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your 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

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.

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.

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/TC2 CAV-rkv
Issued: 10/25/2019

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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