***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

The Supervisor Firefighter (Basic Life Support) - Deputy Fire Chief provides leadership and operational oversight for fire protection, emergency medical services (Basic Life Support), hazardous materials response, confined space rescue, vehicle and elevator extrication, and other emergency services at the VA Black Hills Health Care System (VHABHHCS). Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Coordinating all emergency responses across both sites, maintaining command during incidents, and deploying specialized equipment like the Rescue Truck and Haz-Mat Trailer.
• Maintaining readiness for all responses and assuming full command in the absence of the Fire Chief.
• Overseeing daily fire safety operations and conducting quarterly ward, station, and interim drills to ensure preparedness.
• Scheduling and delivering fire/safety training for staff, tenants, and patients, including Hospital Decontamination Team instruction, while reviewing internal controls.
• Assisting in developing, implementing, and enforcing departmental policies, SOPs, and organizational initiatives to improve fire and EMS operations.
• Ensuring compliance with VHA Directive 7718, NFPA, TJC, OSHA, and VA standards, reporting unresolved issues to the Fire Chief.
• Supporting EMS program coordination, supervising operations, and implementing protocols and procedures.
• Ensuring medical supplies and equipment are fully stocked, serviceable, and promptly replaced when damaged or depleted.
• Supervising GS-09 Supervisory Firefighters and their teams, evaluating performance, approving step increases, and recommending awards or disciplinary actions.
• Providing leadership, mentorship, and counseling to staff, addressing conduct issues, and communicating feedback to the Fire Chief.
• Developing and managing monthly schedules, ensuring equitable duty assignments, mandatory coverage, and adapting staffing for emergencies.
• Approving leave, overtime, and shift trades while tracking timekeeping and annual leave usage.
• Ensuring firefighting and EMS equipment remains operational through maintenance, replacement, and supply management.
• Coordinating procurement and replacement of damaged or depleted equipment and supplies to maintain readiness.
• Preparing and maintaining reports on fire protection, prevention, suppression activities, inspections, and regulatory compliance.
• Documenting incidents including dollar-loss events, mutual aid, hazardous materials, patient searches, and code violations.
• Coordinating emergency response, patient safety, and procedural matters with internal departments and external agencies.
• Maintaining professional relationships with unions, neighboring fire departments, and VA officials, representing the department when the Fire Chief is unavailable

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. with one 24-hour shift
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Supervisory Firefighter (Basic Life Support) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met.

• Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that demonstrated the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Such duties may include: (1) controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; (2) rescue operations; (3) detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; (4) operation of fire communications equipment; (5) controlling hazardous materials incidents and/or (6) developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.)

AND

To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter, applicants must have obtained the following certifications as required by VHA Directive 7718 dated June 19, 2020 prior to the closing of the announcement.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. (NOTE: COPIES OF YOUR CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE CLOSING DATE TO RECEIVE CREDIT.) The Selective Placement Factors for this position are:

• Certification as Firefighter II in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 ~AND~
• Certification as Hazardous Materials Operations Level Responders in accordance with Chapter 5, Core Competencies of, in NFPA 472 ~AND~
• Certification as Driver/Operator pumper in accordance with NFPA 1002 ~AND~
• Certification as Fire Officer II in accordance with NFPA 1021 ~AND~
• Certification as Fire Inspector II in accordance with NFPA 1031 ~AND~
• Emergency Medical Technician certification in the state in which the VA fire department is located (i.e., South Dakota) or the National Registry certification ~AND~
• Certification as Hazardous Materials Incident Commander in accordance with NFPA 472 ~AND~
• Certification as Fire and Emergency Services Instructor II in accordance with NFPA 1041

AND

DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess and maintain a current valid Driver's License from a State. (NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued driver's license.)

AND

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

AND

MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a maximum entry age for an initial appointment; applicants cannot have reached their 37th birthday by the date of appointment. Applicants who have passed the designated entry age limit, but who have previously served as a Federal employee in a covered position, may be eligible to re-enter the fire service provided that they: (1) meet all applicable qualifications for the position and (2) will be able to complete a total of 20 years of covered and creditable Federal firefighter service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57. Prior service in covered positions and creditable towards retirement may be subtracted from the applicant's age to determine if the Federal firefighter meets the maximum entry age.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Fire Management
• Industrial Equipment Operation
• Managing Human Resources
• Patient Care

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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.

Physical Requirements: Prior to employment and annually thereafter, all firefighters (GS-0081) must be certified by a qualified physician as meeting (a) and (b) and (c) and (d):(a) Medical and physical requirements for performing their assigned duties;(b) Requirements of NFPA 1582;(c) Requirements of NFPA 1583; and,(d) Requirements of NFPA 1500, Chapter 10.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

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

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable 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).

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation, i.e., Letter of Intent, related to your active-duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must refer to the SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" and submit required documents as applicable and stated on the form. Documentation is mandatory to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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