Description

Serve as State's expert on hazardous materials & emergency response operations; represents State on various committees & response teams; direct planning, development, coordination & evaluation of emergency response programs; prepare program budgets & grants & administers homeland security sub-grants; ensure emergency response programs meet all state & federal requirements for responding to emergency incidents; ensure related emergency response facilities and equipment are routinely maintained; review proposed legislation for possible impacts to the program; provide information on emergency response programs & Department actions during emergencies/disasters; respond to emergency incidents as needed & performs necessary actions; supervise full-time & supplemental emergency responders.

Essential functions are fundamental, core functions common to all positions in the class series and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties for any one position in the class.  Since class specifications are descriptive and not restrictive, incumbents can complete job duties of similar kind not specifically listed here.

• Respond on a 24-hour emergency basis statewide to sudden actual or potential hazardous materials releases that are accidental or intentional in nature and may present an immediate threat to life safety, public health, and the environment; may include response beyond State boundaries.    
• Supervise and direct on-site personnel, other responding agencies, responsible party representatives, and contractors during emergency response, hazmat operations, and subsequent remedial activities to achieve strategic, tactical, and safety objectives.  
• Exercise necessary delegated authorities, including determining and deploying necessary resources, contract management and cost control, directing response personnel activities, and the issuance of enforcement documents such as field orders.  
• Apply expert scientific knowledge, and utilizes complex equipment to make independent, expeditious determinations about the necessary response efforts to mitigate a spill or release; provide technical review, as well as technical and regulatory oversight, and support enforcement actions as required.  
• Direct the responsible party to take necessary corrective actions and advise on cost recovery policies and procedures; assume control of the spill or release and all mitigation, abatement, and remediation if a responsible party cannot be determined and conduct cost recovery as necessary.    
• Utilize a variety of complex equipment such as toxic air monitoring equipment (such as photoionization detection and mass spectrometer), radiation detection instrumentation, and infrared spectroscopy for the identification of unknown substances; interpret the data obtained from this equipment to make critical real-time public safety decisions that affect human health and the environment.  
• Use personal protective equipment, communications equipment, and computers; as well as operating emergency vehicles.  
• Serve as the on-call State OSC on a rotating basis.  Answer after-hours phone calls, assess the severity of reported incidents, and independently determine the appropriate response effort and necessary personnel.  Respond at night, on weekends, and on holidays, in addition to responses that occur during the scheduled shift.
• Serve as a point of contact and on-scene representative for incident-related and routine questions and concerns with the general public; state, federal and other agencies; high-level officials; fire companies, emergency personnel; contractors; and local, state, regional and federal response communities.  
• Serve as a State OSC and hazmat specialist as a member of a Joint Hazard Assessment Team (JHAT) on special assignments where safety and security are of utmost importance, including large public events, political events, and protection of public figures.
• May be called upon to provide technical support and expert testimony in court proceedings or other judicial procedures.

Requirements

Applicants must have education, training and/or experience demonstrating competence in each of the following areas:

1. Possession of a Bachelor's degree or higher.
2. Recognized expertise and experience in one or more areas of hazardous materials response, including chemical, biological, or radiological hazards.
3. Three years’ experience in analyzing and evaluating scientific data.
4. Six months’ experience in environmental/natural resources program administration such as overseeing and directing the development, implementation and evaluation of environmental/natural resource programs and services; establishes program objectives; plan short-and long-range program goals; develop and implement program policies and procedures and ensures compliance and funding requirements.
5. One year of experience in developing emergency response strategies in compliance with best practices such as the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS), or National Response Framework (NRF).
6. One year of experience in budget management and control such as managing a budget for the purpose of keeping expenditures within the limitations of available appropriations and available revenue and maintaining, monitoring, projecting and controlling a budget within set policies and procedures.
7. One year of experience in staff supervision which includes planning, assigning, reviewing, and evaluating the work of others.
8. Possession of a valid driver’s license (not suspended, revoked or cancelled, or disqualified from driving).