Hiring & Training

Hiring

Advertising, interviewing and fulfilling pre-employment requirements for the hiring of seasonal employees takes place starting at Christmas/New Years time when college students are home on their semester break and looking for summer work.

Orientation

While the Commission strives to hire seasonal employees who will return successive summers and be able to fall right into the work routine, these students graduate from college which creates a need for new seasonal employees. There is a steep learning curve associated with these seasonal positions and when possible, the new employees work as much as possible during their spring break from college to get orientation formalities and initial training underway as well as spending some time in the field learning the route and becoming familiar with the mosquito breeding sites they will be responsible for inspecting.

Hazard Communication/Right to Know Training

Any new employee must receive Hazard Communication (HazComm) training immediately on their first day of work. This training takes place in the early spring when the seasonal employees are home on spring break from college or on days that they can come home from college to work during their spring semester.

This training is also provided to full time employees or returning seasonal employees, who already received the initial training, every two years.

Pesticide Operator/Applicator Licensing

A Commercial Pesticide Operator or Applicator License issued by the State of New Jersey is obtained by the employee to handle or apply insecticides for the Commission. Related training, test taking and attendance at recertification classes generally take place in the winter.

Upon employment but prior to insecticide use, a Pesticide Operator’s License is first obtained. All initial study materials and related training are provided by the Warren County Mosquito Extermination Commission. Training includes instruction, reading and audio/visual materials in addition to 40 hours of on the job training and a minimum number (5) of pesticide applications that must be performed or witnessed by the trainer before an employee can apply for a license.

To receive a Pesticide Applicator’s License, the applicant must also complete the same training as noted for the Operator’s License, but in addition, successfully pass two tests. One test (the CORE exam) is for general pesticide information, personal protective equipment and knowledge of applicable regulations related to pesticide use. The other test is for the specific category of mosquito control (Category 8B). Once a Pesticide Applicator’s License is received, employees with that license attend meetings, seminars and training courses annually to obtain necessary recertification credits to maintain their Pesticide Applicator Licenses. These educational activities most often occur during the winter.