Firefighter (Basic Life Support)

Summary This position is organizationally aligned to the Facilities Service Line – Tomah VA Medical Center Fire Department, at the Tomah VAMC (676) a Level 3 Complexity VHA Facility) located in Tomah WI. Incumbent works under the general supervision of the Supervisory Firefighter (Captain) and supervision by the Assistant Fire Chief. Responsibilities The primary purpose of the position is performing work to control and extinguish fires, rescue persons endangered by fire, and reduce or eliminate potential fire hazards. It also covers fire service positions that follow protocols in providing basic life support; performs emergency medical procedures that are non-invasive; performs fire protection inspector duties, including inspecting and testing fire protection equipment, training personnel in fire protection and prevention, operate fire communications equipment, and advice on improvements to structures for better fire prevention. Major duties: Effectively controlling and extinguishing fires, operates various nozzles and hose lines, makes connections to, and operates fire hydrants, performs forcible entries, ventilates structures, carries, raises, and lowers ground ladders, performs, or assists in rescue operations, uses a variety of hand tools, hydraulic tools, portable fire extinguishers, and performs salvage and overhaul. Combats fires in residences, medical and psychological facilities, multiple story office buildings, industrial shops, warehouses, fuel storage areas, public assembly areas, and wildland areas. Responds to all emergency calls on Tomah VA Medical Center Grounds as well as requests for Mutual Aid by surrounding communities to extinguish fire when requested and approved by management. Operate pumps, foam generators, and other specialized firefighting equipment, determining proper pressures for the type of nozzle or equipment, size of hose, and distance to be covered. Provides medical care as a Basic Life Support/Emergency Medical Technician-(EMT) following TVAMC protocols and directives as outlined in MCP MS-03 in providing basic life support. Will employ a variety of established emergency medical techniques, methods, and equipment to stabilize the patient for transport. Independently performs fire inspection duties in areas where hazards are expected to be encountered. Incumbent inspects medical and psychological facilities, multiple story buildings, administrative buildings, public assemblies, industrial shops, warehouses and residential quarters for fire safety violations and other conditions contributing to more extensive fire hazards. Performs pre-incident planning by familiarizing themselves with the various buildings interiors and to locate any possible hazards as well as established fire protection systems. Conducts inspections on built-in fire protection features such as, but not limited to fire barriers, smoke barriers and fire doors. Conducts regularly scheduled and unscheduled inspections of all safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, fire doors, exits, stairways, indicator posts, standpipe systems, self-contained breathing masks, as well as special inspections to ensure equipment is always operational. Conducts general work planning daily, particularly in the areas of training and fire inspections. Reviews schedule to meet unexpected changes and duty assignments. Responsible for review, assessment, and recommendations concerning Fire Department records of fire prevention inspections, air packs, extinguishers vehicle, hose, fire equipment, daily workloads, safety meeting and pre-fire planning. Work Schedule: Full time, 72 hours per week, 144 hours per pay period. Working a schedule of 48hrs on then 72hrs off, 48hrs on then 72hrs off, and 48hrs on then 48hrs off. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Firefighter (Basic Life Support)/PD24184A and PD02843A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/29/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS 7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 6. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Basic Requirements To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter you must have received a Certification in Basic CPR (BLS). Valid State Drivers License. To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter you must have received a Certificate as IFSAC/Pro Board Firefighter II in accordance with NFPA 1001.(Certification Form Required.) To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter you must have received a Certificate as IFSAC/Pro Board HAZMAT Operations in accordance with NFPA 1001.(Certification Form Required.) Incident Command Systems – ICS-100 & 200. National Incident Management Systems – ICS-700 & 800. To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter you must have received a Certificate as IFSAC/Pro Board Apparatus Operator – Pumper or applicable certification for apparatus on site within 24 months of hire. Newly employed VA Firefighters must obtain IFSAC/Pro Board Fire Inspector I & II in accordance with NFPA 1031 within 24 months of employment. National Registry Emergency Medical Basic License. