COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - FIRE DEPARTMENT

FILING PERIOD
May 4, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. (PT) - May 15, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. (PT)

EXAM NUMBER
34400J

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY

 

Incumbents may be required to bend, stoop, climb and lift moderate weights while performing inspections, investigations, site reviews and associated tasks; don personal protective gear required for response to hazardous materials spills, biological materials, or other threats; perform all such tasks under a wide range of temperature conditions and have the ability to pass a respiratory protection program examination.

• Performs inspections of facilities that generate hazardous waste or handle hazardous materials to determine the nature of the facility operation, potential hazards, types of chemicals used, handling, storage and disposal methods and compliance with applicable codes.
• Investigates complaints related to hazardous materials waste; identifies the source and quantity of hazardous materials/waste, and responsible parties.
• Collects field samples, evaluates data from instrument readings, conducts technical field tests, and performs various standardized environmental and occupational tests.
• Responds to emergency incidents or disasters involving the spill or release of hazardous materials/waste or threats to public health and the environment.
• Prepares reports, memos, notices of violation, enforcement orders, briefings and evidence such as photographs and statements regarding findings from inspections and investigations.
• Receives training in the use of emergency protective gear and learns to calibrate, operate and maintain instruments; participates in classroom and field training in the conduct of inspections, emergency response procedures, bioterrorism and chemical emergency responses; and familiarization with interagency protocols.
• Analyzes industrial manufacturing processes to identify materials used, waste streams, their characteristics and volume.
• Enforces the proper handing, storage and disposal of hazardous materials/waste.
• Coordinates and participates with law enforcement, fire, health and other governmental agencies in joint inspections, investigations, and clean-up activities.
• Makes referrals and works closely with various prosecutorial agencies to adjudicate cases.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
Option 1:  A Bachelor's degree from an accredited* institution in a physical or biological science and two (2) years of experience in identifying, evaluating, and controlling chemical and physical hazards.

Option 2:  A Master's degree from an accredited* institution in industrial hygiene, chemistry, toxicology, geology, environmental health, public health, chemical engineering, or industrial engineering and one (1) year of experience in hazardous waste control.
 
Option 3:  Two (2) years of experience at the level of California Registered Environmental Health Specialist.

Candidates who expect to qualify under Option 3 must include a legible copy of their California Registered Environmental Health Specialist certification to the application at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days of submitting an online application.

*Accredited institutions are those listed in the publications of regional, national or international accrediting agencies, which are accepted by the Department of Human Resources. Publications such as American Universities and Colleges and International Handbook of Universities are acceptable references. Also acceptable, if appropriate, are degrees that have been evaluated and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from United States accredited institutions by an academic credential evaluation agency recognized by The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

PHYSICAL CLASS:
3 - Moderate: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

LICENSE REQUIRED:
A valid California Class C Driver License** is required to perform job-related essential functions.

LICENSE INFORMATION:
**Successful applicants for positions that require driving must obtain and present a copy of his/her driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department.  The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked. 

If the applicant does not have a driving record from the State of California, the applicant may be required to provide his/her driving record from any other state/jurisdiction. 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
In order to receive credit for any certificate(s), license(s), or college or university degree, such as a Bachelor's degree or higher, you must include a legible copy of the certificate(s), license(s), or either the Official Degree, Official Transcript(s)***, or Official Letter from the accredited institution (which shows the area of specialization and the date the degree was awarded) with the Registrar's signature and school seal at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days of submitting an online application. If you are unable to attach your documents, you may e-mail them to Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov or fax them to (323) 264-7159. Failure to provide any required documentation will result in application rejection. Please include your Name, Exam Number, and the Exam Title on the submitted documents.

Note: ***Official Transcript is defined as a transcript that bears the college seal and states "official and/or copy" issued by the school's Registrar Office. A printout of the transcript from the school's website is NOT considered official and therefore, will not be accepted and will result in your application being incomplete and rejected.

EXAMINATION CONTENT:
This examination will consist of a multiple choice test weighted 100% covering Written Expression, Reading Comprehension, Data Analysis and Decision Making, Chemistry, Personal/Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, Deductive Reasoning Ability, Professional Potential, Achievement, Influence, Independence, Confidence and Optimism, and Reliability.

THE MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST IS NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

CANDIDATES MUST MEET THE SELECTION REQUIREMENTS AND ACHIEVE A PASSING SCORE OF 70% OR HIGHER ON THE EXAMINATION IN ORDER TO BE PLACED ON THE ELIGIBLE LIST. 
 
