Clarification from the agency

Open to the Public (U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.); Also open to eligible PPP applicants.

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice, under this recruitment, applications will be accepted for each location and/or installation identified in this Public Notice and selections are made for vacancies as they occur. There may or may not be actual/projected vacancies at the time you submit your application.

This Public Notice is to gather applications which may or may not result in a referral or selection.

This position is being filled under DoD Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain DoD Personnel, P.L. 118-31, Sec 1250 B(i)(2), dated 12/22/2023.

Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

Incumbents typical work assignments may include the following:

• Drives and operates motorized firefighting equipment including 1250 GPM pumpers, tankers, rescue vehicles, and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicles, exercising thorough knowledge of equipment capabilities and Installation physical characteristics.
• Responds to the presence or potential release of hazardous materials, taking an aggressive approach in controlling the hazardous substance using specialized protective clothing and control equipment to plug, patch or otherwise stop the release.
• Responds to medical emergencies, performing initial and on-going patient assessment, determines priority of patient care, and takes, records, and monitors patients vital signs, injuries, while obtaining background medical history.
• Looks for life threatening and potentially hazardous violations and prepares reports of unsafe conditions, when found.
• In the absence of a lead firefighter, on approximately twenty-five percent of the shifts, performs the duties associated with that position.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/Home/Registration)
• Total salary varies depending on location of position
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• Must be determined suitable for federal employment
• Required to participate in the direct deposit program
• This position is subject to pre-employment and random drug testing
• Incumbent is required to work shifts that are 24 hours per day, 72 hours per week, 144 hours per pay period
• Incumbent is required to pass a pre-employment physical, as well as an annual physical
• Incumbent may be required to occasionally travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft (up to 5%)
• Incumbent must possess a valid State motor vehicle operator's license
• Incumbent must be able to obtain a government driver's license to operate government vehicles
• Incumbent must wear a uniform
• Incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain and SECRET security clearance
• This is a mission essential position: Incumbent is expected to respond to duty in cases of emergency or call back
• This position is covered by the firefighter or law enforcement retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C § 8336(c) and 5 U.S.C. § 8412(d)
• Incumbent must possess and maintain certification in CPR and AED
• Incumbent must possess Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and incumbent must obtain and maintain a PA Certification EMT or Paramedic, within (1) year of entry

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirements described below.

You may qualify at the GS-07 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (experience may have been gained in the private sector) that demonstrates your ability to:

1. Controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade;
2. Participating in rescue operations;
3. Detecting, reducing, or eliminating potential fire hazards;
4. Operating fire communications equipment;
5. Controlling hazardous materials incidents; and
6. Performing patient assessments, administering CPR, and utilizing an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED).

In addition to the meeting the specialized experience notated above, the following requirements must be met (**Certifications must be included with application):

• The selectee must currently possess and maintain ProBoard, IFSAC, or DoD-recognized certifications in the following:
  • Firefighter I
  • Firefighter II
  • HazMat Awareness
  • HazMat Operations
  • HazMat Technician
  • Driver/Operator-Pumper
• This position requires you to currently possess and to maintain the following certifications: CPR and AED.
• Selectee must currently possess EMT certification and must obtain and maintain Pennsylvania EMT or Paramedic certification within (1) year of entry into the position.

In addition, selectee must obtain and maintain required certifications within (2) years of entry into the position. Failure to meet or maintain these requirements may result in removal from federal service.

• Required Firefighter Certifications: The selectee must successfully obtain and maintain ProBoard, IFSAC, or DoD-approved certifications in the following areas:
  • Public Telecommunicator I
  • Public Telecommunicator II
  • Driver/Operator - Mobile Water Supply
  • Airport Firefighter
  • Driver/Operator - Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF)
  • Confined Space Rescue Awareness
  • Confined Space Rescue Operations

• Additional Required Training (Non-ProBoard/IFSAC/DoD)
  • Emergency Vehicle Operators Course (EVOC) - Must successfully complete and maintain EVOC certification through an approved provider. EVOC is required in addition to any driver/operator certifications listed above.

MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE: Employees hired for the first time ("originally hired") into GS-0081 positions must not exceed the established Maximum Entry Age (MEA) at the time of appointment. The MEA for Firefighters (FFs) is 37. An employee originally hired into a covered FF position must be hired by the last day of the month he/she reaches 37 unless a waiver from the Washington Headquarters Services is approved prior to appointment.

Firefighter Special Retirement Coverage (Primary/Rigorous): This position has been identified as a covered primary, rigorous position for special retirement coverage as identified in 5 CFR 831 Subpart I for CSRS Retirement coverage and 5 CFR 842 Subpart H for FERS retirement coverage. The individual hired is subject to Special Retirement provisions to include additional contributions to the retirement fund, mandatory separation/retirement at age 57 with 20 years of approved special retirement provisions service, options for early retirement at any age after 25 years of approved special retirement provisions service, or at age 50 with 20 years of approved special retirement provisions service.

