PUBLIC WORKS LABORER / EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT HOMELESSNESS

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT: OPEN COMPETITIVE - EMERGENCY

EXAM NUMBER: C5922P-EA

Applications will be accepted from January 23, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) until February 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT).

The LA County Board of Supervisors recently declared a local state of emergency for homelessness , and the County is working to revise and expand our response to help all who are affected. We are looking for qualified and passionate individuals to help us in the mission of addressing issues like housing, mental health, and substance use. If you are looking for a new career that will directly benefit the population of LA County, this may be the opportunity for you.

Los Angeles County Public Works is seeking qualified candidates to fill emergency Public Works Laborer vacancies related to the homelessness crisis.

Under the emergency order, applicants who meet the requirements may be hired for an initial period of up to 90 days, with an opportunity for permanent County employment.

Before the end of your initial work period, you will be assessed on your work performance. This assessment will be weighted 100%.

Those who successfully pass the assessment will be considered for permanent appointment to Public Works Laborer.

Essential Job Functions

Flood Control:

• Performs sluicing, booming, and removal of debris at debris dams and reservoirs.
• Performs construction, maintenance and guniting work on steep slopes, irregular surfaces, dam abutments, debris basins, dam ways, levees, etc. as part of rappel crew.
• Employs shovels, axes, chains, and handsaws to clear brush, trees, shrubs, and other vegetation or obstruction from flood control channels.
• Locates and injects sealing material into cracks, chips out and repairs spalled areas of concrete, and performs any and all operations required to remove and patch eroded areas of channels including replacement of reinforcing steel.
• Operates diversion structures that control dispersal of water from channels and basins into spreading grounds in accordance with directions from the Water Conservation Division.
• Opens and closes gates to control flow and depth of water; clears trash racks and inlets of debris; takes water samples and measures amount of sediment for allowable parts per million.
• Inspects, cleans, and repairs pumping station sumps, sub-drain vaults, and pumping plant outlets.
• Performs a variety of tasks required to operate and maintain salt water intrusion barriers such as the removal, inspection, repair, and replacement of Ball, Baily, Clay, and 4-way valves.
• Inspects safety equipment such as safety belts, oxygen deficiency and explosive gas detection meters, flashlights and protective clothing to ensure that these are present in the quantities required and in proper operating condition.
• Operates jack hammers and pavement breakers to break up concrete and asphalt surfaces; powered saws to delineate damaged areas to be removed; and excavates for foundations and footings.
• Assists in the maintenance of drains, catch basins, curbs, gutters, head walls, and driveway aprons by mixing concrete by hand or with concrete mixer, wheel barrowing concrete to work site, lifting and carrying concrete block; providing tools to more experienced workers and tamping concrete.
• Enters maintenance holes and confined spaces for inspections and repairs after required safety precautions have been taken; removes debris using shovels and buckets.
• Removes trash from flood control access roads.
• Cuts and removes damaged fencing with bolt and wire cutters; digs holes for line and corner posts; strings and stretches wire using wire pullers and come alongs.
• As required, operates a variety of automotive powered equipment such as trenchers, loaders, dump trucks, and small boom trucks.
• May perform manual work in the construction, repair, and maintenance of bicycle trails in flood access roads.
• Checks right-of-ways for vermin and rodents, applying proper control material as required.
• May operate herbicidal spray equipment for the application of herbicides and pesticides under the direct supervision of appropriately licensed personnel.

Road:

• Uses shovels, picks, hoes, rakes, brooms, wheelbarrows, and other hand tools as a member of a crew engaged in road construction and maintenance.
• Operates pneumatic powered tools such as pavement breaker, tamps, and spades.
• Assists in grading.
• Performs the manual labor required in patching pavements with concrete, oil, gravel, and asphaltic materials.
• Cuts and clears away undergrowth along roadway.
• Performs manual labor required in constructing and repairing rock walls, culverts, berms, concrete structures, posts, and guard rails.
• Loads and unloads materials and supplies from trucks, and lifts and moves heavy equipment including the use of a forklift.
• May operate herbicide spray equipment for the application of herbicides and pesticides under the direct supervision of appropriately licensed personnel.
• Cleans gutters, culverts, and other drainage structures.
• Manually sweeps and removes debris from streets and roads.
• Assists in keeping tools and equipment in serviceable condition.
• Acts as a flag person and performs other traffic control duties.
• May perform manual work in the construction, repair, and maintenance of bicycle trails.
• As required, operates a variety of automotive powered equipment such as loaders and dump trucks.
• May work with cranes and aerial lift devices while assisting in the repair of traffic control equipment.