Note:  Test invitation letters and other correspondence will be sent electronically to the e-mail address provided on your online application and also to your user account "inbox" on http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.  It is important that applicants provide a valid
e-mail address. The applicant's e-mail address must be able to receive e-mail notifications from fire.lacounty.gov and/or hr.lacounty.gov. Please add these domains to your e-mail address book and list of approved senders to prevent e-mail notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail. Applicants should review the security settings on their computer and add http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty as a secure site in the security settings in order to receive emails from governmentjobs.com. Applicants should also log into their governmentjobs.com account and under their profile, review their inbox for notifications. For specific information on how to access your inbox, please check the governmentjobs.com frequently asked questions.

Notice of Non-Acceptance and Final Results letters will be sent via U.S. mail. Test scores cannot be given over the phone.

TRANSFER OF SCORES:
Applicants that have taken identical test part(s) for other exams within the last twelve (12) months, will have their multiple choice test responses for the identical test part(s) automatically transferred to this examination. This examination contains test parts that may be used in the future for new examinations. Your score will be transferred to the new examination and you may not be allowed to re-take any identical test parts for at least twelve (12) months.

TEST PREPARATION:
Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. An interactive, Online Test Preparation System for taking practice tests may be accessed on the Department of Human Resources website at http://hr.lacounty.gov/. Please click on Find a Job, then click on Job Search Toolkit. You can also access test preparation for the computerized portion of the test by going to http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html. While test study guides will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review ALL related materials that you deem necessary.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
The names of candidates receiving a passing score on the examination will be placed on the eligible list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance Employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records that are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. 

Candidates who are extended a conditional offer of employment will be required to complete a background check, including a review of any criminal convictions, which requires a fingerprint scan.  A candidate with a conviction history which has a direct and adverse relationship with the duties of the Hazardous Materials Specialist I position may undergo the process for his/her conditional offer of employment to be rescinded.  If rescinded, a candidate's name will be removed from the certification list pursuant to Civil Service Rule 6.04.

VACANCY INFORMATION:
The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill Hazardous Materials Specialist I vacancies within the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, as they occur.

AVAILABLE SHIFT:
Any Shift - Appointees must be willing to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

Applications must be filed online only. We must receive your online application by 5:00 p.m. (PST), on the last day of filing. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person will not be accepted. Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button, when it becomes available, at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website. If you are unable to access the website, you may enter the following link to access your profile: http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty.

NOTE: We must receive all required documents, if any, at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days of submitting your online application. Please check your application to ensure that the documents are uploaded by logging on to County of Los Angeles Department of Human Resources website and reviewing your submitted application. Applicants must submit all documents to be considered (official diplomas, official transcripts, certificates, etc.) during application submission. All documents must be clear and legible. Although resumes may be uploaded as attachments to the online application, resumes cannot be accepted in lieu of completing the online application. If you are unable to attach documents, you may e-mail them to Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov or fax the documents to (323) 264-7159 at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days of submitting your online application. Failure to provide the documentation will result in application rejection. Please include your Name, the Exam Number, and the Exam Title on the faxed documents.

The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Selection Requirements and you have completely filled out your application. Please fill out your application and the supplemental questionnaire completely and correctly to receive full credit for any related education, training, and job experience. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your actual job title, beginning and ending dates, total number of hours worked (full or part-time), and description of work performed. Provide any relevant job experience and training in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for this job. Your application will be rejected if it is incomplete. We may reject your application at any time during the selection process.
 
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please note that ALL information included in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. FALSIFICATION of any information may result in DISQUALIFICATION or RESCISSION OF APPOINTMENT. Utilizing VERBIAGE from the Class Specification and/or Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING ONLINE FILING:
 
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
It is important that you provide your own Social Security Number (SSN) at the time of filing to ensure your application is processed accurately. Please include your SSN for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a SSN.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
For applicants who may not have regular access to a computer or the Internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County by visiting http://www.colapublib.org/libs.
 
NO SHARING OF USER ID, E-MAIL, AND PASSWORD:
If you do not already have an account/profile with the County of Los Angeles, you will need to create one. All applicants must file their application online using their OWN user ID and password. Using someone else's user ID and password may erase the original candidate's application record.
 
ADA Coordinator Phone: (323) 838-2239
Teletype Phone: (800) 735-2922
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
Department Contact Name: Fire Examination Section
Department Contact Phone: (323) 838-2239
Department Contact E-mail: Fire-Examination@fire.lacounty.gov
Department Fax: (323) 264-7159