Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Park Ranger - Emergency Services Coordinator

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Big Bend National Park
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Big Bend National Park, in the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/21/2025 to 07/12/2025
Salary
$73,939 to - $96,116 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Big Bend National Park, TX
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Employer paid and reimbursed relocation expenses are considered taxable income. The National Park Service does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Employees should consult professional tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding concerns about the financial implications of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
IM-1538-BIBE-25-12751153-MP
Control number
839214700

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Current Department of Interior Career or Career-Conditional Employees in the competitive service; Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibles; CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

Videos

Duties

Help

Duties:
This position serves as the Emergency Services Coordinator for Big Bend National Park. The person selected will be responsible for day-to-day management of the Structural Fire, Emergency Medical Services and Search and Rescue programs in the park. The incumbent will be the primary coordinator of all Emergency Services training to include the upcoming BLS refresher; equipment maintenance to include 1 ambulance and 2 type 1 structural fire apparatus, maintaining supply and equipment caches for each discipline with current (in date) equipment, compiling statistics and data to complete the end of season SAR and EMS reports, managing Search and Rescue incidents that occur in the park within their scope of training as appropriate, hire volunteers for and coordinate the management of the preventative search and rescue program; conduct regular updates to the Structural Fire Data Management System, coordinate annual fit tests for current structural fire fighters and recruits, coordinate annual hose testing for both type 1 apparatus, conduct fire drill for the Headquarters Building before the end of the year, coordinate hydrant testing for entire park, coordinate the updates of building pre-plans for structural fire response, assist current parks structure fire coordinator with the update of the Structure Fire Management Plan.

Daycare and School Information:
The San Vicente Independent School District (SVISD) and SVISD Early Learning Center (ELC/Daycare) are in Panther Junction (PJ) and serve those that live and work in Big Bend National Park (the park). ELC/Daycare, is a state-accredited daycare facility for children ages 18 months to 4 years or of school age. Daycare services are currently free of charge (subject to change) and require 10 hours of community service to the school district per semester. The SVISD elementary school is a Texas Education Agency, A-rated, elementary school (K-8). SVISD includes a High School (9-12). For more information about the daycare and schooling contact Jessi Milam Ed.D. Superintendent, Cell: (830) 333-1074 or SVISD School Office (432) 244-3131. Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX (100 miles) has a four-year university offering both in-person and online graduate programs.

Area Information:
The park encompasses 801,000 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert with more biodiversity than almost any other national park and a has a dark sky designation. Elevation in the park varies from 7825' to 1850'. The climate is generally pleasant with hot summers (90-110 degrees F) and mild winters (30-50 degrees F). Recreational opportunities include hiking, bird watching, photography, backcountry camping (backpacking) bicycling and river rafting. The park has a post office, gas stations, camper stores, restaurant, library, gym and lodge.

The gateway town of Terlingua has lodging, restaurants, hardware store, small grocery and gift stores, churches, mobile library and a bank. Lajitas has limited shopping, lodging, restaurants, golf course and churches. Alpine, TX (100 miles from PJ) has most necessities including supermarkets, a variety of stores, a regional medical center with emergency room, pharmacies, churches, a movie theater and a university. The nearest larger cities are Midland/Odessa (225 miles) and El Paso (325 miles).

An active employee/community association sponsors social events throughout the year. Visit our website for more information https://go.nps.gov/bigbendareainfo.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Subject to pre-employment physical and drug testing.
  • Must currently possess or be able to obtain a valid Type I or higher National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by closing date of the announcement. More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement.
  • Must possess National Registry EMT (NREMT) or higher.
  • Must obtain National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Structure Fire Fighter I or II certification, or NPS approved equivalent within one year from entering on duty.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required
  • New employees of the Department of the Interior must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of net pay within 30 days of entrance on duty.
  • 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 will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Occupancy of government quarters is required.
  • 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 up to three nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 on an annual basis.
  • Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
Requirements continued in Education Section

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/12/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Selective Factors: Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify:

  • Currently hold, or have previously held, a FLETC issued Land Management Police Training (LMPT), full Type I Law Enforcement Commission or equivalent within the past three years.
  • This is a primary position covered by enhanced retirement provisions which stipulate mandatory retirement at age 57 after 20 years of service. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and must not have reached their 37th birthday upon appointment to this position. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in a primary covered position sufficient to complete 20 years of service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived, and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service.
  • Possess and maintain a National Registry EMT Certification, Park Medic or higher
- AND -

GS-11 Applicants must possess at least one of 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/GL-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience include, but are not limited to the following: 1) Performing senior law enforcement, fire management, search and rescue, and emergency medical services duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas or similar operations, which involved the application of law enforcement and fire management authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources; 2) Management or program specialist work involving the development and/or implementation of policy related to the law enforcement, fire management and visitor protection in park areas or similar operations; or other similar work. If you are claiming this experience, it must be documented in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in level of difficulty and responsibility to that of at least the GS/GL-09 grade level in the federal service. Include months/years and hours per week worked on your resume.
-OR-
  • EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three full years of graduate level study leading to a Doctorate, Ph.D., or equivalent degree at an accredited college or university in directly related fields such as natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archaeology, anthropology, park and recreation management; law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, or sociology. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
  • Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then, take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.
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

Continued from Requirements:

  • Selectee(s) will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency.
  • Selectee(s) must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • 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.
  • Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment.
  • Prior to appointment, the people selected for these positions must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB is a fitness test consisting of five different components: 1) agility run - measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; 2) bench press - measures upper body strength for one repetition; 3) 1.5 mile run - measures cardio/respiratory fitness; 4) sit and reach - measures flexibility in the lower back, legs and shoulders; and 5) body composition - measures body fat. Prior to appointment, selectees will be tested in all five components, and must pass the agility run, bench press and 1.5 mile run in the 25th percentile.
  • Primary law enforcement experience: This is a secondary-administrative law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements, but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under CSRS, an employee must transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary position.



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.

Additional information

Physical Demands:

Incumbent must keep in excellent physical condition. Work is performed in both office and outdoor settings. Office activity is extremely busy, complex and often stressful. Outdoor work requires prolonged strenuous exertion over rough and hazardous terrain in all types of weather conditions. Incumbent may be called at any time to perform sustained and arduous activity relating to medical emergencies, search and rescue, structural or wildland fire control and law enforcement. Running, standing, and lifting arc required. Incumbent is commonly required to backpack up to 60 pounds over extended distance while on patrol or during emergency situations.

Working Conditions:
Although some work is in an office setting, incumbent works primarily outdoors in environments ranging from desert to coniferous forest. Temperatures vary from summer highs of over 120 degrees Fahrenheit to winter lows of20 degrees Fahrenheit. Hazardous terrain, including exposure to extreme heights, loose rock, and swift river currents and rapids, are encountered. Incumbent is required to wear SCBA apparatus during structural firefighting and will be exposed to smoke, dust and other particulates during firefighting operations. Incumbent may be subjected to long hours, at all times of day or night during emergency operations such as search and rescue or fire suppression. The incumbent wears defensive equipment as per RM-9.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Criminal Law
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Leadership
  • Learning
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence


To Preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12751153

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.