Tree Pruner Trainee

THE POSITION

To prune and remove trees along City streets and to perform other related maintenance duties.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
This is the entry apprentice-level class. Previous tree pruning experience is not required. Incumbents work under the lead supervision of a Senior Tree Pruner.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED :
Lead supervision is provided by the Senior Tree Pruner.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform related duties as needed:

• Climb trees using ropes, cables, climbing saddles, and spurs and operate aerial tower truck to remove undesired branches, limbs, and trees; lower removed portions to the ground with bull ropes.
• Operate chain and hand saws, power or pole pruners, axes, and other hand tools for felling trees or cutting felled trees; operate chipper and brush truck.
• Remove overhanging branches and split or broken limbs after a storm.
• Prune trees for clearance of overhead utility facilities excluding high voltage line clearance.
• Sharpen and maintain tools, ropes, and other safety equipment.
• Participate in planting, transplanting and seeding of trees.
• Learn to operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
• Learn to clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
• Learn to cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, and/or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
• Learn to trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low hanging branches.
• Learn to prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
• Learn to hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
• Learn to operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
• Learn to load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
• Learn to collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes or other tools.
• Learn to clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
• Learn to remove broken limbs from wires, using hood extension poles.
• Learn to trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
• Learn to operate a vehicle mounted work planning computer.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• No special knowledge requirements.

Ability to:

• Climb trees and work at heights, sometimes in precarious positions and under adverse weather conditions.
• Learn to use tree pruning and maintenance equipment.
• Follow oral and written instructions.
• Operate tree pruning equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Maintain periodic updated CPR and first aid training.
• Obtain a California Class B Driver License by the end of the 2-year training period.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:
Experience:

None required.

Probationary Period:

Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Driver License:
Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Possession of a Class B Driver License is required by the end of the 2-year training period. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Assessment:
If considered for appointment, candidates must pass a pre-employment drug test.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The conditions herein are typically required of an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of their job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Working Conditions:
May be required to be on-call and to work various shifts or emergencies during evenings, weekends, and holidays to resolve emergency situations.

Environmental Conditions:
Incumbents work in the field and are exposed to uneven terrain, extreme noise levels (e.g. chainsaws, chippers, and heavy equipment), cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, electrical utilities and road hazards, hazardous substances, dust, and fumes; must wear protective equipment; exposure to saw dust, dirt dust, and diesel and gasoline exhaust, gasoline, lubricants, and animal feces; work around moving machinery, equipment, high traffic areas, and heavy falling objects; exposure to insects, bees, and wasps; and, work at elevation.

Physical Requirements:
Must possess depth perception, far, near, and peripheral vision; eye-hand coordination; multi-limb and body coordination; arm-hand steadiness; quick reaction time; trunk strength; wrist-finger speed; muscle endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue; ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or vehicle to exact positions, quickly move your hand and arm to grasp, perform repetitive hand motions, grasping, finger dexterity; exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull or carry objects; quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs; quickly move arms and legs; keep or gain body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position; hear, talk, stand, sit, walk, climb at elevation, bend, squat, kneel, and reach.
Must be able to lift and carry 10-90 pounds occasionally. Push and pull up to 50 pounds frequently and 50-100 pounds occasionally.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

P lease note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently , including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline ;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
  

• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  

• If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week ).
  

• If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
  

• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
  

• If you’re requesting Veteran’s credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline . Information regarding the use of Veteran’s credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule 4.9C.
  

• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.
  

2. Training and Experience Exam : (Weighted 100%) - The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
  

• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.
  

3. Eligibility : Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate’s eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Tree Pruner Trainee examination.

4. Screening Committee : (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
  

• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
  

• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment ;
  

• Send an email to employment@cityofsacramento.org ; or
  

• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726
  

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 11/10/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Sacramento

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