Experienced Public Safety Telecommunicator

Position Information

This new on-the-job training/work program offers a career path to the highest level of mechanic at the Arlington County Water Pollution Control Plant.

The Apprenticeship Program is a structured, defined process for training, certifying, and compensating employees as they move through three trainee levels to the full-performance Wastewater Maintenance Technician (WMT) position within four years. The program includes:

• Clearly-defined expectations of accomplishment at each level or termination from employment with the County.
• Permanent status with the County only after completing training and certification requirements for full-performance WMT.
• Extensive County-paid internal and external training.
• A compensation plan based upon the achievement of new skills recognized through comprehensive testing and certification and demonstrated application of those skills.

The full-performance Maintenance Technician is responsible for technical, skilled trades, and project management work, installing, maintaining, repairing, and overhauling or rebuilding complex industrial systems and equipment in the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) and the Water and Sewer Lift Stations. The technician performs predictive, preventive, and corrective maintenance using a variety of diagnostic tools, historical data, blueprints, factory specifications, and the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS);

analyzes system failure or condition to determine root cause or potential for breakdown; evaluates problems or work assignments to determine scope of project, set priorities, project resource needs, and plan follow-up activities; leads projects; determines the viability of replacement or repair of parts or equipment; documents work and maintains records; coordinates work with other agencies or contractors; assists in training staff;

and monitors work and systems to ensure compliance with Federal, State, and County codes, regulations, standards, and mandates.

Online applications are required. Candidates must meet one of the following apprenticeship levels:

• Apprentice Level 1: Completion of high‑school or vocational education (or GED) plus one year of mechanical experience.
• Apprentice Level 2: Level 1 requirements plus one additional year of wastewater maintenance experience, CDL tanker endorsement, forklift certification, first aid and CPR certification, and IMI Wastewater Maintenance Technician I license or equivalent.
• Apprentice Level 3: Level 2 requirements plus one additional year of wastewater maintenance experience, backflow preventer license, IMI Wastewater Maintenance Technician II license, and plate and pipe welding certification.
• Substitution:
  One year of directly related technical school training beyond high school or a college degree in engineering or a related field may substitute for the one-year experience requirement.

Qualified applicants may be required to take a written assessment/screening exam: the general mechanical aptitude test (e.g., Wiesen Test) or the TPC assessment exam for those with extensive mechanical experience. Selection will be based on aptitude, skills, certifications, and experience.

• Must possess or obtain by time of appointment a valid motor‑vehicle operator’s license; must authorize Arlington County to obtain or provide a copy of the driving record.
• Must obtain and maintain a Commercial Driver’s License (Class B) with a tanker endorsement within one year of employment.
• Employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the driver’s record.
• Work is performed in an industrial environment with exposure to hazardous chemicals, strong odors, drafts, noise, dust, grease, and dirt, requiring extended standing, walking, bending, crouching, and lifting from light to very heavy objects.
• Applicants must be able to pass a respirator fit test and work in confined spaces.

Work hours are 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; employees must be available for holdover and/or callback in emergency situations.

All appointments are permanent, full‑time unless otherwise stated. Benefits include:

• P…