Clarification from the agency

VEOA eligibles (i.e., preference eligible veterans or veterans who have been separated under honorable conditions from the armed forces after 3 or more years of continuous active service) may compete under this merit promotion announcement. Current permanent Veterans Canteen Service employees may apply for consideration under this vacancy announcement.

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The main purpose of the VA Fire Department is to provide 24-hour fire suppression, protection service to the Black Hills VA Health Care System (BHHCS) in both Hot Springs and Fort Meade, South Dakota. VA fire departments also respond to mutual aid requests from fire departments with which they have an agreement in place. Because the VA fire department typically constitutes the single largest, mobile force on duty during non-administrative hours, it also serves as the Emergency Response Unit for the VA medical facility.

In addition to fire suppression duties, VA fire department personnel perform fire safety and fire protection related functions, as well as operate an on-campus emergency patient transport ambulance service, performing basic life support EMT services and noninvasive emergency procedures including, but not limited to, managing respiratory and cardiac emergencies by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), bag-valve-mask resuscitation, or automatic external defibrillation (AED); controlling external bleeding with wound packing and tourniquet application or direct pressure; treating shock with pneumatic anti-shock garments; splinting and immobilizing fractures and dislocations for transport; assisting patients in taking emergency medications such as Nitroglycerin tablets, Epinephrine auto-injections, or Albuterol inhalers; employing a variety of established emergency medical techniques, methods, and equipment to stabilize the patient for transport; and assisting intermediate life support and/or paramedic staff.

The Supervisory Structural Firefighter Captain leads a crew of four firefighters/driver operators in all firefighting activities. He/she responds to all on station and mutual aid alarms, supervising and performing such firefighter duties as determining the nature and extent of the fire, the appropriate action required, laying and connecting hoses, directing fire streams, operating firefighting equipment, ventilating burning buildings, performing evacuations and rescues, administering appropriate emergency treatments, etc.

Day to day duties include supervising and participating in practice drills and training classes for his/her assigned crew; supervising his/her crew in fire protection inspection functions; assigning crew members to station maintenance work such as cleaning equipment; preparing reports concerning fire runs, medical calls, training, inspection and other topics, and supervising and directing all firefighting activities at the scene of a fire in the absence of the Fire Chief.

As supervisor, the incumbent is responsible for planning work to be be accomplished by subordinates and preparing schedules for completion of work; assigning work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments and the capabilities of employees; evaluating work performance of subordinates; hearing and resolving complaints from employees, referring group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints to higher-level supervisor; identifying training needs of department personnel, making arrangements for needed development and training; continuously monitoring and improving production and increasing the quality of work directed.

Physical Demands: The work requires, on a regular and recurring basis, considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as frequent climbing of multiple flights of stairs, running, lifting heavy objects over 50 pounds, crouching or crawling in restrictive areas. Fire protection equipment must be worn or carried. The wearing of this equipment significantly amplifies the physical strain experience by the employee during physical exertion or during periods of hot weather.

Work Environment: The work is performed both in and out of doors, with exposure to the elements. The environment regularly involves high risks with exposure to potentially dangerous situations or unusual environmental stress that require a range of safety and other precautions. Work is regularly performed in areas of extremely rough terrain with wide variations in climatic conditions. The incumbent must maintain emotional control when conducting fire operations or basic lifesaving procedures. The incumbent must exercise patience and understanding when confronted by emotionally disturbed, physically challenged, injured, or ill persons.

Work Schedule: Incumbent works a 56 hour work week (24 hours on - 48 hours off) on a rotating basis to include weekends and holidays. The incumbent will be regularly required to work both scheduled and no-notice periods of overtime.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Firefighter/PD20347A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit Status:This position is not covered by a bargaining unit.

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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel
• Applicants must maintain a valid state driver's license.
• Selected applicants will participate in ongoing training, education, and professional development programs in accordance with applicable NFPA standards to support the minimum qualifications and certifications expected of VA fire department personnel.
• All fire department personnel must be trained in the care, use, inspection, maintenance, and limitations of the protective clothing and protective equipment that they are expected to use.
• Fire department personnel must meet the infection prevention and control training requirements as outlined in NFPA 1581.
• Members expected to perform hazardous materials mitigation activities must meet the training requirements of operations/technician level as outlined in NFPA 472 and in accordance with OSHA 1910.120(q).
• Selected applicants will be required to obtain National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) within 18 months of employment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/14/2022.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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 fire service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57.

Selective Placement Factor (Screen Out): A Selective Placement Factor (SPF) has been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. To be eligible for employment as a VA Supervisory 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:

• Certification as Operations Level Responders in accordance with Chapter 5, Core Competencies of NFPA 472.
• Certification as Fire Officer I and II in accordance with NFPA 1021.
• Certification as Fire Inspector II in accordance with NFPA 1031.

Note: Only accredited certifications that meet the training standards of the NFPA will be accepted. You are not required to submit proof of certification at the time of application; however, you will be asked to self-certify you meet certification requirements as part of the application questionnaire. Applicants who are found at least minimally qualified will be required to submit copies of all applicable certifications for review by a panel of subject matter experts. A summary report of certifications will not be accepted. A copy of each individual certificate must be reviewed. Applicants who fail to submit their certificates will not be referred to the hiring manager for selection.

Specialized Experience Requirement: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Combatting fires and rescuing personnel in a hospital or other medical complex that houses a large number of people whose physical or mental condition severely limits their ability to protect themselves in the event of a fire; performing confined space rescue; reacting to releases or potential releases of hazardous material as part of the initial response to the site to protect nearby persons, property, or the environment from the effects of a release; driving and operating firefighting apparatus of significant complexity such as pumpers, aerial ladder trucks, and wild land firefighting trucks; independently performing day-to-day inspection duties, detecting and determining proper corrective action for moderately complex hazards, and writing complex and accurate inspection reports; participating in preliminary investigations into causes of fires by inspecting damaged areas and interviewing witnesses; following protocols for basic life support (beyond first responder duties and responsibilities) in order to assess and monitor patients, determine priority of patient care, manage respiratory and cardiac emergencies, splinting and immobilizing fractures and dislocations, assisting patients in taking emergency medications, stabilize patients for transport and assist intermediate life support or paramedic staff as needed. Creditable experience must also include proficiency or the potential to develop proficiency in directing firefighter activities, working from specific orders from higher level supervisors; directing practice drills and training classes for less experiences firefighters; directing or training others in fire protections inspection functions; preparing reports for higher level supervisors concerning fire runs, training, inspection, or other topics; and taking charge of all firefighting activities at the scene of a fire.

Applicants who meet the above requirements will be referred for further review and will be rated on the following competencies for this position:

• Emergency Care
• Fire Management
• First Response
• Managing Human Resources
• Technical Competence

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.

Medical and Physical Requirements:

Prior to employment and annually thereafter, all VA firefighters (GS-0081) must be certified by a qualified physician as meeting the following:

• Medical and physical requirements for performing their assigned duties;
• Requirements of NFPA 1582;
• Requirements of NFPA 1583; and
• 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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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.