Senior Radio Dispatcher

Salary Grade	Salary
G-12	$47,530 (DEC)
Equated to G-16	$51,814 (Thruway Authority)

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.

Back To Top

Minimum Qualifications

On or before January 27, 2024, you must have two years of:

Either 1. experience as a police, emergency services, or public safety dispatcher;

Or 2. experience as a member of a fire company or emergency medical services squad;

Or 3. experience as a radio dispatcher of a mobile fleet;

Or 4. experience in a traffic management center;

Or 5. active duty service and an honorable discharge or under conditions in the NYS Restoration of Honor Act from the United States military;

Or 6. military duty in the United States Armed Forces National Guard or Reserve;

Or 7. experience as a member of an organized Search and Rescue (SAR) task force or team.

• If verifiable, we will accept and prorate appropriate part-time and volunteer experience.
• New York State residency is not required.

Additional Requirements for Appointment:

1. Background Investigation: Due to the nature of these positions, there will be an investigative screening which could include a thorough character investigation. All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case is determined on its own merit, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws.
2. Fingerprints and Fees: You may be required to get fingerprinted at the time of appointment. You are responsible for payment of the processing fee.

The Positions: These positions exist in the New York State Thruway Authority and the Department of Environmental Conservation and are located primarily in Albany. 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.

Back To Top

Duties

As a Senior Radio Dispatcher at Thruway Authority, 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. For positions at the Thruway, you will also be required to monitor alarms and operate traffic management systems including but not limited to closed circuit TV, Variable Message Signs, Highway Advisory Radio, TRANSMIT and other devices utilized by the Thruway.

As a Senior Radio Dispatcher at Department of Environmental Conservation, you would provide direct supervision and administrative support to subordinate staff. You will be expected to provide training to dispatch staff and other appropriate DEC personnel in the proper operation of base, mobile and portable radio use. You will be expected to provide instruction and training to dispatch staff to effectively receive, document and transfer information by landline, cellphone, and radio. Your administrative duties and responsibilities would include scheduling and performance evaluations. The schedule will be prepared and maintained to ensure that all normal operating shifts are staffed. You will design and maintain an operating manual to ensure standardized training in operational procedures in collaboration with the supervising Lieutenant and Captain. You will develop and maintain a log for all communications equipment located in the Dispatch office. You will be directly involved in communication transmissions and situations where decisions of an immediate and highly responsible nature must be made. You will be expected to perform all the duties of a Radio Dispatcher on a routine basis and be included in the schedule rotation, especially during times of high radio traffic or call volume and, also to provide relief for other dispatchers as required. You may be called in during off duty hours in emergency or high radio traffic or call volume situations.

Note:

• A promotion examination will also be held for these positions. If you are eligible for appointment from a promotion list, you may not be appointed in your own agency from the list resulting from this examination open to the public. Although promotion examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as a result of the open competitive exam.

Back To Top

Subject of Examination

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

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.

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

Admission To The Test: If approved for a multiple-choice 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.

Back To Top

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.

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 multiple-choice 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 Accommodation Unit of the Department of Civil Service at Testaccommodation@cs.ny.gov.

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 multiple-choice 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 multiple-choice 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 multiple-choice test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this multiple-choice 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/TA1 JMM-ctc
Issued: 11/10/23

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.

Back To Top