Firefighter (Basic Life Support)

Full Job Description

The Firefighter is assigned to the VANJ Fire and Emergency Services- Lyons Campus.

The Firefighter/EMT responds to fires and other emergencies in residences, multi-story patient care buildings, 180 bed psychiatric unit, 360 bed Nursing Home Care Unit, outpatient clinics and laboratories, residential rehabilitation centers, multiple story office buildings, carpenter shop, paint shop, electric shop, general repair shop, warehouse, fuel storage areas, public assembly areas, brush and wooded areas.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/19/2026.

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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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.

AGE REQUIREMENT: This position has 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 fire service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57 LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a valid state driver's license.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: Selective Placement Factors are knowledge, skills, abilities 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 them are ineligible for further consideration.

You must submit copies of your certifications with your application to receive credit. The following certifications are required for GS-05 and above.

Copies of your certifications and/or documentation of these certifications in your resume is required. Certification by the National IFSAC as a Pro-Board Firefighter II.

Certification by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or New Jersey State EMT.

Certification by the National IFSAC as a Pro-Board Hazardous Materials Operations.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; rescue operations; detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; operation of fire communications equipment; controlling hazardous materials incidents and/or developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention.

OR, Education: 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.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Fire Management First Response Mechanical Technical Competence 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: 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.

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/.

Major Duties:

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Controls and extinguishes fires, operates hose lines, makes forced entries, ventilates structures, performs or assists in rescue operations, uses a variety of hand tools, hydraulic tools and portable fire extinguishers, and performs salvage and overhaul.

Performs rescues, emergency medical care, hazardous materials spill response and serves as the driver/operator of motorized firefighting and rescue vehicles.

Provides stand-by and other protective measures as required for hazardous operations.

Serves as a hose man, hydrant man, ladder man, rescue man and drives and operates firefighting apparatus of significant complexity.

Drives the fire apparatus to the scene of the emergency following a predetermined route, or selects an alternate route when necessary; positions the apparatus, considering factors such as wind direction, water sources, hazards from falling structures, etc.

Operates pumps, foam systems, monitor nozzles and other similar equipment; determines proper operating pressures for the distances to be pumped and the number of lines being used; and applies principles of hydraulics to water flow friction and friction loss.

Assists in training new Firefighters in the skills of driving and operating existing Medical Center apparatus.

Performs daily preventative maintenance inspections of apparatus and equipment, performing basic operator maintenance.

Performs fire inspection duties in areas where hazards are expected to be encountered.

The Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in addition to fire and safety related duties might be assigned as a member of the rescue crew, ambulance crew, or hazardous materials spill response team.

Responds to releases or potential releases of Hazardous materials / Toxic materials/ Weapons of Mass Destruction in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.

Serves as a member of the Medical Center Emergency Team for emergency medical response involving injuries or illness of patients, staff, and visitors. Performs Basic Life Support (BLS) duties.

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: Firefighters works a Rotating shift work; seventy-two

hours per week. Fire Department operates twenty-four

hours per day, seven

days per week in which employees are assigned to alternating shifts of twenty-four

hours. Recruitment Incentives Additional Weekend Premium Pay: Weekend premium (25% of hourly rate) paid for service performed on an established tour of duty, any part of which is between Midnight Friday and Midnight Sunday. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved