Yonkers PSD (Sp) Test

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P O S T C O N S P I C U O U S L Y

THIS IS NOT AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT

MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

40 South Broadway

City Hall Room 120

Yonkers, N.Y. 10701

A NON-REFUNDABLE $15.00 APPLICATION FEE IS REQUIRED FOR EACH SEPARATELY NUMBERED EXAMINATION FOR WHICH YOU APPLY

PUBLIC SAFETY DISPATCHER (Spanish Speaking)

OPEN-COMPETITIVE EXAM NO. 62-203

EXAMINATION DATE: MARCH 18, 2006

FILING OPENS: JANUARY 6, 2006

LAST DATE FOR FILING APPLICATIONS: FEBRUARY 8, 2006

APPOINTING AUTHORITY VACANCIES SALARY RANGE (per annum)

City of Yonkers As they may occur $49,620 - $59,650

THIS EXAMINATION IS OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS, FOR ONE YEAR OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY

DUTIES:

This position involves responsibility for operating police, fire and emergency medical communication system. The work involves dispatching of emergency personnel, equipment and messages through use of telephones, two-way radios, teletype and computer aided dispatch system. An incumbent in this position must be fluent in both English and Spanish. Work is performed in accordance with established department procedures and requires good judgment in emergency situations. Direct supervision is received from a supervisor. Does related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative Only)

Receives incoming calls from both English and Spanish speaking constituents on police and fire emergency lines, i.e. telephones, mobile data system, two-way radio systems, fax machines, etc. and initiates appropriate actions;

Dispatches police, fire, ambulances and other emergency personnel and equipment via two-way radios and/or mobile data system;

Transmits and receives teletype messages and alarms;

Monitors availability of equipment and personnel;

Provides information to personnel in the field via two-way radio and/or mobile data system;

Operates a computer aided dispatch system (CADS) which requires typing information into the system for dissemination.

Performs related clerical work, i.e. typing, filing, etc.;

Maintains a clean workstation;

Prepares and maintains required records, logs and reports;

Assists in training others;

Provides general information to the public upon request.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Candidates must meet the following requirement on or before the date of the written test.

OPEN-COMPETITIVE:

Graduation from high school or possession of a High School Equivalency Diploma.

NOTE:

Dispatching will mean a person who uses two way communication devices to send out vehicles to a destination.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

1. Conviction of a misdemeanor may bar employment; conviction of a felony shall bar employment.

2. Must be fluent in English and Spanish.

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 City 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 a retest which will be given on the same day as the original performance test.

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION:

This examination includes:

1. A weighted multiple-choice written test, and

2. A qualifying Spanish Language Oral Proficiency Test.

The Spanish Language Oral Proficiency Test is designed to evaluate the candidate’s oral proficiency in the Spanish language, at the level appropriate for the title being filled. A level 2 proficiency in the above language is required to pass the qualifying oral proficiency test for this title. This is equivalent to having a working oral language proficiency with understandable, smooth expression at a conversational level of communication.

Based on the ranking on the written test, only a sufficient number of candidates needed to fill the present vacancies will be called to take part in the qualifying language oral proficiency test. As additional vacancies occur, additional candidates who were successful on the written test portion of the examination will be invited to take the qualifying language oral proficiency test.

The language oral proficiency test will be rated on a pass-fail basis. Candidates must pass both the written test and the qualifying foreign language oral proficiency test in order to be eligible for appointment.

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

1. CODING/DECODING INFORMATION

These questions test your ability to use written directions to code and decode information accurately. You will be asked to apply sets of coding rules to code information and to interpret coded information. Complete directions will be provided; no previous knowledge of or training in any coding system is required.

2. 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, then use them on a simple map.

3. RETAINING AND COMPREHENDING SPOKEN INFORMATION FROM CALLS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES

These questions test retention and comprehension of information in calls for emergency services. Some questions test retention of specifics, such as street addresses, or comprehension of the spoken information, such as determining the location of a site in relation to landmarks. Each of these questions is weighted 1.0. Other questions test comprehension and application of directions for filling in a form. Each of these questions is weighted 0.2. Several simulated 911 calls will be played on audio tape. After listening to each call, candidates will be asked from two to four questions about the information that was presented in the call. The time to answer them will be limited. The tape will keep track of the time and, at the end of each answer period, will automatically begin to 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.

4. NAME AND NUMBER CHECKING

These questions test your ability to distinguish between sets of words, letters, and/or numbers that are almost exactly alike. Material is usually presented in two or three columns, and you will have to determine how the entry in the first column compares with the entry in the second column and possibly the third. You will be instructed to mark your answers according to a designated code provided in the directions.

5. 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.

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTIFIED, 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", OR ANY SIMILAR DEVICES ARE PROHIBITED. YOU MAY NOT BRING BOOKS OR OTHER REFERENCE MATERIALS.