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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:

• Duty assignments may include, but are not limited to, firefighting operations, search and rescue operations, emergency decontaminations, mobile hospital deployments, Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) response, intra-facility emergency medical transport, security operations within capabilities of the fire department, humanitarian assistance, emergency operations and incident command, hazardous materials response.
• Performs Fire Safety Inspections to reduce life and property hazards across VAMC and eliminate patient hazards.
• Operates the Medial Center ACLS ambulance for response to medical emergencies on the grounds of the VA Medical Center including life-threatening emergencies.
• Uses and maintains care of emergency equipment such as backboards, suction devices, AED, Medical Supplies such as cardiac and pain medication, splints, oxygen delivery systems, and stretchers.
• Effectively controlling and extinguishing fires, operates various nozzles, hose lines, connects to and operates fire hydrants, forcible entries, ventilates structures, uses ground ladders, performs/assists rescue operations, uses a variety of hand tools, hydraulic tools and portable fire extinguishers, performs salvage and overhaul.
• Performs specialized rescues and serves as a back-up driver operator.
• Provides advanced or detailed patient assessment by conducting a systematic physical examination of the patient's condition and determines treatment methods.
• Independently performs fire inspection duties in areas where hazards are expected to be encountered.
• Responds to presence or potential releases of hazardous materials to stop or control the release.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Firefighters work a rotating shift work; seventy-two (72) hours per week. Fire Department operates twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week in which employees are assigned to alternating shifts of twenty-four (24) hours. Subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

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.

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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Pre-employment physical may be required.
• 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)

Qualifications

IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-8 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service that has equipped them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of a Firefighter (Intermediate Life Support) GS-8. Specialized experience includes: (1) providing emergency medical care and advanced life support; (2) controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; (3) rescue operations; (4) detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; (5) operation of fire communications equipment; (6) controlling hazardous materials incidents and (7) developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. NOTE: Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

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AGE REQUIREMENT (Maximum Entry Age): For initial appointments, applicant cannot have reached their 37th birthday by the day of appointment. Applicants who have passed the designated entry age limit noted, but who have previously served 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 Federal 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.

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DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a current, valid state driver's license. Please indicate either Yes or No to the following question and do not upload a copy of your license at this time. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your current, valid, and unrestricted state driver's license.

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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.

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SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: In addition to the meeting the above requirements, you must also meet the following Selective Placement Factors (SPF) for this position. SPFs are skills, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). SPFs are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet them are ineligible for further consideration.

The Selective Placement Factors for this position are (You must submit copies of your current and valid certifications with your application to receive credit):

1. Certification as a Firefighter II. Must be IFSAC, PRO Board, or State Certification.
2. Certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P) National Registry or Louisiana State certification.
3. Hazardous Materials Operations certification. Must be IFSAC or PRO Board certified.
4. Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Certification. Must be IFSAC, PRO Board, or State Certification.

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

• Communication
• Emergency Care
• Fire Management
• Hazardous Materials

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 Firefighter/EMT is subject to hazardous duty, potentially imminent danger situations, and must maintain a good physical condition. The work requires regular and recurring above average physical exertions due to inspections, surveys, fire suppression activities and emergency services. The employee must be able to crawl, walk, run climb stairs, climb ladders, manipulate specialized fire related equipment, work at heights of 40+ feet, carry heavy loads and wear specialized fire and chemically protective personal protective equipment. Incumbent must be able to maintain fitness standards in accordance with the Firefighter physicals that are conducted annually.

The employee must pass a fitness for duty physical. This physical will include examinations for both firefighter and hazardous materials response. The medical examination will include a history relating to the handling and exposure to hazardous materials and the incumbent's ability to wear any required personal protective equipment including respirators, under conditions including temperature extremes that may be expected at the work site.

Employee must maintain physical condition to don personal protective equipment consisting of: coat, helmet, boots, gloves, bunker pants and self-contained breathing apparatus, which weighs 75 pounds. Employee must wear this equipment when responding to and during all emergency calls (excluding ambulance) regardless of temperature. Employee is expected to enter buildings and atmospheres that are unsafe due to fire, oxygen deficiencies, etc. and perform very strenuous types of work carrying heavy equipment and victims.

The requirements of the job are such that the employee must maintain alertness, self-control, and emotional stability when working under conditions of stress, confusion, panic and where physical injury or death are present. Incumbent is subject to overtime call back and mandatory overtime to ensure mandatory compliance with minimum crew manning 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.