Clarification from the agency

This job announcement is open to current, permanent Department of Veteran Affairs facility employees of the VA Maryland Health Care System and Veteran Affairs employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

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Major Duties and Responsibilities but not limited to:

• Responsible for the daily operations of the Fire Protection Section during an assigned shift. Duties include assigning 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.
• Reports directly to the Fire Chief and in his/her absence to the Safety & Occupational Health Manager.
• Responsible for adhering to the established Standard Operating Guidelines of the Fire Protection Section as established by the Fire Chief.
• 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.
• 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 one Lead Firefighter and four Firefighters (structural/basic life support) to include 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. Incumbent will always maintain 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.
• Provides direction to the crew during station/equipment maintenance activities and while performing fire safety and fire protection systems inspections to identify and eliminate actual or potential fire hazards.
• Administers and participates in the fire protection systems inspection, testing and maintenance program for an assigned shift. This includes assigning subordinates to duties related to inspecting, testing, and maintaining wet and dry pipe sprinkler systems, fire alarm device and circuit testing and verification, and fire hydrant flushing and flow testing. Using a computerized tracking system, assures that all fire extinguishers are inspected monthly and serviced annually in accordance with NFPA and manufacturer's recommendations.
• 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.
• Is a member of the Medical Center emergency response team for emergency medical incidents.

Work Schedule: 144 hours biweekly including weekends and holidays
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Assistant Fire Chief/PD23261A and PD23262A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The 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 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 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, 11/12/2026.

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-8 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7, and for a GS-9, 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.

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 meet the requirements of this position.

Certification Requirements:

• Certification as Fire Officer II in accordance with NFPA 1021.
• Certification as Fire Inspector II in accordance with NFPA 1031
• Certificate as Hazardous Materials Incident Commander in accordance with NFPA 472, Chapter 8.

Copies of certifications (IFSAC or Pro Board) MUST be submitted by the closing date of the announcement; failure to submit any required certifications will result in the non-referral of the applicant.

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 the 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 fire service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• GS-8 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

• GS-9 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.

Individual Occupational Requirements
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.

Driver's License Requirement; A Valid State motor vehicle operator's license is required. Applicant may be required to provide their license at the time of interview. 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.

Preferred Experience

• Certification as Fire Officer II in accordance with NFPA 1021.
• Certification as Fire Inspector II in accordance with NFPA 1031
• Certificate as Hazardous Materials Incident Commander in accordance with NFPA 472, Chapter 8.

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:

• Compliance Inspection
• Conflict Management
• Fire Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Leadership
• Manages Resources
• Managing Human Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.

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.

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.

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:

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

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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.