Clarification from the agency

This job is open to: Status Candidates; DRRA Eligibles; Former Overseas Employees; CTAP; ICTAP; VRA; VEOA; 30% or More Disabled veterans; Schedule A; Military Spouses; Peace Corps; AmeriCorps; Vista; Land/Base Management; Boren Awardees; and Interchange Agreement Eligibles.

All MWEOC staff have emergency assignments and are considered deployed in place. Exercises and activations are planned and unplanned, and may require long hours, nights, weekends and holidays.

All MWEOC employees are: (1) required to use a government-issued electronic device (to include cellular phones); (2) subject to recall during emergency situations; and (3) required to perform work in locations both above and below ground.

What will I do in this position if hired?

In this position, you will serve as a Firefighter (BLS/Hazmat Tech) responsible providing a full range of fire protection and prevention support activities to the Mount Weather Emergency Operation Center (MWEOC). Typical assignments include:

• Using, operating and maintaining firefighting trucks and equipment (lines, hand tools, pumps, nozzles, foam generators).
• Operating emergency equipment to control and extinguish hazardous fire situations in a variety of structures.
• Performing BLS assessment and treatment of patients.
• Providing emergency duties responding to HazMat, technical rescue, aviation and other related incidents.

NOTE: The salary range indicated in the announcement is for the basic GS pay scale and is not reflective of special firefighter pay for the applicable tour of duty.

What else do I need to know?

At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

Promotion Potential: Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

Conditions of employment

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for a Top Secret clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Key Requirements:

1. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
2. You must successfully pass a background investigation.
3. Selective Service registration required.
4. Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
5. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
6. You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time.
7. Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.

Firefighter certification requirements after 12 months and/or 24 months of appointment. (The below are required certifications in order to be able to promote within the career ladder series.)

• For the GS-6: Candidates must be able to obtain a Driver/Operator Pumper certification within 12 months of appointment if they do not already possess this certification.
• For the GS-7: Candidates must be able to obtain a Driver/Operator Pumper and National Registry EMT certification within 12 months of appointment if they do not already possess this certification.
• For the GS-8: Candidates must be able to obtain a National Registry EMT certification within 12 months of appointment if they do not already possess this certification.
• For the GS-8: Candidates must be able to obtain a Fire Inspector I, Hazardous Materials Technician and Confined Space Rescue certification within 24 months of appointment if they do not already possess this certification.

Qualifications

Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:

• Responding to rescue and fire emergencies for an emergency response unit OR;
• Using firefighter and rescue emergency equipment and/or vehicles OR;
• Working with a team and providing CPR/AED services within established protocols.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:

• Controlling and extinguishing fires for a variety of structures OR;
• Using and maintaining firefighter and EMS equipment and vehicles OR;
• Working with a team and providing EMS services within established protocols.

To qualify for this position at the GS-08 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:

• Controlling and extinguishing fires in difficult and dangerous situations for a variety of response settings OR;
• Ensuring firefighting, rescue and EMS equipment and vehicles are operational and ready for use OR;
• Taking immediate action to rescue trapped or injured persons and rendering treatment.

AND

In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must currently possess the following certification(s) to be considered qualified for the position. You must upload a copy of your Firefighter transcript(s) or each certificate at time of your application. Failure to upload your transcript(s) or each certificate will result in the applicant being removed from consideration. Firefighter certification required to upload for the GS-6:

• Fire Fighter I
• Fire Fighter II
• Hazardous Materials Awareness
• Hazardous Materials Operations
• CPR/AED
• Valid State Driver's License

Firefighter certification required to upload for the GS-7:

• Firefighter I
• Firefighter II
• Hazardous Materials Awareness
• Hazardous Materials Operations
• Current State or National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (Basic, Advanced, or Paramedic)
• Valid State Driver's License

Firefighter certification required to upload for the GS-8:

• Firefighter I
• Firefighter II
• Hazardous Materials Awareness
• Hazardous Materials Operations
• Current State or National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (Basic, or Paramedic)
• Driver/Operator Pumper

This is a primary firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) and 8412 (d). Appointees to positions covered under these provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of initial appointment. Applicants over age 37 with previous firefighter experience under CSRS/FERS, may have their previous firefighter experience credited to determine if age requirement met.

Special Retirement Provisions for Primary/Rigorous Firefighter: This position has been designated as eligible for FERS special retirement coverage per 5 CFR 842.801(a)(l), 5 CFR 842.803(a)(l) covered by 5 USC 8412(d) or CSRS special retirement coverage per 5 CFR 831.903(a) covered by 5 USC 8336(c).

