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. Preference may be given to successful candidates who have been residents of the municipality in which the appointment is to be made for one month preceding the date of the certification of the eligible list and who are residents of the municipality at the time of appointment. Non-residents may be required to become a resident of the appointing
municipality if local law so states.

There is  one anticipated vacancy in the Town of Amherst and the annual salary range  is $34,687 - $47,089. The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill this vacancy and other appropriate vacancies which may occur in municipalities or districts under the jurisdiction of Erie County Civil Service while this list is active.

Examples of Duties:

A Laboratory Technician (Environmental Chemistry) performs routine and special chemical and microbiological test on potable/non-potable water, environmental, industrial and sewage plant samples;

performs quantitative tests on water and wastewater to determine levels of various parameters;

conducts field sampling with portable laboratory equipment;

maintains records and prepares reports of test and examinations;

exercises care and safety to handling toxic and biologically active specimens and in using laboratory equipment; 

prepares reagents, solvents, solutions and standards; sets up and adjusts laboratory equipment and instruments;

cleans and maintains equipment and work areas;

assists in the education and training of other employees.

Qualifications:

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

A. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or Medical Technology; or:

B. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in one of the biological or environmental sciences, which included 24 semester credit hours in chemistry or environmental technical laboratory courses, supplemented by one year of experience in environmental laboratory work; or:

C. Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with an Associate’s degree in Medical Technology or completion of 60 semester credit hours of college, which included 24 semester credit hours in chemistry or environmental technical laboratory courses, in either case, this must be supplemented by two years of experience in environmental chemistry laboratory work; or:

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

Notes:

NOTES: 1. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time 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.

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 "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

Subjects of examination: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Wastewater sampling and measurement techniques and devices

These questions test for knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques and equipment involved in collecting wastewater samples from various sources; properly handling these samples; and testing and analyzing these samples for their physical and chemical components and properties.

2. Principles and applications of physics, chemistry, and microbiology related to the testing of both treated and untreated water

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices of physics, chemistry, and microbiology as they relate to water testing, and may include such areas as sample preparation and preservation for analysis; methods, materials, and equipment used for measuring a variety of physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters in water samples; and general principles of physics, chemistry, and microbiology involved in water testing and analysis.

3. Laboratory practices, techniques, and equipment

These questions test for knowledge of basic laboratory practices, techniques, and equipment, and may include such areas as proper and safe techniques to use in sample preparation and analysis; uses and characteristics of laboratory supplies, equipment, and instrumentation; principles and practices of laboratory safety; preparation of solutions of various concentrations; and terminology and underlying scientific principles associated with laboratory work.

4. Understanding and interpreting tabular material

These questions test your ability to understand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may be asked to perform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing data trends or interrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, and proportion are tested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a major factor in the test. You should bring with you a hand-held battery- or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phone.

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.