Backflow Technician

Backflow Technician (2 Positions)

Classification Title:  Backflow Technician, C17

Location:  6730 142^nd Avenue North, Largo, FL  33771

Seeking a service minded individual with a desire to grow trade skills in a Utilities environment.  Providing safe drinking water to more than 110,000 residential and commercial accounts is at the core of what our Utilities Maintenance team prides itself on every day.  This is the full performance skilled work involving testing and repairing various sizes and types of backflow prevention assemblies/devices, or meter calibration, repair, and replacements.   Employees in this class perform routine and preventive maintenance on a variety of utilities systems and devices.  Duties may include training, leading, and supervising skilled and semi‑skilled employees in accordance with established procedures that require the incumbent to apply initiative and independent judgment.  An incumbent performs the full range of tasks and assignments associated with the utilities field maintenance support occupation and promotion to a higher level is competitive.  The position reports to a division supervisor, unit supervisor or designee.

What does Pinellas County offer?

• Health (Point of Service and Health Savings Account-Consumer Driven Plan), vision, prescription, dental, life insurance, and a flexible spending account (FSA) option
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 9-11 paid County holidays; 2 floating holidays and 2 personal days (pro-rated); annual leave (accrue 15 days in first year; to be used as sick leave, personal business, vacation)
• Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension or Investment Plan. The FRS is the 4^th largest state retirement system in the country, providing benefits to over 400,000 retirees. Pinellas County contributes to employees' retirement plan savings, and employees contribute just 3% of their pretax pay towards the plan.
• Deferred compensation employee-funded pre-tax retirement savings: Deferred comp is an easy way to set aside earnings to help you fund your retirement. You can enroll for as little as $10 per pay period, and you can stop, start or change the enrollment at any time.
• Wellness Program – Wellness activities, free fitness centers, and wellness webinars on physical, social, emotional and financial well-being.
• Tuition Reimbursement - Reimburses up to $2,800 in education expenses for eligible employees for job skills improvement or career development.
• Employee Discount Program – Available at no cost to employees and offers discounts on theme park tickets, consumer items, financial services, and more.

Essential Functions

• Test and repair a variety of residential and commercial backflow prevention assemblies and devices.
• Assist with the calibration, test, repair and replacement of meters that vary in size and type.
• Assist the Utilities Maintenance Specialist 3’s with the testing and repair of large backflow prevention assemblies/devices.
• Assist the Field Provide legible and accurate reports for all tests.
• Inspector 1s and 2s with large inspections, fire hydrant flow tests, etc.
• Maintain accurate records and files including using a hand-held computer device.
• Must interact and collaborate effectively with a variety of team members.

Position Specific Requirements

• High school diploma or GED and 3 years of skilled utilities, plumbing or mechanical experience; or
• High school diploma or GED plus 1 year of related technical schooling and 2 years of experience as described above; or
• An equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.
• Possession and maintenance of a valid State of Florida Driver’s License upon hire with eligibility based upon evaluation of a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) driving report.
• Must obtain an approved FW&PCOA (or pre-approved equal) "Backflow Prevention Assembly Testing License" within one year of employment and maintain the license throughout employment in this work unit (this is a condition of continued employment).
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.

Highly Desirable

• Experience using both a differential gauge and manometer for testing backflow prevention assemblies.
• Possession of a "Backflow Prevention Assembly Testing" certification.
• Experience using CityWorks or other work management program to record labor material and test results.
• Experience testing a variety of types and sizes of backflow prevention assemblies/devices.
• Experience repairing various types and sizes of backflow prevention assemblies/devices.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of standard methods, practices, materials, tools and equipment used in telemetry systems, utilities maintenance and repair work.
• Knowledge of standard methods, procedures and equipment used in water pumping and treatment.
• Knowledge and ability to use and maintain hand and power tools and related equipment.
• Knowledge and ability to use gauges and flow meters; read and interpret pressure charts, plans and technical data.
• Ability to work from blueprints and rough sketches; calculate simple time and material estimates.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, supervision, and others.

• Ability to recognize occupational hazards and implement appropriate safety precautions.
• Work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.

Physical/Mental Demands

The work is very heavy work which requires exerting in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Visual ability: Sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; and to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.
• Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recording on transcription device.
• Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.
• Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an environment with heavy equipment and machinery that could result in bodily harm to co-workers or others

This position has supplemental questions. If unable to complete all questions, you may save your answers as a draft during the application process and return at any time prior to the closing date. Please note that the application is complete upon final submission.