Residence Requirements:

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:  CANDIDATES MUST HAVE BEEN LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE WRITTEN TEST AND MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OF ERIE COUNTY AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT. There are two anticipated vacancies at the Erie County Department of Social Services - Division of Youth Services.

Examples of Duties:

A Detention Facility Security Guard providing security for the Erie County Detention Facility and facility property to ensure the protection of employees, residents and the visiting public; 

Patrols County buildings and adjoining areas to ensure the security of employees, visitors and property;

Observes parking lots and other areas adjoining County buildings with TV cameras;

Operates electrical equipment such as, but not limited to, circuit television monitors, fire alarm systems, radio communication systems, typewriters, telephones, microfiche equipment and computers;

Makes citizens arrests of individuals breaking the law;

Removes disorderly persons from premises;

Inspects buildings and grounds for potential fire hazards or other security problems;

Conducts searches of the facilities as required when threatening situations occur, such as bomb threats, etc.;

May conduct investigations concerning losses of property, completing the required reports;

Performs daily duties such as logging incidents;

Responds to alarms of fire and performs duties necessary to protect life and property, which may include the use of fire suppression apparatus and evacuation of residents and staff;

Responds to emergency situations within the facility and controls vehicles and/or pedestrian traffic;

May perform duties relative to safety and fire protection, such as, safety inspections of equipment and the physical plant and immediate correction of hazards;

Furnishes information and assistance to visitors, contractors, employees and residents;

Enforces the facility’s Policy and Procedures as directed by Administrative Staff.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates must meet one of the following requirements on or before the date of the written test: 

Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and:

A.) Completion of a minimum of 60 semester credit hours from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a major in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Police Science or closely related field, or:

B.) One (1) year of experience as a security guard, military policeman or law enforcement officer; or:

C.) An equivalent combination of training and experience as defined by the limits of (A) and (B).

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Registration as a Security Guard by the State of New York, Department of State, Division of Licensing Services; and Section 424-a of the Social Services Law requires the local social services district to inquire whether the applicant is the subject of an indicated child abuse or maltreatment report on file with the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.

All potential employees for this position will be required to sign the necessary clearance form prior to being advised that they will be hired. Refusal to sign will be cause for an automatic non-selection.

Subject to background investigation and fingerprinting for appointment. (Applicant may be required to submit the necessary fees for the fingerprint processing.)

Notes:

1. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting the experience requirements.

2. Your degree and/or college credit must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university or one recognized by the New York State Education Department as following acceptable educational practices. A grade of "D" or better is necessary for a course to be credited as successfully completed. If your degree and/or college credit was awarded by an educational institution outside of the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to this Department for a list of acceptable companies providing this service; you must pay the required evaluation fee.

Notice to Candidates: Transcripts will now be accepted by the Department of Personnel ONLY at time of application.
All subsequent transcripts must be submitted at time of interview.

A Guide for the Written Test for Safety and Security is available at the New York State website:www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm . Candidates not having access to a computer or the internet may request copy of the test guide from the municipal civil service office conducting this examination using the contact information found elsewhere on this announcement.

Subjects of Examination:

SUBJECTS OF EXAMINATION: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Applying written information in a safety and security setting

These questions evaluate your ability to read, interpret and apply rules, regulations, directives, written narratives and other related material. You will be required to read a set of information and to appropriately apply the information to situations similar to those typically experienced in a public safety and security service setting. All information needed to answer the questions is contained in the rules, regulations, etc. which are cited.

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 and then use them on a simple map.

3. Principles and practices of safety and security

These questions test for a knowledge of the proper principles and practices in the field of safety and security. The questions will cover such areas as selecting the best course of action to take in a safety or security related situation.

4. 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.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES: Unless otherwise noted, 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.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.