Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation. The first applicant list will be reviewed on January 2, 2024 and every two weeks thereafter, until the closing date of this announcement.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Protect individuals during any given situation against threats to personal safety when enforcing laws and regulations.
• Respond immediately to and engages potentially armed individuals during active threat response situations.
• Respond to highly dangerous and active crimes in progress, making independent decisions and taking immediate steps to preserve life and property.
• Mitigate opportunities for assault, illegal entry, and theft involving highly protected information, property and/or processes at facilities containing special protective methods.
• Provide patrol in vehicles, by foot and/or on a bicycle.
• Respond to calls for police assistance, irregularities, and unusual or suspicious circumstances.
• Conduct asset protection during transport.
• Write comprehensive incident reports.
• Provide policing services in various environments where each type of jurisdiction (Exclusive, Concurrent and Proprietorial) has different enforcement rules.
• Seek, detects, seizes, and protects evidence and witnesses at the scene of an incident.
• Detect and intervenes in criminal activity.
• Enforce traffic rules and regulations, including those related to speeding and reckless operation of vehicles while impaired or intoxicated.
• Conduct investigative contacts/stops, exercising search and arrest authority, detaining witnesses, and apprehending suspects.
• Advise individuals of their rights (such as Miranda, Weingarten, Garrity, etc.), and protecting the constitutional and civil rights of persons.
• Intervene, when necessary, to deescalate situations and determine when and how much force must be applied.
• Conduct prisoner transports to holding facilities and courts as required.
• Conduct disaster response and recovery.
• Provide Basic Life Support (BLS) to injured personnel and coordinates additional emergency response when needed.
• Coordinate and directs search, rescue, and recovery for persons at high risk (e.g., missing or wandering patients, minors, etc.), including coordinating with local surrounding police departments to expand the search parameters.
• Investigate incidents and takes steps to mitigate further risk and resolve situations.
• Perform and provides training on drug and contraband intervention where contraband identification and knowledge is imperative.
• Intervene, when needed, to deescalate active suicidal behavior and/or prevents suicides.
• Prepare case files and testifying in court as it pertains to enforcing laws and regulations.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Required to attend an 8 -10-week course at the VA Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas (if not already completed). Satisfactory completion of this course is a condition of continued employment.
• A character investigation will be conducted on applicants selected for employment. The purpose of such an investigation is to secure evidence of the candidate's honesty, integrity, general character, and loyalty to the U.S. Government.
• Must qualify to be issued a firearm semi-annually and annually with an expandable Straight Baton (MEB). Applicants must be able to possess firearms under the terms of the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9).
• Must maintain a valid State or Commonwealth Driver's License and pass annual physical and psychosocial assessments.
• Must pass medical requirements: good near and distant vision, ability to distinguish basic colors, and ability to hear the conversational voice. Position requires moderate to arduous physical exertion and/or duties of a hazardous nature.
• Must have the capacity to perform the essential functions of the position without risk to themselves or others. Applicants/employees must possess emotional and mental stability. A psychological examination is required.

Qualifications

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

GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Experience that provided knowledge of a body of basic laws and regulations, law enforcement operations, practices, and techniques and involved responsibility for maintaining order and protecting life and property. Creditable specialized experience may have been gained in work on a police force; through service as a military police officer; in work providing visitor protection and law enforcement in parks, forests, or other natural resource or recreational environments; in performing criminal investigative duties; or in other work that provided the required knowledge and skills.

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.

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/.

Preferred Experience: Current Certified Police Officers of the VHA administration.

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.

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.

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.