These positions are located within the Police Service at the VA Boston Healthcare System in Brockton, MA, Jamaica Plain, MA (Boston) and West Roxbury, MA (Boston). The primary purpose of the Security Assistant is to monitor physical security equipment and systems.

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 major duties include but are not limited to:

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/06/2023. GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: This position is located in Police Services. The primary purpose of the position is to monitor physical security equipment and systems. Duties include, but are not limited to: Performs alarm and access monitoring, tracing access patterns, programming, assigning or removing user permissions, updating databases, remotely opening and securing doors during routine and emergency operations and generating a variety of reports as needed. Assesses on-scene behavior and determines when it is appropriate to dispatch law enforcement or other personnel to investigate. Responds to alarm systems monitoring fire, access, intrusion, duress/panic, medical emergencies, psychiatric emergencies, medical assist teams, etc.; and emergency digital paging system. Monitors emergency weather alerts and transmits warnings system wide when appropriate. Maintains radio/alarm activity records/logs to include dates, times, and results of communications and activities and prepares completed reports. Performs and documents emergency callbacks when necessary. Tracks critical information and reports findings to the supervisor. The position monitors and receives routine and emergency calls from a variety of sources that need police, fire, medical or other emergency services. Determines the nature and location of the emergency; prioritizes events and commits police resources appropriately; determines what notifications are necessary based upon event type, makes such notifications and coordinates follow-up communications. Receives and process emergency calls; maintains contact with law enforcement units on assignment; maintains status and location of Police Officers and coordinates communication between agencies as needed. Answers non-emergency calls for assistance. Monitors and directs responses to security and life safety communications, radio dispatches, telephone calls, and other emergency communication circuits. Receives and compiles information from various sources related to police and emergency incidents, taking appropriate actions regarding intrusion, duress, and hold-up alarms. Directs response and/or modifies responsible personnel depending on the type of incident or request. Coordinates with various federal, state and local law enforcement officials for coordination of emergency situations. Performs system checks on a variety of equipment used in the dispatch center. Troubleshoots systems when problems arise and resolves issues whenever possible. Conducts equipment inventories and completes records and other logs. Performs monthly alarm checks, submits reports documenting the operational status of each circuit tested. Initiates work orders for malfunctioning circuits and equipment. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. That is, successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. For GS-5 level positions, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. The following is an example of how education and experience may be combined. They is an example only, and is not all inclusive: The position to be filled is a Security Assistant, GS-5. The applicant has 9 months of specialized experience and 75 semester hours of college (15 semester hours beyond the second year and the equivalent of 3 months of specialized experience). The applicant meets 75 percent of the required experience and 25 percent of the required education. The applicant meets 100 percent of the requirement for 1 year of specialized experience and is qualified for the position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Note: To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsComputer SkillsManages and Organizes InformationSecurityTechnology Application 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 Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Jonathan Montgomery
• Phone: 734-905-2529
• Email: [email protected]