(Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
Thousands are taking NYC civil service exams
(Editor's note: This is part of a periodic series on civil service.)
More than 15,000 Staten Islanders are civil servants and thousands more are hoping to become one.
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which administers civil service exams, recently opened a new computer-based testing site in Stapleton as well as one in Queens.
In the first eight months of the current fiscal year, 117,199 took a civil service exam, surpassing the 110,230 who took the exam in the 12 months prior.
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(Staten Island Advance/Mira Wassef)
The Fire Department test
There were 72,582 people scheduled to take the firefighter exam in 2017 when it was offered between Sept. 5 and Oct. 14, Citywide Administrative Services told the Advance.
An FDNY spokesman told the Advance in November 2017 that the agency was 300 firefighters below headcount, but numbers fluctuate depending on if other firefighters retire or leave the job.
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(Photo/ Associated Press)
Correction officer
According to Citywide Administrative Services, 5,329 people took the civil service exam to become a correction officer from the start of the city's 2018 fiscal year through March 2018.
The city Department of Correction hired 872 correction officers from July 2017 through March 2018. DOC also noted that the number of positions is fluid due to attrition rates.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)
Sanitation worker
The sanitation worker exam was last held in 2015 and 68,720 took the exam, Citywide Administrative Services told the Advance in November 2017.
Only 1,175 were hired from that test, the Sanitation Department told the Advance in October.
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(Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons)
Police officer
Nine months through this fiscal year, which began in July 2017, 832 people took a police officer exam, including promotion exams. Last fiscal year, 23,032 people took the exam for police officer, according to Citywide Administrative Services.
NYPD told the Advance that there were only 41 open positions for police officer in the last fiscal year, which ran from July 2016 through June 2017.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Staff Shot)
Urban Park Ranger
DCAS hasn't offered a civil service test to become an urban park ranger since the start of the 2018 fiscal year.
In the 2017 fiscal year (July 2016-Jun. 2017), 933 people took the civil service test for the position, Citywide Administrative Services told the Advance.
The city Parks Department hired about 100 new urban park rangers since the start of the city's fiscal year, which began in July 2017.
Titles under urban park ranger includes dispatchers, parks enforcement patrol, and rangers.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Staff Shot)
School safety agent
Nine months into this fiscal year, which began in July 2017, 4,095 people took a school safety agent exam.
Last fiscal year, 10,318 people took the exam, according to data from Citywide Administrative Services, which administers the test.
The NYPD told the Advance in November that there were no open positions for school safety agents at the time. NYPD didn't immediately respond to a request for an updated number of hires.
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(Courtesy New York City Mayor's Office)
Child protective specialist
From July 2017 through March 2018, 1,764 people took the take the child protection specialist exam, according to data from Citywide Administrative Services.
The city's Administration for Children's Services told the Advance that 627 child protective specialists were hired from July 2017 through March 2018.
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(Photo/ Department of Environmental Protection - Flickr)
Environmental protection officer
Citywide Administrative Services told the Advance that 2,099 people took a civil service exam to become an environmental police officer from July 2017 through March 2018.
An agency spokesperson said that 44 cadets are currently going through training.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Staff Shot)
Emergency medical technician
Citywide Administrative Services said that 1,440 people took the test to become an emergency medical technician from July 2017 to March 2018.
An agency spokesman for the New York City's FDNY told the Advance in November that the agency isn't under-headcount for either EMTs or paramedics, but numbers can change when people retire or leave the position.
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(Photo/ District Council 37 - Flickr)
Sewage treatment worker
An agency spokesperson for the city's Department of Environmental Protection told the Advance that 54 new hires are currently going through training.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Staff Shot)
Housing exterminator
Recent numbers provided by the New York City Housing Authority show that there are about five vacancies for housing exterminators, though the number fluctuates. Two housing exterminators were hired since July 2017 through March 2018.
To apply to be a housing exterminator, individuals need to take an "Education and Experience" exam online at a location of their choosing rather than a Citywide Administrative Services testing site.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Staff Shot)
Traffic enforcement agent
Nine months into this fiscal year, which began in July 2017, 4,083 people took a traffic enforcement agent exam.
Last fiscal year, which ended in June, 6,760 people took the exam, according to theDepartment of Citywide Administrative Services, which administers the test.
NYPD said there were only268open positions for traffic enforcement agent in the city's 2017 fiscal year. NYPD didn't immediately respond to a request for an updated number of hires.
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(Staten Island Advance/ Staff Shot)
Heating plant technician
Recent numbers provided by the New York City Housing Authority show that there are about 23 vacancies for heating plant technicians, though the number fluctuates. The agency hired 104 technicians from July 2017 through March 2018.
The test to be a heating plant technician wasn't offered in the 2018 fiscal year (July 2017 - June 2018), but will be offered in August 2018.
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