Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. Category rating, veteran's preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do NOT apply for this vacancy.

• Drives firefighting vehicle to scene of fire following predetermined routes or selecting alternate routes when necessary.
• Operates pumps, foam generators, boom and ground sweep nozzles, and other similar equipment.
• Responds to accidents and other emergencies on and off depot involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening.
• Provides fire protection for buildings, shops, warehouses, ammunition storage areas, fuel storage areas, ground cover areas and a variety of other structural and related areas.
• Operates hose lines, ladders, hydrants, and performs or assists in rescue operations in the control and extinguishment of fires.
• Accomplishes routine station maintenance functions, i.e., house cleaning, etc.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires the completion of pre-employment and periodic subsequent medical examination in accordance with DoDM 6055.06 to ensure continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position.
• This position has a requirement to lift up to 50 lbs. in the regular performance of duties.
• The duties of this position meet the criteria for compliance with Federal and Department of the Army Drug Free Workplace Programs. Detection of the presence of drugs is warranted.
• This position is covered by the civilian drug abuse testing program. The incumbent of this position must sign DA Form 5019-R as a condition of employment and shall be subject to periodic and random urinalysis drug testing as required by AR 600-85.
• This position has been designated Mission Essential. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations.
• This position requires the employee to use personal protective equipment provided by the employer.
• This position requires the incumbent to wear the prescribed uniform and/or personal protective equipment while on duty.
• This position requires shift work to provide coverage on evenings, weekends, holidays, or special situations. Employee shifts are rotated on a regularly scheduled basis; 48-hour rotating shifts with a work schedule of 144 hours per pay period.
• Due to the nature of this position, employees are required to work both planned and unscheduled overtime. This position performs, as required, mutual aid support to local fire departments.
• The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions to operate vehicles.
• This position requires successful completion of an annual Job Performance Test.
• This position requires the incumbent to conform to the requirements set-forth in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1500, Fire Department Occupational Health and Safety Program.
• This position requires participation in a cardiovascular physical fitness program.
• Appointment to this position is subject to a one-year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirements as described in 5 CFR Part 315. While probationary the incumbent can be terminated with limited appeal rights.
• Within the first year of occupying the GS-0081-04 position and prior to promotion to the GS-05, The incumbent must obtain and maintain Firefighter I and II Certification.
• Within the first year of occupying the GS-0081-05 position and prior to promotion to the GS-06, The incumbent must obtain and maintain HAZMAT Operations, and Emergency Medical Technician.
• Within the first year of occupying the GS-0081-06 position and prior to promotion to GS-07, incumbent must obtain and maintain HAZMAT Technician, and Driver Operator - Pumper.
• Within the first year of occupying the GS-0081--07, incumbent must obtain and maintain Driver Operator-Aerial, Driver Operator - Mobile Water Supply, Driver Operator - Aircraft Rescue and Firefighter, and Airport Firefighter.
• Within the first year of occupying the GS-0081--07, incumbent must obtain and maintain DoD Wildland Firefighter I, DoD Wildland Firefighter II, and National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Wildland Firefighter Type II Red Card Certification.

Qualifications

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT CONTINUES:

• Occasional Travel required (not more than 5%).
• Incumbent must successfully complete an annual emergency vehicle operator's course.
• Incumbent is subject to a 24-hour Recall.
• This position is an Inclement Weather Essential position.

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or 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 at the GS-04 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: Following detailed instructions to assist with basic firefighter duties, such as using and/or maintaining basic firefighter equipment. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-03).

Qualifying Education Substitution for experience at the GS-04 level only: Successful completion of a 2-year course of study in an accredited college or university in Fire Training, Fire Science, or other related fields of study.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education by 60. Add the two percentages.

No Certifications required to qualify at the GS-04 level.

Specialized experience at the GS-05 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Utilizing and maintaining firefighting equipment; AND 2) Participating in firefighting and rescue situations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-04).

Qualifying Education Substitution for experience at the GS-05-level only: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study in an accredited College or University with a major study in Fire Science, Fire Training, or other related fields of study.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education by 120. Add the two percentages.

Certifications required to qualify at the GS-05 level: Firefighter I and II

Specialized experience at the GS-06 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Performing standard firefighting techniques; 2) Responding to basic hazardous materials incidents; AND 3) Applying basic first aid. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

Certifications required to qualify at the GS-06 level: Firefighter I and II, Emergency Medical Technician, and Hazardous Material Operations.

Specialized experience at the GS-07 level: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Performing structural firefighting duties, including controlling and extinguishing fires; 2) Providing emergency medical services; and 3) Responding to and mitigating hazardous materials incidents. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06).

Certifications required to qualify at the GS-07 level: Firefighter I and II, Hazardous Material Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, and Driver Operator - Pumper.

For the GS-06 and 07 level positions 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.

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.

Proof of Age: As this is a Firefighter (Basic Life Support) position, your application package MUST include a government issued document indicating your date of birth. Failure to submit this document will result in your application being marked as incomplete and you WILL NOT receive further consideration for this position. (NOTE: Must upload a copy of Driver's Licenses to your application package)

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

• Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

2. DoD Certificates and NREMT License :

• For the GS-04 level: No certification required

• For the GS-05 level: You MUST submit a copy of the following: Firefighter I and II certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board).
• For the GS-06 level: You MUST submit a copy of the following: Firefighter I and II, Emergency Medical Technician, and Hazardous Material Operations certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board).
• For the GS-07 level: Firefighter I and II, Hazardous Material Technician, Emergency Medical Technician, and Driver Operator - Pumper certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board).
• If your application package does not contain proof of having these certificates, your application will be marked as incomplete, and you WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
• Rather than submitting individual DoD certificates, if you have received a Student ID# for the DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification Program website (https://go.usa.gov/xdsTR) you may provide a copy of your most recent certification transcript. If you do not know your Student ID, you may contact the AFCEC Reach-back Center at afcec.rbc@us.af.mil for assistance. Rather than submitting your EMT License, you may print proof of your current EMT License with NREMT from their website (https://www.nremt.org).
• If you are a current federal employee and do not have one of the required certificates due to the DoD F&ES Certification Program delay - You may submit a provisional certificate, memorandum from the Fire Chief requesting the certificates, and/or another document showing completion of the course. PLEASE NOTE: If selected, you will not be placed into the position until the official certificate has been received from the DoD F&ES Certificate Program.

3. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
• This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
• Proof of Age: MUST include a government issued document indicating your date of birth.

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Next steps