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Public Safety Dispatcher

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Blue Ridge Parkway
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located in Blue Ridge Parkway, in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division.

Open to the first 100 applicants or until 03/07/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
02/21/2024 to 03/07/2024
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$39,576 to - $70,578 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5 - 8
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Buncombe County, NC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
8
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
SE-1630-BLRI-24-12322088-DE
Control number
777612300

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Duties

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The Communications Center provides primary telecommunications and logistical support for daily and emergency operations, law enforcement information gathering and dissemination, wildfire response and maintenance operations; is the 9-1-1 public emergency answering point; and serves as a primary contact for other federal and state agencies. The Center provides full services 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and 365 days per year.

This position is located in the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) within the Division Visitor and Resource Protection, Headquarters, Blue Ridge Parkway (BLRI) and answers directly to the Communications Center Manager. The ECC provides dispatch services for all public safety functions as well as primary telecommunications and logistical support for the Park's day-to-day and emergency operations (law enforcement, fire, EMS, search and rescue and maintenance). The ECC maintains on-site access (query and input) to NCIC/NLETS/DCI Law Enforcement Telecommunications systems.

The incumbent operates computerized dispatch consoles and related equipment in the course of serving as the primary point of contact for law enforcement, emergency medical, fire and search and rescue incidents. The employee must be proficient in the use of CAD, IMARS and a number of state and national public safety computer networks. The incumbent, if certified, may provide pre-arrival instructions using Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) protocols.

The incumbent routinely communicates and relays information with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies around the country to acquire or share law enforcement information. Relays and disseminates information for law enforcement officers, all park division staff, residents, visitors and business contacts.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) 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.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/07/2024-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). Specialized experience is experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Public Safety Dispatcher. This experience includes activities such as: Work involving participating in emergency services (i.e. emergency medical technician, law enforcement, structural/wildland fire, search and rescue (SAR), dispatching for emergency services); patrolling wilderness areas. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid NCIC certificate. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 4 years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. We will not solicit you for this information and you will NOT receive consideration if it is not submitted.

-OR-

Successful completion of a combination of specialized experience as described above and education as described above which total at least one year. For example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience) and 90 semester hours of college education (50% of the education) would qualify an applicant for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Note: If you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college 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). Specialized experience is experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Public Safety Dispatcher. Specialized experience includes at least two of the following (a) Serving as a certified operator of the National Criminal Information Network (NCIC) system (b) utilizing a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system; or (c) have served as a Public Safety Dispatcher; performing any of the following: Receiving and prioritizing both emergency and non-emergency calls for Police, Fire and EMS incidents. Coordinating the appropriate response to incidents; Querying and relaying wants, warrants, driver and vehicle information for law enforcement contacts and investigations. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid NCIC certificate.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 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-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Public Safety Dispatcher. Specialized experience includes at least two of the following (a) Serving as a certified operator of the National Criminal Information Network (NCIC) system (b) Utilizing a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system or (c) have served as a Public Safety Dispatcher; performing any of the following: Receiving and prioritizing both emergency and non-emergency calls for Police, Fire and EMS incidents. Coordinating the appropriate response to incidents; Querying and relaying wants, warrants, driver and vehicle information for law enforcement contacts and investigations. Notes inadequate shift and/or area coverage and reports it to the appropriate Supervisor. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid NCIC certificate.

To qualify for this position at the GS-08 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-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Public Safety Dispatcher. Specialized experience includes the following: Serving as a senior dispatcher serving in a complex dispatch environment of multiple units, jurisdictions, and/or agencies, provides training to lower-graded and/or new dispatchers and informs them on the proper procedures as required. Provides training to new employees, and/or assistance on problems encountered by lower-level dispatch personnel. Troubleshoots radio system issues. Provides technical guidance, orientation, and training to new employees or lower-level dispatchers. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid NCIC certificate.


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.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-6/7/8 grade level(s) of this announcement.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected the display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands: Incumbent must function efficiently in a confined space for extended periods with no breaks and no opportunity to leave the confines of the Communications Center. The dispatcher is considered an "essential employee," meaning he/she is required to work most holidays, report for duty during adverse weather conditions, and be expected to work for long hours exceeding normally scheduled shifts in case of emergencies. Position is sedentary with high amounts of stress. Incumbent is subject to shift work, rotating shift work, and uncommon tours of duty. Work requires use of the voice in vocal communications for periods of hours at a time. Voice must be clear, audible, and tone effective with words plainly spoken and understandable. Incumbent must be able to hear clearly and discern a variety of audible communications and signals simultaneously. Incumbent must be able to read critical information from multiple sources, including computer screen, fax, and written log quickly and accurately. The work is of an emergency nature and is emotionally stressful. Incumbent must possess manual dexterity sufficient to operate computer terminals/keyboards and related equipment and to maintain written logs. Work involves occasional lifting of boxes and supplies up to weights of 50 pounds.


Working Conditions: The work is normally performed in a well-lighted and temperature-controlled room. Noise levels are routinely high due to electronic equipment, telephones, radios, and other discussions ongoing in the performance of duties. The setting is typically confined and secure, and entrance and egress is controlled. During the training period and/or on other occasions, the incumbent will be assigned to accompany field law enforcement personnel in patrol vehicles to learn or gain a more detailed familiarization with agency field operating procedures and jurisdictional boundaries. Incumbent may not leave the center unless relieved by another qualified dispatcher.


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.

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.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Applies Technology to Tasks
  • Customer Service
  • Technical Competence


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a QTMATE. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

The occupational questionnaire assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

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