Clarification from the agency

All United States Citizens, Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)

GS-05 Public Safety Dispatcher

• Performs dispatch and call-taking services for public safety incidents; receives and evaluates emergency calls, determines priority, and initiates responses under supervisory guidance.
• Provides clerical and administrative support in the Communications Center, including data entry, records management, inventories, and maintenance of contact listings.
• Operates multi-frequency radio consoles; coordinates radio traffic, broadcasts advisories, records transmissions, and troubleshoots basic radio issues.
• Supports law enforcement activities by relaying warrants, driver/vehicle status, and officer safety information, monitors coverage and reports gaps to supervisors.
• Serves as a certified operator of National Criminal Information Network, National Law Enforcements Communications System, and state criminal information networks; ensures proper dissemination of sensitive information.
• May perform additional duties such as monitoring alarms, assisting investigations with background searches, and processing incident reports or violation notices.

GS-06 Public Safety Dispatcher

• Performs dispatch and call-taking services for public safety incidents; uses precise questioning techniques to evaluate calls, independently prioritizes responses, and coordinates personnel and apparatus in complex environments.
• Provides law enforcement and emergency medical dispatch support; relays investigative data, prepares arrest/court documents, and maintains Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification to deliver life-saving instructions until responders arrive.
• Operates complex multi-frequency radio systems with several hundred users; prioritizes traffic, broadcasts advisories, and manages communications without supervisory intervention.
• Serves as a certified operator of National Criminal Information Network, National Law Enforcements Communications System, and state criminal information networks; identifies and corrects problems affecting law enforcement teletype message delivery.
• Performs expanded records and investigation duties, including processing incident reports, violation notices, and criminal incident reporting systems; assists law enforcement investigations more deeply.
• Interprets, adapts, or develops procedures when established guidelines do not fit, demonstrating independence and judgment in problem-solving.

Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship required
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
• Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program
• Drug Testing: You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. This position is also subject to random testing for illegal drug use
• Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided
• Work Schedule: You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work
• Travel: You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training & obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority
• Minimum Age Requirement: Applicants must be at least 18 years old or at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program
• Probationary Period: Selected candidates must complete a 1-year probationary period. During this time, the agency will evaluate your performance, conduct, and overall alignment with organizational goals and mission. This period serves as an extension of the appointment process and helps determine whether continued employment serves the public interest and promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Key factors considered during the probationary period include:
  • Job performance and professional conduct
  • Agency needs and priorities
  • Contribution to organizational and governmental goals
  • Overall impact on service efficiency
• Employment will automatically terminate at the end of the probationary period unless the agency affirmatively certifies in writing that the employee's appointment should be finalized. Without this certification, the appointment will not continue

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/30/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: working as a dispatcher in person, by telephone, or by radio, operating a telephone switchboard, operating a radio base station, working an information desk that involved in-person, and either telephone or radio contacts, working as a receptionist or other comparable administrative position that involved similar contacts. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least years of education above high school at an accredited institution. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. (Note: Only education more than the first 60 semester hours (beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study {30 semester hours} beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.) For example, 6 months of specialized experience as described above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years of college study as described above (50% of the education requirement). The total must equal 100%. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: providing communications support using radios, telephones, frequency monitors, computer networks, etc. to coordinate emergency units such as law enforcement, fire, etc. during complex and emergency operations; operate and search Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) or similar state/national data; and utilize caller control and interrogation techniques to take emergency/911 calls and determine the appropriate response. You must include hours per week worked.

Volunteer Experience: 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 can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

ICTAP/CTAP - Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

• Database Management Systems
• Operating Systems
• Oral Communication
• Public Safety and Security

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/30/2025:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
   • Veterans Preference Documentation:
     • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
     • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
     • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
4. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
5. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

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