Please read the following important information to ensure we have everything we need to consider your application:

• Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

• Please limit your resume to two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• Your resume serves as the basis for experience related qualification determinations, and you must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable), as it relates to this job opportunity. Please use your own words, be clear, and specific when describing your work history. We cannot make assumptions regarding your experience.

Are you qualifying based on your work experience?

• Qualifications are based on your ability to demonstrate in your resume that you possess one year of the specialized experience for this announcement at a comparable scope and responsibility. To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder. If you choose to use your own resume, it must contain the following information organized by experience/position: (1) job title, (2) name of employer, (3) start and end dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY), (4) detailed description of duties performed, accomplishments, and related skills, and (5) hours worked per week (part-time employment will be prorated in crediting experience). Federal experience/positions must also include the occupational series, grade level, and dates in which you held each grade level.

• Are you a current or former FEMA Reservist/DAE employee? To accurately credit your experience from intermittent positions and Reservist Deployments, you must list the dates (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) of deployments that are relevant to your qualifying experience, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.

• Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information. Failure to provide the above information in your resume may result in your application being found "not qualified."

• 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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

• For additional information on crediting experience and/or education, please reference the OPM General Schedule Qualification Standards

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the basic qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using a Subject Matter Expert - Structured Resume Review that is based on the following competencies needed to perform this job:

1. Communication
2. Customer Service
3. Representing the Agency
4. Teamwork & Collaboration
5. Technical Proficiency

Human Resources Specialists and Subject Matter Experts will review your two-page resume (starting with your work experience) to determine your qualifications for the position based on the required competencies and specialized experience statements. In describing your experience, be clear and specific and include start and end dates for each position. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience.
Based on the review of your resume for the specialized experience required for this position, you may be referred to hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and, 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility (see "Required Documents" section of this announcement). Well-Qualified is defined as those applicants who are rated with a minimum score of 85.00 for this position.

Do not include photos, personally identifying information (PII) (including birthday and social security numbers), or personal information such as age, sex, medical history, etc. Resumes that include any of this information will be disqualified.

You must provide the following supporting documentation for your application package, including:

• Resume. Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• Responses to the job questionnaire. You will be directed to the online job questionnaire during the application.
• Are you a current or former federal employee? Upload documentation that supports your eligibility. Award SF-50's do not include all the required information and will not be accepted.
  • Are you eligible for appointment based on current or previous competitive status eligibility? We need to verify your competitive status eligibility and qualifications at the next lower level. You may need to upload multiple SF-50's, one that shows your competitive eligibility and another for time in grade:
    • Competitive Eligibility: Submit an SF-50 that demonstrates your current or previous appointment to a permanent or conditional competitive service position, including your current or highest grade level, career or career conditional tenure and status in the competitive service, or proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. We recommend submitting your last promotion SF-50, current SF-50, or within-grade increase SF-50.
    • Time in grade: If you are applying for a higher grade, you may need to provide an additional SF-50. We recommend submitting a promotion with an effective date more than one year (1) year old or Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held.
  • Are you a current or former FEMA Stafford Act employee who is eligible for appointment based on the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA)? You may be eligible if you have served as a FEMA Stafford Act employee for three or more years since August 1, 2014, without a break in service. Upload the following documents (you may be found ineligible if both documents are not uploaded):
    • DRRA Eligibility: Submit a copy of your "Notice of DRRA Eligibility" provided by OCHCO. If you believe that you may be eligible, but have not received your notice, please reach out to the HR Specialist listed in the announcement.
    • Reservist Stafford Act Employees will be required to submit a copy of their most recent SF-50 as well as a copy of the "DRRA Notice of Eligibility" issued by FEMA. Applicants who believe they are eligible, but have not received a "Notice of Eligibility," should contact the FEMA representative listed in the "Agency contact information" section of this announcement.
    • Experience at the next lower level: Submit a copy of your most recent (or highest grade) SF-50. We recommend submitting a promotion with an effective date more than one year (1) year old or Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held.
• Are you eligible for appointment under a non-competitive hiring authority, such as Schedule A, eligible veterans, certain military spouses, etc.? Upload supporting documentation specific to the non-competitive hiring authority. Please do not include any personal medical history. For additional information please visit:
  1. OPM: Documentation of Schedule A (Individuals with Disabilities)
  2. FedsHireVets: Veteran and Military Spouse Hiring
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? Upload the following:
  • Agency Notice
  • Most recent performance rating, and
  • Most recent SF-50, with your current position, grade level and duty location.

Other Supporting Documentation (submit if applicable to you)

• Are you a veteran? Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service-connected disability. If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. Certifications must be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service (e.g. honorable, dishonorable, general etc.). View more veterans' information.
• Are you a Boren Awardee? Submit a copy of your National Security Education Program (NSEP) certification letter. You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and or incentive awards.

Next steps