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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***

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Directs and administers fire suppression, fire prevention, hazardous materials response, and emergency management programs for the medical center.
• Supervises fire department personnel by assigning work, evaluating performance, coordinating training, and addressing employee relations matters.
• Develops, implements, and maintains fire protection policies, procedures, and Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs).
• Conducts and oversees fire and life-safety inspections, fire prevention activities, and code compliance programs to identify and eliminate hazards.
• Directs emergency response operations involving fires, hazardous materials incidents, rescues, medical emergencies, and disaster situations.
• Develops and delivers training programs for firefighters, medical center staff, and emergency responders to maintain operational readiness and regulatory compliance.
• Manages fire protection systems and equipment, including alarms, sprinklers, fire suppression systems, apparatus, communications equipment, and emergency response vehicles.
• Coordinates emergency preparedness, evacuation planning, disaster response exercises, and mutual aid activities with local, state, and federal agencies.
• Investigates fires, hazardous incidents, and safety concerns, prepares reports, and recommends corrective actions to prevent future occurrences.
• Ensures compliance with applicable VA policies, NFPA standards, OSHA regulations, EPA requirements, and Joint Commission accreditation standards related to fire protection and life safety.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

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; 56 hr shifts, 112 hrs/pay period. The Fire Chief works a 56 hour week (40 hours during administrative period and a 16 hour work period during non-administrative 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
• 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 identification 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 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

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

NOTE: COPIES OF YOUR CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE CLOSING DATE TO RECEIVE CREDIT.

The Selective Placement Factors for this position are:

• Certification as Firefighter II in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 ~AND~
• Certification as Hazardous Materials Operations Level Responders in accordance with Chapter 5, Core Competencies of, in NFPA 472 ~AND~
• Certification as Driver/Operator pumper in accordance with NFPA 1002 ~AND~
• Certification as Fire Inspector II in accordance with NFPA 1031 ~AND~

~AND~

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

Specialized Experience (GS-11): I have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the federal service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Fire Chief. Specialized experience includes: (1) controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized fire department; (2) conducting rescue and emergency response operations; (3) detecting, reducing, or eliminating fire and life-safety hazards through inspections, investigations, and fire prevention activities; (4) operating fire communications and emergency response equipment; (5) responding to and controlling hazardous materials incidents; and (6) developing, implementing, coordinating, or providing training in fire protection, fire prevention, hazardous materials response, emergency preparedness, and firefighter safety programs. Specialized experience also includes: administering fire protection and prevention programs; conducting fire and life-safety inspections; ensuring compliance with applicable fire codes, safety regulations, accreditation standards, and hazardous materials requirements; supervising personnel by assigning work; coordinating training; evaluating performance; managing staffing requirements, and ensuring operational readiness of personnel and equipment.

• 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. 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 clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

~AND~

DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess and maintain a current valid Driver's License from a State. (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~

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: 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 meet the requirements of this position.

~AND~

MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a maximum entry age for an initial appointment; applicants cannot have reached their 37th birthday by the date of appointment. Applicants who have passed the designated entry age limit, but who have previously served as a Federal employee in a covered position, may be eligible to re-enter the fire service provided that they: (1) meet all applicable qualifications for the position and (2) will be able to complete a total of 20 years of covered and creditable Federal firefighter service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57. Prior service in covered positions and creditable towards retirement may be subtracted from the applicant's age to determine if the Federal firefighter meets the maximum entry age.

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

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

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 requires strenuous physical exertion associated with firefighting, emergency response, inspections, and hazardous materials operations. The incumbent must be able to walk, run, crawl, climb stairs and ladders, work at heights, carry heavy loads, operate firefighting equipment, wear specialized protective gear, and maintain firefighter physical fitness standards. The position is subject to hazardous duty and emergency response requirements.

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.