Vector Control Technician I/II
NAPA COUNTY MOSQUITO ABATEMENT DISTRICT
P.O. Box 10053
AMERICAN CANYON, CA 94503
(707) 553-9610
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
The Napa County Mosquito Abatement District is announcing an opening for the position of Vector Control Technician.
POSITION: Vector Control Technician I/II
FILING PERIOD: Open until filled.
SALARY RANGE: $4,232/month to $6,408/month
BENEFITS: Full benefit package (retirement, medical, dental, vacation, sick leave, holidays, etc.)
CERTIFICATION: Requires successful completion of California State Vector Control Tech. Category A and B certifications within one year of date of hire, categories C and D within 18 months of date of hire.
STATUS: At-will, regular full time, nonexempt.
APPLICATION: Interested individuals can request an application at the telephone number listed above, or by visiting www.napamosquito.org under employment.
Filing Location/Mailing Address:
Physical Address (No Mail Accepted)
Napa County Mosquito Abatement District
15 Melvin Road, American Canyon, CA 94503
Napa County Mosquito Abatement
Attn: Wesley A. Maffei, District Manager
P.O. Box 10053, American Canyon, CA 94503
Definition of Position
Performs labor intensive work including inspections and control operations for mosquitoes, yellowjackets, rats, mice and other vector and/or nuisance organisms, vegetation management, and other related work and supportive services as required.
Essential Duties
The job includes but is not limited to the following regular duties:
- Conducts thorough, year-round surveillance and inspection control programs for locating both domestic and natural mosquito breeding sources such as ponds, catch basins, small containers, septic tanks, household drains, swimming pools, ditches, pastures and marshes, and maintains an awareness of mosquito breeding patterns and practices that are significant to the timing of operations;
- Conducts thorough, year-round surveillance and inspection control programs for yellow-jackets, rodents, ticks, and other vector/nuisance organisms and maintains an awareness of breeding patterns and practices that are significant to the timing of operations;
- Applies pesticides and herbicides as needed and follows all regulatory requirements, selecting appropriate material dosage rates and equipment to obtain optimum coverage and results;
- **Performs nighttime and/or early morning vector control activities including but not limited to surveillance, WALS larviciding, and ULV adulticiding;
- Keeps detailed and accurate daily records of work done and materials and equipment used;
- Works with other District staff to educate and advise local citizens about mosquito and mosquito-like gnat problems, yellowjackets, rodents, ticks, and other vector/nuisance organisms, requests cooperation and assistance, and discusses the need for control and/or source reduction in an ecologically responsible manner;
- Safely and effectively operates and maintains trucks, boats, ATVs, manual and power spray equipment and shop equipment;
- Fabricates specialized tools or equipment as needed;
- Assists in the maintenance and repair of District buildings and grounds;
- Successfully utilizes a wide variety of specialized hand tools and equipment such as hand lenses, sample bottles, dippers, sweep nets, monitor traps (CDC, Fay, New Jersey, Aquatic and Oviposition), fish traps and nets, chain saws, weed whackers, shovels, radios, cell phones, computers, thermometers, microscopes and drafting equipment;
- Prepare and revises operational maps and biological records of potential mosquito, mosquito-like gnat, yellowjacket, rodent, tick and other vector/nuisance organism breeding areas within the District, including properties, ponds, topographic features, and other characteristics relevant to mosquito control operations;
- Records changes and compiles data as directed on work done, types of service, costs, mosquito and vector/nuisance organism population history, and otherwise assists District in collecting and compiling data;
- Maintains knowledge of current applicable local, State and Federal regulations pertaining to all aspects of mosquito and vector/nuisance organism control activities;
- Performs general labor and equipment operations in such source reduction activities as cutting ditches for drainage and culvert and tide gate repairs; brushing and clearing of vegetation; stocking mosquito fish and/or other biological control agents as required in mosquito and vector/nuisance producing habitats;
Employment Standards
Education
- Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Entomology, Biology, or Ecology from an accredited College of University is desirable.
- Minimum education equivalent to or graduation from high school, and completion of two or more college courses in biological, natural, or environmental sciences or some combination thereof.
Physical/Functional Requirements:
- Ability to pass pre-employment physical and drug test;
- Ability to regularly manipulate small items and tools;
- Ability to regularly bend at the knees and waist;
- Ability to regularly twist body and neck;
- Ability to occasionally reach overhead;
- Ability to periodically lie in a prone position;
- Ability to frequently traverse uneven hard or soft, wet or dry ground such as fields, dirt banks, stream banks, shallow ponds, marshes, creeks and rocky or gravelly areas;
- Ability to occasionally perform repetitive motion associated with computer devices, mechanical equipment and small tools;
- Ability to crawl on the ground or through or under or over objects (e.g., wire fences);
- Ability to occasionally climb ladders, fences, hillsides, embankments, and into and out of boats and ATVs;
- Ability to frequently climb into and out of vehicles;
- Ability to occasionally assist in the lifting of objects weighing in excess of 60 pounds;
- Ability to regularly lift objects unassisted weighing up to 60 pounds;
- Ability to frequently perform heavy physical labor;
- Ability and willingness to frequently work outdoors in all types of landscapes and under all types of weather conditions;
- Must have good verbal and written English communication skills;
- Must be able to always communicate with the public in a tactful, courteous, and professional manner;
- Must be able to frequently receive, understand and follow oral and written direction from others;
- Must always work cooperatively with citizens, private landowners, and with individuals from other agencies;
- Must have 20/20 vision (which may be corrected) to read, write, operate equipment, and work safely;
- Must be able to frequently demonstrate measurable depth perception; and
- Requires good hearing (which may be corrected) to hear alarms, horns, use phones and radios.
License
Must have a valid California Driver’s license with a good driving record and be insurable with the Vector Control Joint Powers Agency, using the accepted guidelines of the insurance provider.
Certification
As a condition of continued employment, individuals appointed to the position must obtain certificates of competency issued by the State of California Department of Health Services entitled “Certified Technician –Mosquito Control”, “Terrestrial Invertebrate Vector Control”, and “Vertebrate Vector Control;” (Licenses A, B, C, D). Certifications A and B must be obtained within 12 months of date of hire, C and D within 18 months of date of hire. All certifications must be maintained throughout employment.
Working Conditions
The Vector Control Technician position is physically and mentally demanding, and employees may be exposed to: pesticides, communicable diseases, poison oak, polluted or contaminated areas, stinging and biting organisms (e.g., dogs, rodents, snakes, spiders, wasps, ticks, mosquitoes, etc.) and other health hazards: inclement weather conditions (e.g., excessive heat, cold, wind, rain, ice, etc.); and verbally aggressive behavior from hostile individuals.
Typical Work Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday**
The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained in this announcement may be modified or revoked. Acceptance of an application does not mean qualification for an interview.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Periodically = Activity or condition that exists up to 25 percent of the time.
Occasionally = Activity or condition that exists up to 25 to 50 percent of the time.
Regularly = Activity or condition that exists up to 50 to 75 percent of the time.
Frequently = Activity or condition that exists up to 75 percent or more of the time.