An Open Competitive Examination for
Mechanicville Police Department
NEXT EXAMINATION DATE: May 8, 2010
LAST FILING DATE: April 5, 2010
STARTING SALARY: $30,000 (full time); and/or $13.97 per hr. (part-time)
FEE: $12.00 non-refundable application fee. The required fee must accompany your application. Send check or money order payable to Commissioner of Accounts City of Mechanicville. Write exam and social security number on the check or money order. DO NOT SEND CASH. No refunds will be made if the application is disapproved. Be sure to compare your qualifications with admission requirements and only file if you are clearly qualified.
MECHANICVILLE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Location of Positions/Vacancies: The eligible list established as a result of this examination will be used to fill full-time/part-time vacancies under the jurisdiction of the Mechanicville Civil Service Commission. Vacancies are expected to occur from time to time.
Residence – been legal residents of Saratoga, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Albany or Washington County for at least 12 months immediately preceding the date of examination. Preference in appointment may be given to successful candidates who have been legal residents of the City of Mechanicville for at least ONE month prior to the date of certification
DUTIES: The work involves responsibility for the enforcement of laws, ordinances, and protection of lives and property. These duties consist primarily of routine foot or car patrol tasks, assisting in criminal investigations and the apprehension of criminals. Work assignments are performed under the supervision of a higher-ranking officer; however with leeway provided for the exercise of sound judgment in emergency of life threatening situations. Does related work as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Education: By the date of the appointment, candidates must be a high school graduate or holder of a high school equivalency diploma issued by an education department of any of the states of the United States or holder of a comparable diploma issued by any commonwealth, territory or possession of the United States or by the Canal Zone of holder of a report from the United States Armed Forces certifying successful completion of the tests of general educational development, high school level.
NOTE: Applicants who do not possess a high school or equivalency diploma are eligible to take the examination but will not be eligible for appointment until they obtain such diploma. For information on how to obtain an equivalency diploma, write to the New York State Education Department, Albany, NY 12234.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Age: Candidates must be at least 19 years of age on or before the date of the exam to be admitted to the written test. Therefore, candidates must state their birthdate on their application. Eligibility for appointment as a police officer begins when the candidate reaches age 20. Candidates who reach their 35th birthday on or before the date of the written examination are not qualified except as follows:* Candidates may have a period of military duty or terminal leave up to six years, as defined in Section 243 (10-a) of the Military Law, deducted from their age for the purpose of meeting the age requirement.
*Section 58.1(a) requires that applicants not be “more than thirty-five years of age as of the date when the applicant takes the written examination…” Candidates who may be impacted by the maximum age requirement and who are requesting an alternate test date (for active military duty, Sabbath observance or for an alternate test date situation which meets the conditions of the agency’s alternate test date policy) are advised to contact the Mechanicville Civil Service Commission to discuss their request.
Citizenship: United States Citizenship is required at time of appointment. It is not necessary for admission to the examination.
Driver’s License: Candidates must possess a valid New York State Operator’s license at time of appointment. Please note your license number on your application.
NOTE: Conviction of a felony will bar appointment, and conviction of a misdemeanor or other offense may bar appointment.
SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION: There will be a written test which you must pass
in order to be considered for appointment. Only your score on the written test
will be considered when computing your final score. In addition, candidates
must meet the physical fitness and medical standards prescribed by the Municipal
Police Training Council. Candidates must pass the written test in order to be
scheduled for the qualifying physical fitness test. Candidates who pass the
qualifying physical fitness test and who are given a conditional offer of
employment will be scheduled to take the required medical examination.
WRITTEN TEST: The written test will be designed to test for knowledge, skills and/or abilities in such areas as:
1. Applying written information (rules, regulations, policies, procedures, directives, etc.) in police situations – These questions test for the ability to apply written rules in given situations similar to those typically experienced by police officers.
2. Memory for facts and information – These questions test for the ability to remember facts and information presented in written form. You will be given 5 minutes to read and study the information in the Memory Booklet. After the 5-minute period, the Memory Booklet will be taken away. You will then be required to answer questions about the material that was presented in the Memory Booklet.
3. Reading, understanding and interpreting written information – These questions test for the ability to read, understand, and interpret the kinds of written information that police officers are required to read during their formal training period and on the job.
4. Preparing written material in a police setting – These questions test for the ability to prepare the types of reports that police officers write. You will be presented with a page of notes followed by several questions. Each question will consist of four restatements of the information given in the notes. From each set of four, you must choose the version that presents the information most clearly and accurately.
