Hazmat Technician

County of Chester • Government Services Center - Westtown, PA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Support the Mission of the Department of Emergency Services; to promote and assist in providing safety and security to Chester County citizens so they can work, live, and grow in a healthy and safe community. The Hazardous Material Responder, Technician, will respond to releases or potential releases of hazardous materials for the purpose of mitigating and stabilizing the incident. All Department of Emergency Services employees are essential personnel and may be required to work during non-business hours for extended periods of time. Essential employee duties may involve assignments within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), deployment to a field location, or other duties as required during periods of emergencies or training/exercise. Emergency assignments may be performed under adverse conditions, continue for periods ranging from a few hours to several weeks, and may require travel. This position requires availability 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
• Six or more months of job related experience and/or training.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 470 Hazardous Materials Technician or equivalent or ability to obtain within one (1) year of hire
• Complete any on-boarding requirements as defined in the HMRT Standard Operating Procedures.
• All DES employees must successfully complete the following FEMA course within 6 months of hire: IS100 – Introduction to the Incident Command System IS200 – ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents IS700– National Incident Management System, An Introduction IS800 – National Response Framework, An Introduction IS2200 – Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
• Basic first aid training and certification (or ability to obtain within 1 year).
• CPR training and certification (or ability to obtain within 1 year).
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a team and proceed with objectives.
• Accurate and detail oriented with strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Complete an annual Hazmat physical.
• Ability to establish priorities and remain focused on daily operations
• Flexible, with an ability to carry multiple tasks to completion on time.
• Able to use common sense judgement to carry out written or verbal instructions.
• Exhibits a willingness to learn new tasks.
• Professionalism, integrity, and honesty with an ability to handle confidential matters.
• Basic Office Suite Skills (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Explorer).
• Basic Outlook Skills (Email and Calendar)
• Ability to quickly learn internal proprietary software used by the fire services division, and the department of emergency services. (Inova, Everbridge, PeopleSoft).
• Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less).
• Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors).
• Ability to recognize and identify the audible and visual signals.
• Depth perception (three-dimensional vision ability to judge distances and spatial relationships).
• Ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus.
• Ability to recognize and identify the audible and visual signals.
• Able to function while wearing respiratory protection face mask.
• Driver’s license required to drive from site to site.to conduct campus business

Nice To Haves

• Associate degree in chemistry, fire science, or another related field.
• Two or more years of job-related experience, strongest preference for roles in emergency management or the public safety field.
• General knowledge and understanding of County of Chester policies and procedures.
• General working knowledge and understanding of the County of Chester and the Department of Emergency Services’ mission, vision, values, and goals.
• General working knowledge of Chester County public safety agencies, their mission, vision, and goals as well as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Responsibilities

• Be able to operate in specialized chemical protective clothing and operate specialized control equipment.
• Adhere to HMRT Standard Operating Procedures.
• Attend team training sessions or other training as required or available to maintain skills at the Hazardous Materials Technician level as defined by Department of Emergency Services policy.
• Respond to hazardous material spills, releases or potential spills or releases or to unknown substances that could be a hazardous material and complete appropriate mitigation steps as directed.
• Assist in conducting and documenting hazard and risk assessments.
• Assist with routine checks, inspections, maintenance, and documentation of HMRT apparatus, supplies, and equipment.
• Assist with the Emergency Operations Center’s activations and drills.
• Perform other duties, tasks, and special projects, as assigned.

Benefits

• Relevant background checks, clearances, physicals, drug tests, and any other assessments or evaluations will be conducted after an offer of employment is given per County policy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED