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

The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs all duties of a Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician, which includes: responds to accidents and other emergencies involving injury, illness, life threatening situations; patient triage and take/record patient vital signs; conducts complete assessment of patient's condition, obtains patient history; makes independent preliminary patient assessments and if and how the patient can be moved and to which facility to transport patient to; administers Basic and Advanced Life Support Care, responds to and monitors cardiac and defibrillation; provides fluid resuscitation by intravenous therapy (IV) and manages trauma injuries, bleeding, and post-traumatic shock;
• Operates various emergency vehicles and emergency/medical equipment, tools, and supplies which may include ambulance, extrication tools, blood pressure cuff, cardiac monitor, glucose monitor, defibrillator, endotracheal tube, external pacing device, 12 lead electrocardiogram (EKG) airway equipment, intravenous pump, oxygen terminal, pulse oximetry monitor, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), auto-ventilator, medical supplies, radio communications equipment;
• Ambulance Interpretive Guidelines involve: Airway Obstruction and Respiratory Arrest; Cardiac Arrest; Mechanical Breathing Aids; Bleeding and Shock; Fractures of Torso and Extremities; Head, Face, Neck, and Spine Injuries; Eye, Chest, Abdomen, and Genitalia; Childbirth; Miscellaneous Medical Emergencies; Environmental Emergencies;
• Operates emergency transport vehicles, uses telephone and radio communications equipment and systems, selects most efficient route to and from sites taking into consideration traffic patterns, adverse weather conditions, and health facility locations. Reads highway maps, program Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, and follows instructions;
• Decontaminates the vehicle and ensures vehicle is ready for the next run by replacing supplies and medical equipment and performs safety inspections and operator maintenance; and,
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Preferred Experience at application:

• Current and valid National Registered Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic) certification
• Current and valid Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification
• Current and valid Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification

Designated Drug-Testing Position: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Flex. Paramedics work rotating shifts, including holidays, and are subject to occasional recall to maintain adequate coverage of the Emergency Department and ambulance service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mandatory overtime may be required due to run times that may extend beyond normal scheduled work hours.

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
• 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 Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

English Language Proficiency Requirement: 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 perform the duties of this position.

~AND~

Selective Placement Factor (SCREEN-OUT) - FOUR Selective Placement Factors (SPF) (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job) have been identified for these positions. 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.

The Selective Placement Factors for the positions are:

1. Must possess a current and valid state issued license/certification for eligibility for employment (Paramedic). (COPY OF CERTIFICATION REQUIRED to receive credit for further consideration).
2. Must possess and maintain a current and valid Basic Life Support Provider (BLS) Certification. (COPY OF CERTIFICATION REQUIRED to receive credit for further consideration).
3. Must possess and maintain a current and valid Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Certification. (COPY OF CERTIFICATION REQUIRED to receive credit for further consideration).

Possess a current and valid and unrestricted state-issued driver's license. 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~

In addition to the English Language Proficiency and Selective Placement Factors above, to qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following:

Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-8) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes knowledge of a majority of body systems, i.e., skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and genitourinary, to perform patient examination; responding to accidents and other emergencies involving injury and/or illness which may be life-threatening and require basic life support procedures; experience providing transportation of patients to medical treatment facilities; using communication equipment and techniques to accurately obtain and relay information to and from dispatchers and health care providers; knowledge of protocols and treatments used in the delivery of emergency care for persons injured in chemical, nuclear, biological, and hazardous materials incidents; and experience operating emergency or patient transport vehicles. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

~OR~

Education: Successfully completed at least two (2) full years of graduate level education or a master's degree or internship where it is directly related to the work of the Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~OR~

Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, which may be used to meet total experience requirements for this grade level. the education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic position. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

Condition of continued employment: The Medical Care Transpiration Technician - Paramedic shall obtain certification as a National Registered Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic) no later than (NLT) 18 months after employment as condition of continued employment with the VA.


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

• Clinical Data Collection/Documentation
• Emergency Care
• First Response
• Patient Care
• Transportation

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:The work of the position involves extended periods of heavy moving and lifting of patients in a variety of situations. Generally, the work requires recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and positioning of patients, frequently under adverse conditions or in confined areas. May be required to spend prolonged periods in protective breathing apparatus and protective clothing during chemical, nuclear, biological, or hazardous materials incidents/exercises. May be exposed to infection and contagious diseases, and may involve exposure to patients who are intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, or mentally unstable resulting in belligerent and sometimes violent behavior.

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.