This position is located in the Facilities Service Line of the Tomah VA Medical Center, Tomah, WI. The incumbent in this position functions as a firefighter (structural). He/she provides fire protection and suppression services. Routine and assigned duties requires the operation of government vehicles, therefore, a valid state divers license is required.

Duties

Major duties: Maintains an adequate level of physical fitness to react quickly & have the stamina to endure the physical exertion & stress firefighters are subject to. Loading, unloading & advancing fire hose lines. Placing & climbing ground ladders with equipment for fire control, ventilation, rescue or other fire ground work. Establishing water supply connections to hydrants, sprinkler systems, standpipes & fire apparatus. Manning fire attack lines & applying fire streams for fire control & extinguishment. Applying water or other chemical agents to contain hazardous material releases. Ventilating structures by opening doors, windows, floors & walls using specialized tools & equipment. Conducting salvage & overhaul work to protect undamaged property & preserve the scene for fire investigation. Making forcible entry into locked & concealed areas; i.e., prying doors open, removing windows, etc. Entering hazardous environments for rescue & fire extinguishment purposes. Providing basic first aid, CPR & use of an AED at medical emergencies that involve patients, employees or members of the public on medical center grounds. Using communications equipment; i.e., portable radios. Additional duties as required Work Schedule: Full-time; 72 hours per week, 144 hours per pay period Compressed/Flexible: Will discuss during interview Telework: None Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Firefighter (Structural)/PD02843A 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, 02/05/2024. 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 6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 5. 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 and/or education as described below: Basic Requirements 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.) To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter you must receive a Certificate as IFSAC/Pro Board Driver/Operator/Pumper IFSAC within 24 months of employment.(Certification Form Required.) Newly employed VA Firefighters must obtain IFSAC/Pro Board Fire Inspector I & II in accordance with NFPA 1031 within 24 months of employment. (Certification Form Required.) 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 applicant's age to determine if the Federal firefighter meets the maximum entry age. Driver's License Routine and assigned duties requires the operation of government vehicles, therefore a valid state driver's license is required. Applicant will be required to provide proof of their possession of a valid state driver's 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 6: Applicants must have One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) 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; and (5) controlling hazardous materials incidents. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: AgilityFire ManagementFirst ResponseInterpersonal Skills 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. Physical Effort/Work Environment: The Firefighter 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. This equipment must be worn when responding to and during all emergency calls (excluding ambulance) regardless of temperature. The firefighter 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. Working conditions will include heavy physical exertion, extreme heat, smoke and dust in enclosed smoke-filled places, in all types of weather. Applicants will be given a physical examination including a treadmill and agility test. Failure to pass these tests may be justification for disqualification. Periodic medical examinations following appointment may be required to determine fitness for continued performance of the duties of the position. 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.

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/.

Contacts

• Address Tomah VA Medical Center 500 East Veterans Street Tomah, WI 54660 US
• Name: Joseph Tourek
• Email: [email protected]