The rating key for this examination will be established by the New York State Civil Service Commission prior to the date of the test, upon recommendation of a committee of police experts who will review all the questions for appropriateness and the key answers for correctness. There will be no review of the questions by candidates. This committee was selected with the assistance and endorsement of the Police Conference of New York, Inc., the New York State Association of PBA's, Inc., and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc.
P.E.R.C. Statement: The rating key for this examination will be established by the New York State Civil Service Commission prior to the date of the test, upon recommendation of a committee of police experts who will review all the questions for appropriateness and the key answers for correctness. There will be no review of the questions by candidates. This committee was selected with the assistance and endorsement by the Police Conference of New York, Inc., the New York State Association of Police Benevolent Associations, Inc., and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc.
RETEST POLICY: A candidate will have one opportunity to take a performance and/or physical fitness test. If Civil Service is unable to issue a Certificate of Eligibles from the existing Civil Service list due to candidate’s failure of this portion of the examination, Civil Service may then opt to give candidates a second opportunity for the performance and/or physical fitness test.
The New York State Department of Civil Service is making a copy of this Test Guide and other related information available on its Website at www.cs.state.ny.us/msd/map.html. In addition, a copy of this Test Guide can also be obtained at our Local Civil Service Office. Please stop in the office at 36 North Main Street or call us at 664-8331 for more information on how to obtain a copy of this Test Guide.
The use of calculators is PROHIBITED for this examination.
QUALIFYING PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST: The three elements measured in the qualifying physical fitness test are muscular endurance, absolute strength and cardiovascular capacity. The following is a brief description of the physical fitness test.
Muscular Endurance-The requirement is for a number of bent-leg sit-ups to be performed in one minute.
Push-Up-This test measures muscular endurance of the upper body (anterior deltoid, pectorals major and triceps). The requirement is for a number of full body repetitions that a candidate must complete without breaks.
Cardiovascular Activity-1.5 mile run: the requirement is for the attainment of a score calculated in minutes and seconds.
The Municipal Police Training Council adopted the physical fitness-screening test based on the model formulated by the Cooper Institute of Aerobics Research. The minimum passing scores, depending on age and sex, represent the fortieth (40th) percentile of physical fitness as established by the Cooper Institute. Failure on a part of qualifying test will remove your name from further consideration for appointment.
Copies of the physical fitness and medical standards are available upon request from the City of Mechanicville Civil Service Commission.
Sabbath Observers/Disabled Candidates/Military Members: Applicants whose religious beliefs or military service prevent their talking examination on the scheduled date disabled candidates who require special accommodations to take the test should indicate the need for special arrangements on their application.
"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."
SECTION 23.2 STATEMENT: This examination will be prepared and rated in accordance with Section 23(2) of the Civil Service Law. The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Law, rules and regulations dealing with the preparation and rating of examinations will apply to this examination.
VETERAN CREDITS: Veterans or disabled veterans who are eligible for additional credit must submit an application for veterans credit with their application for examinations or at any time between the dates of their application for examination and the date of establishment of the resulting eligible list. Applications for veteran’s credit are available from this office.
Effective January 1, 1998 the State Constitution was amended to permit a candidate currently in the armed forces to apply for and be conditionally granted veteran’s credit in examination. Any candidate who applies for such credit must provide proof of military status to receive the conditional credit. No credit may be granted after the establishment of the list. It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide documentary proof indication that the service was in the time of war, as defined in Section 85 of the Civil Service Law, and that the candidate received an honorable discharge or was released under honorable conditions in order to be certified at a score indication veteran’s credit.
CROSS FILER STATEMENT: If you have applied for any other Civil Service examination to be given on the same test date or employed with New York or any other local government jurisdiction excluding New York City, you must make arrangements to take all your examinations on one test site. If you have applied for both State and local government examinations, you must make arrangements to take all your examinations at the State Examination Center.
Please call (518) 457-7022 no later than two weeks before the test date.
If you have applied for other local government examinations, call or write to each Civil Service Agency to make arrangements no later than two weeks before the date of the examination. You must notify all local Government Civil Service Agencies with whom you have filed an application of the test site at which you wish to take your examination.
APPLICATION AND A COPY OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE SECURED AT THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSION, Municipal Building, 36 North Main St., Mechanicville, NY 12118 BY MAILING A SELF-ADDRESSED, STAMPED ENVELOPE TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS, BE SURE TO INDICATE THE EXAMINATION NUMBER AND TITLE.
Candidates will be notified by letter of when and where to appear to take the written test. Candidates who have not received a notice to appear for the written test three days prior to the date of the test, should call the Civil Service Commission at (518) 664-5024.
Issue Date: February 25, 2010