Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL)-Public Safety Dispatcher

Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority and is open to U.S. citizens and nationals who meet all eligibility requirements, including permanent and exclusive residency within the defined vicinity of the field unit as described in this announcement. Under this authority, veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking procedures do not apply.

As a Public Safety Dispatcher, you will perform the following duties:

• The incumbent performs emergency and non-emergency dispatch and call-taking services for public safety-related incidents and operations in an emergency communications center serving a large National Park.
• Monitors and tracks equipment and personnel such as law enforcement, structural fire, wildland fire, aviation, vessels, and search and rescue using a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) program.
• Operates a multi-frequency radio console and prioritizes radio traffic and related communications.
• Utilizes NCIC and other law enforcement databases and records management systems.
• Other duties include: records management, general public assistance, assistance to other park offices and partners, and projects as assigned in support of the Visitor and Resource Protection Division.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

AREA INFORMATION:The Great Smoky Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world, formed perhaps 200-300 million years ago and encompassing more than 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Dominated by plant covered, gently contoured mountains, the crest of the Great Smoky Mountains forms the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina, bisecting the Park from northeast to southwest in an unbroken chain that rises more than 5,000 feet for more than 36 miles. No other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match the Smokies amazing diversity of plants, animals, and invertebrates. GRSM is designated as an International Biosphere Reserve and is listed as a World Heritage Site.

At 522,427 acres, GRSM is one of the largest parks in the eastern United States. The Park contains 384 miles of roads; 930 miles of backcountry trails; 104 designated backcountry campsites; over 300 miles of boundary; 66 species of mammals; 200 species of birds; 39 species of reptiles, 43 species of amphibians; 68 species of fish; 730 miles of fishable streams; 342 structures, 97 of them historic; 10 auto campgrounds; and 3 major developed areas with concession operations. The park is in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and is surrounded by five counties and National Forest land. Duty station is near Gatlinburg, TN located within an hour drive of Knoxville. The area provides a wide range of residential communities, good schools, and recreational opportunities.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
• You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• Government housing may be available on a temporary basis and can be discussed during the interview process.
• You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 4 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain a current Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification within 1 year of appointment entry on duty.
• You must be able to obtain and maintain a current National Criminal Information Network (NCIC) certificate within 30 days of appointment entry on duty.
• You must have the ability to lift 50 lbs.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year of probationary during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

This probantionary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/14/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

GS-07 EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes at least two of the following: A) Serving as a certified operator of the National Criminal Information Network (NCIC) system; B) Serving as a certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher: C) Using a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system; AND having served as a Public Safety Dispatcher performing any of the following: Receiving and prioritizing both emergency and non-emergency calls for law enforcement, fire, and EMS incidents. Coordinating the appropriate response to emergency and non-emergency incidents and updating responders appropriately; Querying and relaying driver and vehicle information, person cautions, wants, and warrants for law enforcement contacts and investigations. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid NCIC certificate. You must include hours per week worked.

To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

GS-08 EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Serving as a senior dispatcher in a complex dispatch environment of multiple units, jurisdictions, and/or agencies, provides training and/or assistance to problems encountered by lower-level or newer dispatchers, and informs them on the proper policies and procedures as required. Provides technical guidance, orientation, and training to new employees or lower-level dispatchers. Troubleshoots radio and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system issues and notifies the appropriate personnel or Dispatch Supervisor of the issues. Must have NCIC/QUERY certification or obtain within 30 days/Obtain EMD certification within 1 year of entry on duty. You must include hours per week worked.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. The Servicing Human Resources Office will determine whether applicants meet the qualification and eligibility requirements described in this announcement. Applicants who meet these requirements may be referred to the selecting official on a certificate of eligibles for consideration.

You must certify that you will maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within the defined vicinity of the field unit(s) listed in this announcement.

Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed. Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed.

If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/14/2026:

1. Two Page Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly distinguish the job duties for each grade level and how long you were working in each grade level. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Proof of residence (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy). SF-50 cannot be accepted as proof of residence.
3. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP) consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they exceed minimal qualifications for this position (i.e. Resume supports substantial possession of stated competencies) for the position.
4. Current or prior federal employees who hold or have held a non-temporary appointment in the federal competitive or excepted service within the previous 52 weeks must submit official documentation (i.e. SF50s) proving they meet time-in-grade requirements to be eligible for the grade level of this announcement.

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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