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

Health Technician - Paramedic

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Oklahoma City VA Health Care System - Nursing Acute Care

Summary

The Paramedic responds to on-site accidents and other emergencies involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening. The Paramedic administers basic and advanced life support care at emergency scene in accordance with established medical standards, which may include providing advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), international trauma life support (ITLS), PALS, PEPP, advanced airway management, CPR, and/or drug treatments.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/19/2026 to 05/27/2026
Salary
$61,722 - $80,243 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Oklahoma City, OK
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSU-12965026-26-ARM
Control number
869809100

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Open to Status Candidates (current, permanent federal employees; reinstatement eligible; Veterans; Schedule A; Military Spouse; Postal Service/Peace Corps and other Authorities; and employees eligible under an Interchange Agreement).

Videos

Duties

Help

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Transport patients in need of Advance Life Support level care to and from various locations including inter-facility transport.
  • Operates or utilizes various vehicles and emergency/medical equipment, tools and supplies which may include ambulance, blood pressure cuff, glucose monitor, AED, 12 lead EKG, non-invasive airway equipment, oxygen administration devices pulse oximetry monitor, medical supplies, radio communications equipment and general office equipment.
  • Prioritizes transports for patients and employs a variety of established techniques, methods and equipment during transport to the appropriate medical facility.
  • Assist in transporting non-ambulatory patients, as directed, and ensure all safety protocols for these particular patient groups are followed throughout the transport.
  • Performs assessments to obtain history, status of patient's neurological system, cardiovascular system, circulatory system, skeletal system, orthopedic system, motor and sensory skills and level of consciousness for the purpose of safe transport.
  • Perform patient triage and take/records patient's vital signs as needed.
  • Provide and gather information on the human body structure, function, illnesses and diseases, and the treatment procedure supporting patient charting.
  • Cleans and sanitizes all reusable equipment and ensures all disposable equipment is disposed of in the appropriate manner. Follows facility infections control guidelines.
  • Conducts patient assessments, to ensure safe of vehicle transport. Conducts examination of the patient's condition to determine the need for assistance when entering and exiting the vehicle.
  • Understand indications, dosing, and administer oral, intramuscular, and intravenous medications.
  • Conducts or assists with the training of personnel in CPR, basic and advanced emergency medical care techniques.
  • Administers Basic and Advanced Life Support care in accordance with established medical standards, which may include providing CPR, manual defibrillation, synchronized cardioversion, and transcutaneous pacing manual defibrillation and or medications. Provides respiratory care, including intubation and ventilation management.
  • Respond to on-campus emergency calls and provide advanced life support to patients in concordance with established protocols.
  • Respond to on-site accidents and other emergencies involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening.
  • Determine and prioritizes appropriate medical treatment/procedures and need for additional assistance.
  • Make an independent preliminary assessment of the patient's condition and select from a variety of prescribed protocols the one that is considered appropriate under the given circumstances
Work Schedule: 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.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician - Paramedic/PD99772S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized for qualified applicants
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Physical Requirements: The Paramedics work 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. Paramedics may be required to spend prolonged periods in protective breathing apparatus and protective clothing during chemical, nuclear, biological, or hazardous materials incidents/exercises.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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, 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, 05/27/2026.

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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8. 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): 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.

AND,

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-8 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Paramedics shall have broad knowledge of the majority of body systems, i.e., skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and genitourinary, to perform patient examination and to provide prompt, efficient, and appropriate patient care and handling. Paramedics shall have a well-developed working knowledge of physiological and topographic anatomy, e.g., right/left, surface, proximal/distal, superior/ inferior to accurately transmit location information about the body and its functions. Paramedics shall have a well-developed working knowledge of diagnostic signs, e.g., pulse, respiration, blood pressure, temperature, skin color, pupils of the eyes, state of consciousness, ability to move on command, reaction to pain, etc., to perform patient examination, provide patient care, and ensure appropriate patient handling. Knowledge of advanced and invasive airway procedures that may include needle or surgical cricothyrotomy, pleural decompression, endotracheal intubation, nasal intubation, application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and/or automatic transport ventilator devices. Skill and knowledge to perform electro cardiology procedures including taking and interpreting electrocardiograms (EKG), performing manual defibrillation, and providing transcutaneous external pacing. Paramedics shall have knowledge of protocols and treatments used in the delivery of emergency care for persons injured in chemical, nuclear, biological, and hazardous materials incidents. Knowledge sufficient to understand the legal considerations of emergency care, e.g., actual/implied consent, Good Samaritan laws, etc., to limit the government and the incumbent's exposure to lawsuits while maintaining the legal standards of care. Knowledge and skill in emergency medicine techniques to determine, based on the diagnosis of the patient, the approach that will most effectively sustain the patient's life. Administers medications and solutions orally or intravenously under the direction of standing orders (protocols) or of an off-site physician; Skill in calculating patient medication doses considering such factors as potential interaction with other medications, concentration of drugs immediately available, patient weight, dose prescribed by the written protocol, and method of delivery. Knowledge of how to document drugs administered and providing information to the hospital or medical provider either while in transit or upon arrival and observing and documenting the effects of drugs administered. Knowledge of invasive procedures such as endotracheal intubation and intravenous therapy. Broad knowledge of the local road system and skill in the pre-selection and planning of the route to ensure the safe and expedient transport of patients to the proper health care facility. Skill and familiarity with emergency and patient transport vehicle characteristics to safely operate the vehicle under adverse weather and/or traffic conditions to provide emergency and patient transportation. Skill and knowledge of proper operator maintenance to ensure vehicle meets safety and operating requirements. Skill in emergency communication techniques and the operation of communications equipment, to accurately obtain and relay information to and from dispatchers and health care providers.

OR,

Education: Successfully completed two years of Graduate education or a Master's degree is creditable only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position.

OR,

Combination Education and/or Experience: 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.

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.

FOUR Selective Placement Factors (SPF) have been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position.

  • Paramedic must possess and maintain current Basic Life Support Provider (BLS) Certification
  • Paramedic must possess and maintain current Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Certification
  • Paramedic must possess and maintain current Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Certification.
  • Paramedic must possess a valid/current state issued license/certification for eligibility for employment (Paramedic).
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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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, based on your adjudication decision. 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.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


Your 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. 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. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise; "To care for him who shall have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to be a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

Interested in a career that offers true work-life balance? Look no further. The Oklahoma City VA Health Care Systemoffers a balance of professional & clinical complexity that stimulates growth yet, allows the professional an opportunity to enjoy life outside of work. If interested in a career that offers an integrated patient-centered approach while providing compassionate & state-of-the-art care to Veterans, we welcome you to apply.

The VA is in Oklahoma City, which offers a vibrant arts culture, rich historical influences and amenities of an urban city. Not many urban areas can claim as much outdoor diversity with more than 250 days of sunshine each year, many activities are year-round. OKC offers the perfect mix of social vibe, modern businesses and family life making it an ideal location to start a career, raise a family, or ease into retirement.

The VA offers a teaching hospital, state-of-the-art technology, education & research, making this hospital an ideal career choice for clinical and administrative professionals. The 192-bed facility serves a population of 81,000 having numerous specialized programs in addition to comprehensive health care.

Agency contact information

VISN 19 HR Contact Center
Phone
719-227-4600
Email
V19USAJOBS@VA.GOV
Address
VA Oklahoma City Health Care System
921 Northeast 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Veterans Health Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.va.gov/jobs/

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.