Firefighter (Paramedic)

Veterans Health Administration • Perry Point, MD

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Fire Protection Section provides fire prevention, protection, and suppression services for the Perry Point Medical Center campus, which includes approximately 350 partially wooded acres, about 180 buildings (including 110 single-family dwellings), 1.6 million square feet of floor space, and two miles of shoreline along the Susquehanna River.

The position performs emergency medical services as an EMT-Paramedic, fire suppression and first-responder duties, fire safety inspections, and hazardous-materials response. The work schedule is a 72-hour work week, including weekends and holidays. This is not a virtual position. The role requires work indoors and outdoors, often in adverse weather and extreme heat; employees may also work in immediately dangerous environments and for long hours under stressful conditions.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-08, such as fire control or suppression, rescue operations, fire-hazard detection or mitigation, fire communications equipment operation, hazardous-materials incident control, or fire-protection and prevention training.
• A valid state motor vehicle operator’s license; an appropriate classification or kind of license is required when driving motorized firefighting equipment.
• Current federal employees and certain former federal employees must meet the GS-09 time-in-grade requirement of 52 weeks at GS-08, when applicable.
• Successful completion of an online assessment and all required application steps.
• A pre-placement physical examination.
• A satisfactory background/security investigation.
• Urinalysis screening for illegal drug use for tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions; refusing testing results in denial of VA employment.
• Compliance with the seasonal influenza vaccination requirement, or an approved medical or religious exemption; a face mask is required when an exemption is granted.
• Successful completion of the required online onboarding process and acceptable identity verification.
• A one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Applicants may be required to pass a practical road test and provide driving-record information for positions requiring operation of motor vehicles.
• Applicants may be required to demonstrate the ability to operate assigned specialized firefighting or hydraulic equipment before appointment.
• There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and determine the nature of illnesses or the extent of emergencies using available information.
• Perform initial and ongoing patient assessments and physical examinations to determine appropriate care.
• Record and monitor patients’ vital signs.
• Follow the Fire Chief’s established fire-protection standard operating guidelines.
• Inspect, test, and maintain two Medical Center fire apparatus, a rescue vehicle, a rescue boat, its motor and trailer, and related equipment.
• Receive emergency reports by telephone, initiate responses based on the information received, and relay emergency information using fire-department radio communications equipment.
• Conduct quarterly flow tests of wet and dry pipe sprinkler systems and annual fire-hydrant flow tests; document deficiencies or impairments and initiate corrective action.
• Conduct assigned fire drills to evaluate employee knowledge of the fire plan and identify areas for improvement.
• Assist police service with unruly or combative patients.
• Respond as a first responder to hazardous-material incidents at the station and work as part of a team to identify materials, assess life hazards, and evaluate potential environmental impacts.
• Respond with appropriate equipment to hazardous-material incidents in surrounding communities.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package, with eligibility depending on position type and other factors.
• VA may approve credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining the annual-leave accrual rate; approval must occur before appointment and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed