The New York State DOT (NYSDOT) is preparing for the winter months by announcing a call for applications to fill 500 positions in its maintenance department across Upstate New York and Long Island.
Each September, NYSDOT begins to hire and train staff on equipment and best practices, with the aim of having them ready to plow snow as soon as winter weather begins. Training is provided by professional, highly experienced equipment operator instructors and storm managers.
“Our maintenance workers are the heart and soul of everything we do ... especially during New York’s harsh winter season,” NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in a news release. “They play a vital role during and after winter storms, clearing snow and ice to enhance highway safety, maintaining access for first responders and, in smaller storms, allowing businesses to remain open so the public can get the goods and services they need. We are seeking hard-working, dedicated professionals to join our team who take pride in what they do and positively impact the traveling public.”
During the winter, maintenance workers primarily assist in snow and ice removal, but also are expected to perform general highway repairs and maintenance such as cold patching.
NYSDOT employs approximately 3,700 full time snow and ice operators and supervisors, as well as an estimated 300 seasonal operators. They are responsible for pre-treating, plowing, and removing ice from more than 36,000 miles of roadway.
The department intends to hire permanent and temporary maintenance workers across the state.
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SOURCE: New York State DOT
