Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.
In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.
Specialized Experience: One year of experience which includes:
- Controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade;
- Detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards;
- Controlling hazardous materials incidents; and
- Developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention.
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone -- no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
Selective Placement Factor: This position has selective placement factor which must be met prior to employment and for continued employment. Your answers to the questions in this section will indicate your understanding of, or possession of, these requirements.
Maximum Entry Age (MEA)
- The MEA for Firefighters is 37. Applicants not appointed by the last day of the month in which that individual reaches their 37th birthday shall not be appointed or assigned to these positions.
Maximum Re-entry Age
- An employee who previously served on a covered position may be rehired past the MEA as long as he/she is able to complete 20 years of covered service by his/her mandatory retirement age. The maximum re-entry age for the individual is calculated by determining the total amount of time he/she has served on a covered position and subtracting that from age 57, if a firefighter. The employee's current age is compared to the calculated maximum re-entry age to determine if he/she can be rehired into the covered position.
Waivers to Maximum Entry Age
- MEA may be waived, but only under specific circumstances and only if approved by the authorized entity: Waivers to MEA for firefighters must be approved by local Command.
You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas: