The incumbent is assigned to the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System's (CAVHCS) Fire Department in the Safety and Emergency Management Service. The Medical Center is comprised of 78 structures of various classes of construction located on 222 acres. CAVHCS has approximate staff of 2,400 employees as well as a varying number of out-patients daily. The Fire Department operates 7 primary pieces of apparatus including two (KME) 1250 GPM Pumper, Rescue/ Special Operations Unit and ambulances.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Performs fire/rescue and firefighting duties at large hospital complex/ campus consisting of fuel tanks, multi-story buildings housing non-ambulatory, nursing home and mental health patients; warehouses, residential housing and apartment complexes; State of Alabama and National Registry. Operates fire extinguishing equipment during firefighting operations to minimize damage to properties. Communicates effectively both orally and in writing. Establish and maintain effective working relationship with co-workers, employees, patients and the public. Verify the presence and/or concentration of hazardous materials through use of monitoring equipment to prevent environmental contamination. Formulate written hazardous material incident reports to document potentially hazardous spill areas. Determine the potential harm of hazardous material to people and the environment. Provide patient assessment by conducting systematic physical examination. Knowledge of first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Maintains awareness of the medical, legal and ethical issues. 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. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 8:00pm. This position involves rotating shift work; fifth six (56)/(72) hours per week. The Fire Department operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week utilizing a7 platoon system in which employees are assigned to alternating shifts. Firefighter/EMT is subject to overtime call back and mandatory overtime to ensure mandatory compliance with minimum crew manning requirements. Position is considered "essential" as regards reporting during inclement weather or other adverse conditions. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Firefighter EMT (Basic Life Support)/PD10408-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/03/2023. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. 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. Driver's License: All applicants must possess a current, unrestricted valid state Driver's License. Selective Placement Factor: 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. In addition to meeting the above requirements, you must also meet the following Selective Placement Factors for this position. Certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and must maintain such certification to meet requirements of this position at this level. Must have successfully completed a training course on Hazardous Materials Emergency Response. This training shall meet the intent of OSHA regulation 1920.120. This training will ensure proficiency in hazardous materials identification, use of response plans, containment, chemical protective clothing, and decontamination. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You 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 and/or (6) developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication/interpersonal relations First Response Fire Management Industrial Equipment Operation Patient Care 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. Physical Requirements: Routinely requires considerable walking, stooping, bending and climbing on a daily basis. May be required to lift and carry objects heavy objects, including equipment over 50 pounds and victims of fires or other emergencies. Working conditions may include heavy physical exertion, extreme heat, smoke and dust in enclosed smoke-filled places, in all types of weather. The Firefighter/EMT must pass a fitness for duty physical. This physical will include examinations for both firefighter and hazardous materials response. The medical examination will include but not limited to a history relating to the handling and exposure to hazardous materials and the Firefighters ability to wear any required personal protective equipment including respirators, under conditions including temperature extremes that may be expected at the work site. Work Environment: The requirements of the job are such that the Firefighter must maintain alertness, self control, and emotional stability when working under conditions of stress, confusion, panic and where physical injury or death are present. The firefighter /EMT will routinely be expected to enter hazardous environments both in and outdoors including those which may be Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health to implement tactical objectives necessary to successfully mitigate the emergency Firefighter/EMT must maintain the ability to don personal protective equipment consisting of: coat, helmet, boots, gloves, bunker pants and self-contained breathing apparatus in excess of 50 pounds combined. Firefighter/EMT must wear this equipment when responding to and during all emergency calls (excluding ambulance) regardless of temperature. Firefighter/EMT will adhere to safety and environmental protection policies and procedures and techniques. Consistently uses proper body mechanics, appropriate lifting equipment and personal protective equipment to prevent injury to self and/or patient. Anticipates potential safety hazards, takes action to promote a safe and therapeutic environment. May be required to work long and irregular hours during the course of emergency response or to accomplish mandated inspection and training requirements. 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 Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery 215 Perry Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36109 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]