This position is in the Fire Department section of the Facilities Management Service. The purpose of the position is to provide twenty-four (24) hour fire suppression, protection and fire inspector services to the VA Black Hills Health Care System (BHHCS) and is located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Recruitment incentives have been 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 shall participate in all aspects of structural and wild land firefighting operations and rescue. The Firefighter shall perform the duties of a fire inspector by participating in fire inspection, fire alarm maintenance and prevention programs. Serves as a driver of a Wild Land unit, as assigned for training or in the absence of the driver/operator, serves as driver/operator of the structural firefighting apparatus, including the primary or reserve engine. The Firefighter participates in Confined Space Rescue and is a Hazardous Materials First Responder. Provides fire protection at the hospital engaged in using various types of gases, oxygen, nitrogen, gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas. Performs fire/rescue and firefighting duties at large hospital complex/ campus consisting of fuel tank farms with 30k gallon tanks, multi-story buildings housing non-ambulatory, nursing home and mental health patients; warehouses, residential housing and apartment complexes; State of South Dakota National Guard housing and armory. Fights fires in an installation environment, with multi-story buildings consisting of more than three stories presenting complex and hazardous firefighting situations equivalent to that described. Assists the Fire Captain/Supervisor and Driver Operator in completion of daily documentation necessary to support the mission of the fire department. Engages in specialized fire program missions such as hazardous materials containment and control. The firefighter performs as a hazardous material first responder: Conducts Fire Prevention Inspector Duties Assist in the maintenance of pre-fire plans, upto- date maps; drawings of all the fire related equipment; and information of out of- service fire hydrants, roads and alarm systems. As assigned the firefighter shall respond to non-fire related incidents. Assist the Shift Captain in Fire Department training, fire prevention programs, fire prevention educational services, and maintenance programs, and shall assist and participate in the Fire Department physical fitness programs. Performs minor maintenance and fire station housekeeping duties and will participate in ongoing training, drills, and building inspections as assigned. Participate in all Fire Department training, Medical Center fire drills, and building inspections assigned to the Fire Department and complete all forms and paperwork for documentation, some examples of fire department documents or forms The firefighter shall ensure all fire protection systems and equipment are inspected, tested, and maintained. Work Schedule: Shift work, Rotating tour of duty (Subject to change based on the needs of the agency) 72-hour work week (48 hours on-48/72 hours off) on a rotating basis to include weekends and holidays. Employees are regularly required to work scheduled and no notice periods of overtime. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Have been authorized for highly qualified candidates. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicant(s) must meet the following: 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. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR (SPF): 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 the selective placement factors are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factors for this position are: Certification as an accredited Firefighter II, in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 Certification as an accredited Hazardous Materials Operations Level Responder, in accordance with Chapter 5, Core Competencies, in NFPA 472 DRIVER'S LICENSE: Selected applicants must possess and maintain a valid, state issued driver's license. In addition to the English Language Proficiency, Selective Placement Factors, and Driver's License requirement described above, applicants must meet one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires one years of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) that demonstrated the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of this Firefighter position. Such duties may include (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. -OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successful completion of a 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university with major study in Fire Science, Fire Training, or other related fields of study. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of education and specialized experience meets total requirements. Only education in excess of 2 years is creditable for this requirement. AGE REQUIREMENT: Maximum Entry Age: For initial appointments, applicant cannot have reached their 37th birthday by the day of appointment. 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 applicant's age to determine if the Federal firefighter meets the maximum entry age. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Fire ManagementFirst ResponseHazardous MaterialsPatient CareTechnical Competence 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs, running, lifting heavy objects over 50 pounds, crouching or crawling in restrictive areas during fire and rescue activities. Fire protection equipment must be worn or carried; the wearing of this equipment significantly amplifies the physical strain experienced by the employee during physical exertion or during periods of hot weather. Incumbent is required to undergo an annual physical. Employees are regularly required to work scheduled and no notice periods of overtime. 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

IMPORTANT: 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 Black Hills Health Care System 113 Comanche Road Fort Meade, SD 57741 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]