Sewer:

• Assists in sewer maintenance work and receives on-the-job instruction and training in the following work processes:
• Inspects and cleans sewer lines with the use of specialized hand or power operated tools and equipment such as sewer cleaning machines, pumps, air compressors, blowers, gas detection devices, closed circuit television equipment, etc.
• Checks maintenance holes for vermin and rodents; applying proper control materials as required.
• Excavates and reconstructs sewers using tractors, backhoes, pneumatic tools, winches and cables, and installing trench sheeting and shoring.
• Lays pipe and installs saddle connections in sewer lines.
• Operates automotive equipment and other vehicles supporting sewer maintenance operations.
• Learns and practices safe and effective procedures for confined space operations, trench construction, and exposure to hazardous wastes.

Bridge:

• Performs the manual labor required to maintain, repair, and construct bridge structures and appurtenances.
• Loads and unloads materials and supplies from trucks, and lifts and moves heavy equipment.
• Assists in various phases of bridge maintenance and repair, and other related tasks.
• As required, operates automotive equipment and other vehicles supporting bridge maintenance operations.
• Works at high elevation on bridges and over bodies of water.
• Prepares and uses rigging equipment for harnessing purposes to tie down heavy equipment and provide safety measures for workers.
• Operates and utilizes a variety of hand tools such as saws, drills, and screw jacks in the repair of bridge structures and appurtenances.
• Drives vehicles and equipment to and from work sites.
• Performs inspection of vehicles and equipment prior to and after use each day.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
No training or experience is required.

LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License is required to perform job-related essential functions. A valid California Class A or Class B Driver License, and special endorsements to drive assigned vehicles may be required for some positions in this class.

Successful applicants for positions that require driving must obtain and present a copy of his/her driver license driving record from the California State Department of Motor Vehicles before final appointment. Applicants should not present a copy of their driving history until asked to do so by the hiring department. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether an applicant's driving history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job. License must not be currently suspended, restricted, or revoked.

The County is required to comply with the Federal regulations which require pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to work, follow up, and random urine drug and breath alcohol testing of employees who carry commercial driver's licenses and who are assigned to drive certain vehicles.

You MUST meet the above requirement(s) in order to be appointed to fill any vacancies related to this recruitment.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class IV - Arduous: Involves frequent heavy lifting over 25 pounds, often combined with bending, twisting, or working on irregular surfaces; and occasionally requires extraordinary physical activity.

Additional Information

EXAM CONTENT:
Before the end of your initial work assignment, the appointing department will evaluate your performance. Those who achieve a passing score on this evaluation will be considered for permanent appointment.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:
Applications must be filed online only and will be reviewed for interview consideration on an ongoing basis. If you have not been contacted within 60 days and the recruitment remains open or reopens for filing, we encourage you to submit a new application. This will allow you to reaffirm your interest and update any relevant information.

Many important notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. Please add aargueta@dpw.lacounty.gov , pwexams@dpw.lacounty.gov , as well as noreply@governmentjobs.com , and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

You have the ability to opt out of emails from LA County. If you unsubscribe, you will not receive any email notification for any examination for which you apply with Los Angeles County. Regardless of whether you choose to unsubscribe, you can always check for notifications by logging into governmentjobs.com and viewing your profile inbox, which saves a copy of all emailed notices.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty , you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

SPECIAL INFORMATION: The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI):The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Please click HERE for additional employment information.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Department Contact Name: Angela Argueta
Department Contact Phone: (626) 458-2141
Department Contact Email: pwexams@dpw.lacounty.gov
Teletype Phone: (626) 282-7829

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: 2/5/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

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• Los Angeles County

• (800) 970-5478

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