Ulster County Personnel Department
Civil Service Examination Announcement
NON-REFUNDABLE FILING FEE $20.00
#64026 FIRE INSPECTOR
OPEN-COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION
LAST DATE FOR FILING APPLICATIONS: September 4, 2019
EXAMINATION DATE: October 19, 2019
The annual starting salary for the Village of New Paltz is currently listed at $45,000 to $50,000. The starting salaries for all other jurisdictions within Ulster County vary by location.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Candidates must meet the following requirement(s) on or before the date of the examination:
Either:
A. One year of work experience as a paid fire fighter, fire safety inspector or comparable work; OR
B. Two (2) years of experience as a volunteer fire fighter; OR
C. An equivalent combination of training and experience as described in A and B above.
Note: After appointment in this class, incumbents are required to complete any training which may be mandated by the New York State Department of State.
Special Requirement: Effective January 1, 2015, code enforcement personnel who are charged with enforcement of New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and/or New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code shall be required to complete the code enforcement official basic training program as outlined in Title 19 of New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR), part 1208 – Minimum Standards for Code Enforcement
Training in the State of New York, Section 1208-3.2(c), within the shorter of eighteen (18) months after the date of initial appointment or eighteen (18) months after the date of first attendance at a course included in the basic training program, or have obtained certification pursuant to the provisions of Section 1208-5.4. In addition, they are required to maintain active code enforcement official certification on an annual basis by completing in-service training as defined in Section 1208-3.3(c) and any advanced in-service training as defined in Section 1208-3.4. It is the responsibility of the appointing authority to ensure that employees who have been certified as code enforcement officials maintain their certification on an annual basis pursuant to these sections throughout the duration of their employment.
APPLICATION REVIEW TOLERANCE POLICY
For the purposes of this policy, "tolerance" shall mean the leeway given regarding work experience when reviewing an application. Applicants lacking a small amount of work experience when applying for promotional or open-competitive examinations may qualify under the following conditions:
1) Candidates will be given a maximum tolerance of one (1) month.
2) Tolerance will be given only when the minimum qualification requires one or more years of work experience.
3) Tolerance Policy does not apply to education or licensure/certification requirements. (See particular examination announcement for "Anticipated Eligibility" information).
4) Tolerance Policy does not apply where required work experience is set forth by law or rules.
5) Tolerance Policy does not apply to enable applicants to meet residence requirements.
For more information regarding Tolerance Policy, please contact our office at (845) 340-3550.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The work involves responsibility for assisting in and conducting inspections and for enforcing fire code compliance with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. Incumbents in the class perform related duties such as the issuance of burn permits, and the investigation of the cause of fires in the municipality. The class differs from that of Fire Inspector I who has greater authority, functions at a higher level, and who may supervise a Fire Inspector. Normally this is a part time position. Work is performed under the general supervision of a higher-level employee. Does related work as required.
SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: Written test will cover knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:
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.
Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts
These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field.
Fire prevention, fire inspections, and fire hazards
These questions test for a knowledge of the methods, principles, practices, and equipment of fire prevention, conducting fire inspections, and dealing with fire hazards. The questions cover such areas as the following: fire prevention campaigns; automatic and other extinguishment systems; alarms; dealing with building owners and managers; characteristics of combustible materials; recognizing proper and improper practices related to fire prevention; and codes and regulations related to fire prevention.
Understanding and interpreting fire codes
These questions test for the ability to comprehend written material related to fire prevention and inspection. You will be provided with a brief reading passage. You must then select the most appropriate statement relating to the passage on the basis of whether it:
a. accurately paraphrases portions of the passage; or b. adequately summarizes the passage; or c. presents an inference that can reasonably be drawn from the passage.
The reading passages are drawn from existing New York State and national codes, regulations, and standards. Knowledge of the subject matter contained in the reading passages is generally not related to answering the questions successfully because all of the information needed can be found in the passages.
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.
CALCULATORS: "Unless specifically prohibited, 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."
*FEES*: Send your check or money order for twenty dollars ($20.00) (made payable to COUNTY OF ULSTER) with your application. Please include the examination number, title, and applicant’s name on your check or money order. DO NOT SEND CASH. NO REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED, therefore, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the qualifications for admission and apply only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.
