Firefighter (Hazardous Materials Technician / Basic Life Support)
What you'd do
This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. This position is included under the provisions of Special Retirement Coverage (SRC) and may have both a maximum entry age and a mandatory retirement date. Click here for more information on SRC for Firefighters (Primary/Rigorous)
Major duties
Performs firefighting and rescue operations. Assigned to a crew engaged in all-hazards response functions. Performs emergency medical procedures to at the Emergency Medical Technician level. Drives and operates firefighting/rescue vehicles and equipment.
What you need to qualify
Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Specialized Experience GS-04: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Performing all-hazards response operations as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-03). OR Education: Two years of education above the high school level in an accredited college or university in Fire Science, Fire Training, Paramedicine, or other related fields of study. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education by 60. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience GS-05: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Performing all-hazards response operations as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade. 2) Driving and operating firefighting apparatus and equipment. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-04). OR Education: Four years of education above the high school level in an accredited college or university in Fire Science, Fire Training, Paramedicine, or other related fields of study. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of education by 120. Add the two percentages. Specialized Experience GS-06: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Performing all-hazards response operations as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade. 2) Driving and operating firefighting apparatus and equipment. 3) Operating as a member of a hazardous material response team at the technician level. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/ level position in the federal service (GS-05). Specialized Experience GS-07: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Performing all-hazards response operations as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade. 2) Driving and operating firefighting apparatus and equipment. 3) Operating as a member of a hazardous material response team at the technician level. 4) Performing emergency medical care at the EMT level. 5) Performing aircraft rescue and firefighting operations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-06). Along with the specialized experience listed above, there are required certifications that will be needed prior to entry for each grade level. GS-0081-04 Firefighter must possess the following certifications through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board): No certification required Firefighter I (Must obtain within 12 months of appointment) Firefighter II (Must obtain within 12 months of appointment) HAZMAT Tech (Must obtain within 12 months of appointment) GS-0081-05 Firefighter must possess the following certifications through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board): Firefighter I Firefighter II HAZMAT Tech GS-0081-06 Firefighter must possess the following certifications through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board): Firefighter I Firefighter II HAZMAT Tech National Registry or equivalent state issued Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) GS-0081-07 Firefighter must possess the following certifications through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board) Firefighter I Firefighter II Airport Firefighter HAZMAT Tech Driver Operator - Pumper National Registry or equivalent state issued Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) Driver Operator - Aerial (Must obtain within 12 months of appointment) Driver Operator - ARFF (Must obtain within 12 months of appointment) Driver Operator - MWS (Must obtain within 12 months of appointment) Maximum Entry Age (MEA) The MEA for Firefighters is 37. An employee originally hired into a covered position must be hired by the last day of the month he/she reaches 37. Maximum Reentry Age An employee who previously served on a covered position may be rehired past the MEA as long as he/she is able to complete 20 years of covered service by his/her mandatory retirement age. The maximum re-entry age for the individual is calculated by determining the total amount of time he/she has served on a covered position and subtracting that from age 57 if a firefighter. The employee's current age is compared to the calculated maximum re-entry age to determine if he/she can be rehired into the covered position.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.