These positions are located within the Fire Department under Facilities Engineering Service at the Coatesville VA Medical Center, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The Firefighter (Basic Life Support/Hazardous Material Technician) participates in all aspects of structural firefighting and rescue operations. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The Firefighter (Basic Life Support/Hazardous Material Technician) works to control and extinguish fires, rescue persons endangered by fire, and reduce or eliminate potential fire hazards. These positions also perform work as a pre-hospital medical provider trained at the Emergency Medical Technician (Basic) level to provide efficient and immediate medical care to injured or ill patients using basic life support measures such as determining mechanism of injury or nature of illness, airway management, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and treatment of simple or multiple system trauma as dictated by state protocol and performed under medical control. Additional duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: Fire Suppression Serves as a team member 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 and portable fire extinguishers, and performs salvage and overhaul Performs specialized rescues, hazardous materials spill response and serves as a driver/operator of pumpers, ambulances and special service vehicles Combats fires in residences, medical and psychological facilities, multiple story office buildings, industrial shops, warehouses, fuel storage areas, public assembly areas, brush and wooded areas Provides stand-by and other protective measures as required for hazardous operations such as confined space entry, helicopter landings and liquid oxygen deliveries including response during hazardous weather conditions Performs duty of rescue from hazardous permit required confined spaces, bodies of water, rescue from hazardous materials spills, below grade rescues as well as rescue from fire Attends periodic classes to keep proficient in operation of fire hose lines and nozzles, use of forcible entry tools, ventilation of structures, use of specialized rescue equipment and other fire and emergency skills needed to maintain proficiency Operates and uses fire extinguishing equipment carried on the apparatus such as foam and dry chemical extinguishing agents Basic Life Support Provides emergency medical care per Basic Life Support Protocols and emergency medicine techniques to determine, based on the assessment of the patient, the approach or combination of approaches Maintains practical knowledge of the major body systems and diagnostic signs to perform patient examination and to provide prompt and appropriate medical care Understands the legal considerations of emergency care, e.g., actual/implied consent, good Samaritan laws, to limit the government's and the paramedic's exposure to lawsuits, while maintaining the legal standards of care Ensures appropriate patient destination based on assessment and preselects/plans the route to ensure a safe and expedient transport to the proper health care facility Operates emergency and patient transport vehicle characteristics safely under all weather and/or traffic conditions while transporting patients Performs proper operator maintenance to ensure vehicle meets safety and operating requirements Obtains and relays information to and from dispatchers and health care providers Operates specialized medical equipment and provides BLS level care in areas such as controlling bleeding, treat shock, immobilize fractures, etc. Assists Advanced Life Support staff including doctors, nurses, paramedics, etc. Hazardous Materials Technician Responds to hazardous material/Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) incidents surveying the scene to stop / control the release Identifies hazards, collects/interprets data, determines container damage and assists with strategy/tactics development Performs advance control and confinement operations Decontaminates personnel, equipment and supplies which were exposed to hazardous materials/ CBRNE releases Work Schedule: 48 hours on, 72 hours off Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. AND Selective Placement Factors: In addition to the meeting the English Language Proficiency, applicants must also meet the following Selective Placement Factors for this position. Selective Placement Factors are skills, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. You must submit copies of your certifications with your application to receive credit. International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or ProBoard Firefighter I International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or ProBoard as a Firefighter II National Registry or Pennsylvania State certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or ProBoard Hazardous Materials Technician certification National or International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or ProBoard Driver/Operator Pumper certification International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or ProBoard certification as a Fire Inspector I International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or ProBoard Fire Inspector II certification OR are be willing to obtain a Fire Inspector II certification within 2 years of employment AND Specialized Experience: MUST possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Firefighter - Basic Life Support/Hazardous Materials Technician position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6) in Federal Service. Such duties may include: (1) providing emergency medical first responder or higher medical level pre-hospital patient assessments by conducting systematic physical examinations to determine patient's condition and treatment; (2) controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; (2) rescue operations; (4) detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; (5) operation of fire communications equipment; (6) controlling hazardous materials incidents and/or (7) developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. (This experience must be documented in your resume.) AND Maximum Age Requirement: This position requires a maximum entry age for an initial appointment; applicants cannot have reached their 37th birthday by the date of appointment. Applicants who have passed the designated entry age limit, but who have previously served as a federal employee 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 fire service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57. AND Driver's License: A current and valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued Driver's License at that time. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Fire ManagementFirst ResponseHazardous Materials Medical Requirements: Applicants for positions that have duties of an arduous or hazardous nature must meet medical standards. In addition, 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.) IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's 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.

Contacts

• Address Coatesville VA Medical Center 1400 Black Horse Hill Road Coatesville, PA 19320 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]