Job Summary

Employee will be assigned to the Fire and Emergency Service, VA New Jersey Healthcare System, Lyons, New Jersey. The employee responds to fires and other emergencies in areas such as residences, multi-story patient care buildings, outpatient clinics and laboratories, multiple story office buildings, carpenter shop, paint shop, electric shop, general repair shop, warehouse, fuel storage areas, public assembly areas, and brush and wooded areas.

Job Description

MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: 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. 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. DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Applicants must possess a valid State motor vehicle operator's license? Applicants also may be required to pass a practical road test and provide information on their driving record. Please 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. In addition to the meeting the above requirements, you must also meet the following Selective Factors - Certification Requirements for this position. *You must submit copies of your certifications with your application to receive credit.* This position includes Selective Placement Factors (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 requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factors for this position: To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter, applicants must possess the following certifications. Please submit a copy of each required certification with your application to receive credit - no photos please. Must have received certification as either an International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or Pro Board Firefighter II Certification. (Proof of Certification Required) Must have received a current and valid International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or Pro Board Hazardous Materials Operations Level Certification. (Proof of Certification Required) Must possess a current, valid, state, or National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basic certification. (Proof of Certification Required) In addition to meeting the above requirements, applicants must also meet the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in the Federal Service that has given you the knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position. Specialized experience includes: (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. ~OR~ SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION (Transcript Required): Successful completion of a 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university with major study in Fire Science, Fire Training, or other related fields of study is qualifying for GS-5. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-5. Additional Requirements: 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. PERFORMANCE TEST: Candidates may be required to demonstrate satisfactory performance of the minimum physical abilities necessary to perform safely and efficiently the essential tasks of this position. MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: All applicants for positions that have duties of an arduous or hazardous nature must meet and maintain specific medical standards. Since individual positions may not include all such duties, a physical condition or impairment may be disqualifying for employment only if there is a direct relationship between the condition and the nature of the duties of the specific position to be filled. Employees in positions involving firefighting duties or other duties involving arduous physical exertion may be subject to periodic (e.g., annual) medical examinations following appointment to determine fitness for continued performance of the duties of the position. (See 5 CFR 339) PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The performance of fire and safety inspections throughout the Campus routinely requires considerable walking, stooping, bending and climbing on a daily basis. Required to lift and carry heavy objects, including equipment over 50 pounds and victims of fires or other emergencies. Working conditions may include heavy physical exertion, extreme heat, smoke and dust in enclosed smoke-filled places, in all types of weather. Applicants will be given a physical examination including a treadmill and agility test. Failure to pass these tests may be justification for disqualification. Periodic medical examinations following appointment may be required to determine fitness for continued performance of the duties of the position. This physical will include examinations for both firefighter and hazardous materials response. The medical examination will include but is not limited to a history relating to the handling and exposure to hazardous materials and the Firefighter's ability to wear any required personal protective equipment including respirators, under conditions including temperature extremes that may be expected at the work site. Candidates are required to take and pass a Physical Agility Test (PAT) which tests a candidate's endurance while performing simulated routine fire ground tasks. 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/.