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: A. For initial appointments, applicants cannot have reached their 37th birthday by the day of appointment. B. Applicants who have passed the designated entry age limit noted, but who have previously served in a covered position, may be eligible to re-enter the fire service provided that they: 1. Meet all applicable qualifications for the position; and 2. Will be able to complete a total of 20 years of covered and creditable Federal firefighter service by the time the Federal firefighter reaches the age of 57. Prior service in covered positions and creditable towards retirement may be subtracted from the applicants age to determine if the Federal firefighter meets the maximum entry age. Drivers License Routine and assigned duties requires the operation of government vehicles, therefore a valid state drivers license is required. Applicant will be required to provide proof of their possession of a valid state drivers license. MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT OPERATOR QUALIFICATIONS For those positions requiring the operation of specialized firefighting pumping equipment, mounted pressurized systems, dispensing devices, and/or rescue tools, applicants may be required to demonstrate the ability, before appointment, to operate the specific equipment to which they will be assigned, or similar related types of hydraulic equipment. PERFORMANCE TEST Agencies may require candidates to demonstrate satisfactory performance of the minimum physical abilities necessary to perform safely and efficiently the essential tasks of a particular position. The abilities may be demonstrated through prior satisfactory performance in the same or a similar position, or agencies may choose to use a task demonstration. A task demonstration must be directly related to the essential job tasks, and thus, must consist of a sample of operations or steps that reflect a reasonably faithful representation of those selected job tasks. Any demonstration required must be uniformly applied to all similarly qualified candidates; the level of proficiency required cannot exceed that which is required in actual job performance; and reasonable accommodation must be provided where necessary. MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS Applicants for positions that have duties of an arduous or hazardous nature must meet the medical standards described below. Since individual positions may not include all such duties, a physical condition or impairment may be disqualifying for employment only if there is a direct relationship between the condition and the nature of the duties of the specific position to be filled. Employees in positions involving firefighting duties or other duties involving arduous physical exertion may be subject to periodic (e.g., annual) medical examinations following appointment to determine fitness for continued performance of the duties of the position. (See 5 CFR 339.) Any serious deviation from sound medical condition may be grounds for rejection of an applicant regardless of whether the condition is named below. Remediable defects or curable diseases will not exclude a person from consideration, but proof that such defects have been remedied or the disease cured must be received during the life of the eligible register before persons otherwise qualified may be considered for appointment under civil service rules. In addition to the basic and eligibility requirements the Applicant must also meet the GS-6 Specialized experience. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS 7: Applicants must have One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-06) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: (1) controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; (2) rescue operations; (3) detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; (4) operation of fire communications equipment; (5) controlling hazardous materials incidents; (6) Performs initial and on-going focused patient assessment and physical examination; and (7) Conducts regularly scheduled and unscheduled inspections of all safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, fire doors, exits, stairways, indicator posts, standpipe systems, self-contained breathing masks, as well as special inspections to ensure equipment is always operational. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Interpersonal Skills Teamwork Technical Competence Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Physical Requirements: The Firefighter/EMT must maintain an adequate level of physical fitness to react quickly and have the stamina to endure the physical exertion and stress of firefighting, they must complete 1 hour of physical activity per day per the NFPA 1500 and annually complete a Fire Department Physical Agility Test outline in NFPA 1500 and NFPA 1583. Fire Department personnel must complete an annual Firefighter physical with Employee Health to be cleared for duty. Incumbent must maintain physical condition to don personal protective equipment consisting of coat, helmet, boots, gloves, bunker pants, and self-contained breathing apparatus, which weighs 75 pounds. Incumbent must wear this equipment when responding to and during all emergency calls regardless of temperature. Incumbent is expected to enter buildings and atmospheres that are unsafe due to fire, oxygen deficiencies, etc. and perform very strenuous types of work carrying heavy equipment and victims. The requirements of the job are such that the incumbent must maintain alertness, self-control and emotional stability when working under conditions of stress, confusion, panic and where physical injury or death are present. Working Conditions: Will include heavy physical exertion, extreme heat, smoke, and dust in enclosed smoke-filled places, in all types of weather. Incumbent is subject to overtime call-back and mandatory overtime to ensure mandatory compliance with minimum crew staffing requirements. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.