Clarification from the agency

Open to current Department of Veteran Affairs employees of the Facility and Federal employees who met the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee, veterans and all other applicants.

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Duties include but not limited to:

• Assigns firefighters to riding positions on fire apparatus, scheduling, and directing inspection and training activities and ensuring the conduct of daily station and equipment inspection and maintenance and assisting the Fire Chief in the administration of safety and fire protection programs and policies.
• Responds to fire alarms or other emergencies and calls for assistance from both the Medical Center and the surrounding communities.
• Responsible for issuing orders and directing firefighters and Medical Center employees, including Nursing staff and Police, in a plan of attack to extinguish fires promptly and effectively, save lives and property and limit or prevent environmental harm.
• Implements the Incident Management System and serves as Operations Officer and assists with formulating and carrying out tactics and strategies necessary to bring the emergency incident to a successful conclusion.
• Serves as overall Incident Commander in absence of Fire Chief, assigns mutual aid fire apparatus and staff officers to sector positions, and directs the activities of subordinates and firefighters.
• Responds with sufficient manpower, apparatus, and equipment to assist the local community with water rescues and hazardous materials incidents in which the incumbent may be called upon to render technical advice and assistance in resolving the emergency.
• Responsible for ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment is worn on all responses by the entire crew and personnel operating at the scene of the emergency.
• Exercises full supervisory responsibility for all assigned to the shift. Including approval/disapproval of leave, evaluating employee performance, assisting in the resolution of employee grievances, and taking or recommending disciplinary or other personnel actions where appropriate.
• Organizes and assigns work to subordinates based on staffing needs and special qualifications, departmental capabilities, and resources to assure that all duties related to the fire prevention, fire protection and suppression programs are accomplished on a timely basis and are technically acceptable and functional.
• Maintains a minimum of six (6) trained firefighters on duty, 24 hours per day, regardless of absences for sick leave or annual leave or staffing shortages for engine responses and two (2) always trained firefighter/EMT's for ambulance responses.
• Develops an inspection schedule, coordinates, and directs the fire prevention inspection program for an assigned shift to assure that all areas of the Medical Center buildings, grounds, construction sites, etc., are inspected at required frequencies.
• Maintains all reports and computerized data bases relating to fire safety and fire prevention inspections and prepares summaries of inspection activities for presentation to the Organization Leadership.
• Administers and participates in the fire protection systems inspection, testing and maintenance program for an assigned shift.
• Assigns personnel and ensures that the daily inspection, testing and maintenance of two Medical Center owned fire apparatus, one rescue vehicle, one rescue boat, motor, and trailer, two ambulances and all associated equipment are completed and documented.
• Develops a shift schedule, assigns staff, and participates in the conducting of fire exit drills to ensure that all patient care buildings receive one drill per shift, per quarter and that all other areas receive at least one fire drill annually.
• Develops lesson plans, schedules and conducts firefighter proficiency training classes and operational drills, taking part as both instructor and participant, to ensure that all fire department personnel receive the required 100 hours of structured fire protection, prevention, suppression and fire safety training annually and that subordinates remain current and proficient on general firefighting methods and practices as well as methods of controlling fires of an unusual nature such as those involving gases and chemicals.
• Assigns staff and coordinates the operation of the Medical Center's emergency communications center and ensures that all fire alarms, supervisory alarms, and other emergency communications equipment are continuously monitored.
• Assigns personnel to operate the Medical Center ambulance for response to medical emergencies, including life threatening emergencies, to transport patients from one Medical Center building to another, or transport to off-station facilities for higher levels of care as directed by responding medical staff.

Work Schedule: 72-hour week, 144 hours bi-weekly
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Assistant Fire Chief/PD23261A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/17/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. 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.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Fire Protection and Prevention Services (0081)

Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience that demonstrated the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Such duties may include (1) controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; (2) rescue operations; (3) detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; (4) operation of fire communications equipment; (5) controlling hazardous materials incidents and/or (6) developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention.

Requirements For Motor Vehicle Operation
For those positions requiring employees to drive motorized firefighting equipment, candidates must possess and maintain a valid State motor vehicle operator's license of the appropriate classification or kind. Applicants also may be required to pass a practical road test and provide information on their driving record. See 5 CFR 930 and the "General Policies and Instructions" section of this Manual for additional requirements for motor vehicle operators.

Mechanical Equipment Operator Qualifications
For those positions requiring the operation of specialized firefighting pumping equipment, mounted pressurized systems, dispensing devices, and/or rescue tools, applicants may be required to demonstrate the ability, before appointment, to operate the specific equipment to which they will be assigned, or similar related types of hydraulic equipment.

In addition to meeting the OPM IOR requirements you must meet the specialized experience below

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working knowledge of pertinent provisions of laws and regulations, NFPA, OSHA, Joint Commission standards and codes, Interpreting and applying the various codes and standards to the applicable occupancy, working knowledge of firefighting principles and practices, implementing an effective fire prevention and fire suppression program

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Compliance Inspection
• Fire Management
• Leadership
• Managing Human Resources

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.

Physical Requirements: A substantial amount of time is spent walking, standing, crouching, climbing or sitting. During fire ground operations, most of the time is spent standing, with frequent exposures to extreme environmental conditions. Required to participate in a physical fitness program.

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:

• Has over ten years of firefighting experience and five or more supervisory firefighter or lead firefighter experience.
• Extensive knowledge of NFPA Standards 1, 10, 13, 14, 25, 30, 45, 99, 101, 291, 1500, 1561 and 1962.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent facility VA employees of the Facility.

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.