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.

All qualifications and certification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.

Your resume may not exceed two (2) pages. For qualifications determinations, it is recommended that applicants include their months and hours worked per week for each employment listed on their resume. If a determination is not able to be made about the duration of your creditable experience for qualification requirements, you will be removed from consideration.

Read more about what should I include in my federal resume at https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include

ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS: Federal agencies treat active duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligible, when they submit, as part of their application package, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD-214, indicating the service member is otherwise eligible and will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of submission.. A "certification" letter should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and (2) the character of service. This "certification" must include your rank, dates of active duty service, type of discharge and character of service (i.e. honorable), and date any terminal leave will begin. It must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters. Active duty members that fail to provide a valid "certification" of service with their initial application will be found "not eligible". Members may be appointed before the effective date of their military retirement/separation if they are on terminal leave.

How you will be evaluated

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

Note: This position is being filled under the DoD Direct Hire Authority (DHA). As such, veterans' preference, competitive rating and ranking, and category rating procedures do not apply.

This position is being filled under the Department of Defense Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Certain Personnel of the DoD, which allows the agency to appoint any qualified candidate without regard to competitive rating and ranking procedures. Veterans' Preference does not apply, and rating and raking assessments are not utilize in evaluating applications. Selection will be made from among all applicants determined to meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

Applicants will be evaluated based on their experience, education, and training as reflected in their resume and supporting documentation, with emphasis on the following critical competencies:

• Emergency Communication
• Emergency Medical Care
• Fire Suppression
• Preventive Maintenance

Only applicants who meet the qualification requirements will be referred to the selection official for consideration.

DOD PPP candidates using Application-Based Procedures:

Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-3) to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician preference.

Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians Receiving Disability Retirement PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians receiving disability retirement PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-2) to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and National Guard Technician Disability preference.

Retained Grade PPP Eligible: Retained Grade PPP applicants, must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD-3145-1) to verify your eligibility for Retained Grade preference.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DOCUMENT IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORTS YOUR ELIGIBILITY AND QUALIFICATION CLAIMS. You MUST upload the applicable documents with your application package. 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. All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages showing all relevant experience. Your resume must address your technical qualifications for the position, and it may not exceed two (2) pages. Your 2-page (or less) resume must be in PDF format, with no smaller than a 1" margin and no smaller than a 10-point font. If you submit a resume that exceeds the two-page limit and/or does not meet the margin or font limitations stated herein, you will immediately be deemed ineligible for this position and will receive no further consideration.

If you submit more than one copy of your resume, only the most recent version will be reviewed. The latest timestamp will be used to determine which version of your resume is "most recent."

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 will not be considered for this vacancy.

2. Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade held. It is recommended you provide a SF-50 within the last 52 weeks before the closing date of this JOA for current federal employees. We will use the employment date and grade on your resume in conjunction with the provided SF-50 to help determine initial eligibility, but may require additional information to confirm at the job offer stage if needed.
• DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
• DoD Priority Placement Program applicant supporting documentation - See the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of this announcement
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
• Other Noncompetitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable

DOES THIS POSITION REQUIRE A LICENSE OR CERTIFICATE?
You are strongly encouraged to provide a copy of your license or certificate in your application package. It is also acceptable to document your license number and the name of the licensing authority in your resume.

ARE YOU A VETERAN CLAIMING SOLE SURVIVORSHIP PREFERENCE OR 5-POINT VETERANS' PREFERENCE?
1. You must provide legible copy/copies of the following: DD-214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," showing all dates of service, as well as type of discharge and character of service (Honorable, General, etc.) or Statement of Service/Proof of Service (in lieu of a DD-214) from your command or local Personnel Support Detachment (PSD). The Statement of Service/Proof of Service must provide all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.). Veterans should upload their DD-214 once they receive it upon separation.
2. You should also document your complete military service information in the Veterans Preference and Military Service Section of the assessment questionnaire (type of preference, dates of service, date of VA letter, character of service, disability claim and rank and date of retirement if retired).

ARE YOU A DISABLED VETERAN or CLAIMING 10-POINT VETERANS' PREFERENCE?
1. Disabled veterans, veterans, widows, spouses or the mother of a veteran, who are eligible for 10-point veterans' preference, you must provide legible copies of the following: Applicable supporting documents as noted on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). To obtain a copy of SF-15, go to: https://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans?

ARE YOU A CURRENT OR FORMER POLITICAL SCHEDULE A, SCHEDULE C, NON-CAREER SES OR PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE EMPLOYEE?
Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:

• Position title;
• Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee);
• Agency; and,
• Beginning and ending dates of appointment.

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