EXCEPTION TO FEE REQUIREMENT: An exception to the processing fee will be made for persons receiving Supplemental Social Security payments or public assistance (Safety Net Assistance or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), provided Foster Care or certified Workforce Investment Act of 1998 eligible through a state or local social service agency, and for those who are currently unemployed. Individuals wishing to claim this waiver of fee on the basis of Supplemental Social Security, Safety Net Assistance or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, must certify on their application, under number 12 Remarks, that they are receiving public assistance and must indicate the type of assistance they are receiving, the agency providing the assistance and their case numbers. Persons claiming this waiver through Foster Care or Workforce Investment Act of 1998 Certification must specify the program and name of their contact agency. Persons claiming this waiver, who are currently unemployed must certify on their application, under number 12 Remarks, that they are currently unemployed and must provide documentation that they are receiving unemployment benefits or other unemployment documentation deemed appropriate by the Ulster County Personnel Officer.Such claims are subject to later verification and, if not supported by appropriate documentation, are grounds for barring appointment.
Applications may be obtained at the Ulster County Office Building, Personnel Department, 244 Fair Street ‑ 5th Floor, P.O. Box 1800, Kingston, NY 12402‑1800 OR by mail (INCLUDE A STAMPED SELF‑ADDRESSED, LEGAL‑ SIZE ENVELOPE) OR from our website at: http://www.co.ulster.ny.us/personnel/index.html. Applications must be received by the Ulster County Personnel Department or postmarked no later than the ‘LAST DATE FOR FILING APPLICATIONS’ stated on page one of this announcement.
For those applications submitted in person on the last file date, please submit no later than 4:30 PM. All applications must be in our office no later than 5:00 PM on the last file date. Applications postmarked by the last file date will also be accepted.
This examination is being 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 dealing with the rating of examinations will apply to this test.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION POLICY: In accordance with Ulster County Local Law Number 14 of 2007, a criminal background check (including fingerprinting) will be initiated by the Ulster County Personnel Department upon initial employment or re-hire to Ulster County positions, and conducted by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the New York State Office of Court Administration, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Verification Information System (IMAGE Program), or any law enforcement agency.
SPECIAL NOTE: All public agencies are required by law to provide full and equal opportunities for minorities, women and to people with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to compete without regard to race, creed or national origin. Applicants requesting special testing arrangements as a Saturday Sabbath Observer, alternate test date candidate (in accordance with Alternate Test Date Policy), or an active member of the military away from the area on the scheduled test date must clearly indicate this fact on the application. All such requests must be supported by appropriate documentation.
VETERANS: Non-disabled and disabled veterans who wish to claim additional credits MUST request a Veterans Credits application from our office. This form must be completed and submitted along with a war service (DD214) form prior to the establishment of the resulting eligible list. Veterans credits may only be added to a passing score and may only be used for appointment once. Candidates currently in the armed forces may apply for and be conditionally granted veteran’s credits. Any candidate who applies for such credits must provide proof of military status to receive the conditional credits. You may not claim additional Veterans Credits after the eligible list has been established. It is the candidate’s responsibility to request the Veterans Credits application forms and submit these forms and any required supporting paperwork before the eligible list is established.
On November 5, 2013, New York State voters approved an amendment to Article 5, section 6, of the New York Constitution regarding the award and use of additional credits for certain disabled veterans on open competitive and promotion civil service examinations for positions with New York State and local governments.
For eligible lists established after January 1, 2014, disabled veterans may be entitled to additional credits on a civil service examination. Every situation is different. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact our office.
ADDITIONAL CREDITS FOR CHILDREN OF FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY: In conformance with section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of a firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duty in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.
APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS WHEN EXAMINATIONS ARE SCHEDULED ON SAME DATE: If you have applied for any other Civil Service examinations for employment with any other local government jurisdiction, you must make arrangements to take all the examinations at one test site. Please indicate your intentions under #12 remarks on the application for examination.
If you have applied for both State and local government examinations, you must inform the Ulster County Personnel Department of your intent to participate in both exams no later than two weeks before the date of the examinations. When taking local and State examinations on the same day, all of these examinations must be taken at the State test site. You will be informed by letter when and where to report for the examinations and you should bring the Ulster County admission notice with you to the State test site along with the State admission notice you will receive from the State.
If you have applied for other local government examinations, you must inform all local government civil service agencies of the test site at which you wish to take your examination(s) no later than two weeks before the date of the examinations.
For this examination write your intentions under #12 Remarks on the last page of the Ulster County Examination Application OR write a letter to the Ulster County Personnel Department, 244 Fair Street – 5th Floor, PO Box 1800, Kingston, NY 12402.
*If candidates have not received notification of this examination within four (4) days of the examination, they should contact this office immediately.
#64026
ORIGINAL COPY: YELLOW
ISSUED: July 31, 2019
