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.
• Responds to accidents and other emergencies on and off depot involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening.
• Operates hose lines, ladders, hydrants, and performs or assists in rescue operations in the control and extinguishment of fires.
• 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.
• Performs invasive airway procedures that may include needle or surgical cricothyrotomy, pleural decompression, nasal intubation, and application of continuous position airway pressure (CPAP).

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 subject to a pre-employment screening, and random testing thereafter, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident.
• 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.
• In accordance with AR 690-11, this position has been designated as "Key" and shall not be vacated during a national emergency or mobilization as doing so would seriously impair the capability of the organization to function effectively.
• As a "Key" position, the incumbent must be exempted from recall to active duty and will receive training to ensure mission accomplishment of sustaining base operations during mobilization.
• 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 has a mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination requirement and is subject to annual vaccination.
• 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.

Qualifications

Conditions of Employment Continued:

• 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 position may require the incumbent to travel by air and/or ground.

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 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.

Specialized Experience at the GS-08 Level: 1) Rendering first aid life saving measures by performing cardiac resuscitations, external defibrillation, or controlling hemorrhaging ; 2) Operating emergency communications equipment; and 3) Responding to medical emergencies or rescue operations.

Certifications Required to Qualify at the GS-08 Level: Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Certification

Specialized Experience at the GS-09 Level: 1) Operating emergency vehicles under adverse weather or traffic conditions; 2) Assessing patients condition to determine appropriate treatment; 3) Responding to medical emergencies or rescue operations.

Certifications Required to Qualify at the GS-09 Level: Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Certification, Driver Operator-Pumper, Firefighter I and II, and HAZMAT Technician

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 (Paramedic) 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-08 Level: Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Certification
• For the GS-09 Level: Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic Certification, Driver Operator-Pumper, Firefighter I and II, and HAZMAT Technician certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board) AND a National Registry EMT License.
• If your application package does not contain proof of having these certificates and license, 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
• 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