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 is one present vacancy at the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry. 

Examples of Duties:

A Supervising Park Ranger is responsible for assisting in the supervising and performing of public contact work, and promoting a safe and pleasant atmosphere in Erie County parks; 

Supervises the training and scheduling of the Park Ranger(s);

Assists in developing and monitoring a comprehensive park ranger program;

May meet with community clubs or other organizations to educate and assist on approved usages of County Parks;

Working alone or with other supervisory parks personnel plans and oversees a program of parks protection and assigns workers to regular patrols and inspections;

Working alone or with other supervisory parks personnel, may supervise the physical care of the park, including planting and trimming trees, shrubs and grass; pest eradication; control of tree disease; landscaping and beautification projects;

Assists in supervising the informing and monitoring of Erie County rules and regulations;

Assists in supervising and monitoring the effectiveness of rules, regulations and procedures and suggests changes to improve public relations;

Assists in the supervision of providing general information to the public on the park system -directions, park maps, shelter reservations;

Assists in the supervision of the creating and conducting of interpretive programs -nature walks, park history, tours, computerized/video presentations and other means of educating the public about the Erie County Parks system;

May assist in supervising the design and construction of park improvements;

Assists in the supervision of application of First Aide procedures, including CPR;

Confers regularly with the Commissioner on preparation of reports and budget requirements and for recommendations on park facilities and execution of programs;

Assists in the supervision of maintaining a daily log on work activities, including encounters, ideas, and future plans;

May be appointed to serve as Harbor Master under CPL 2.1 § 19 for parks located on the waterfront within Erie County. (If assigned must meet training requirements as defined under CPL 2.2)

Qualifications:

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

Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Bachelors degree in Parks and Recreation, Recreation Resource Management, Environmental Science or closely related field and three (3) years of experience working in the field of conservation, environmental science, parks or recreation, forestry or related field, at least one (1) year of which was in a supervisory* capacity.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:
Possession of a valid New York State Class D (minimum) driver's license at the time of appointment and throughout period of employment.

Notes:

1. *A supervisory position is defined as a position in which supervision was a major responsibility of the job. Occasional or partial supervision of work crew is not acceptable supervisory experience.

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

3. 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: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

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

1. Educating and interacting with the public

These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact effectively with individuals and/or community groups, to educate or inform them about topics of concern, to publicize or clarify agency programs or policies, to negotiate conflicts or resolve complaints, and to represent one's agency or program in a manner in keeping with good public relations practices. Questions may also cover interacting with others in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.

2. 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.

3. Supervision

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

4. 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. 

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.