Summary The incumbent is assigned to the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System's (CAVHCS) Fire Department in the Safety and Emergency Management Service. The Firefighter/EMT responds to fires and other emergencies in residences, multi-story patient care buildings, psychiatric care units, community living centers, outpatient clinics and laboratories, electrical shop, general repair shop, warehouse, natural gas station, E85 pumps, fuel storage areas, public assembly areas, brush, and wooded areas.
Learn more about this agency Duties Help
The firefighter performs emergency procedures that are noninvasive. In performing these procedures, the firefighter:
- Responsible to brief staff physicians, nurses, physicians' assistants, and other health professionals on care provided and recordings of the patient's assessment. The EMT must be certified to administer Automatic Defibrillation. Identifies, assesses the degree of emergency, and renders aid for cardiovascular disorders, heart and circulation disorders, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, seizure disorders, anaphylaxis, hypoperfusion, poisoning and overdose emergencies, alcohol and substance abuse, environmental emergencies, hypothermia, behavioral emergencies, various emergencies associated with obstetrics and gynecology, respiratory emergencies, etc.
- Responds, assesses specific medical needs, and renders medical aid during a multiple casualty incident, involving infants and children to adults. Maintains awareness of the medical, legal and ethical issues and may be sued or held legally liable on any issue in patient care and treatment.
- Responsible for taking patients vital signs. Expects stressful reactions when responding to an incident which involves major trauma or distortion to the human body such as, patients with amputations, deformed bones, deep wounds, and violent death.
- Deals with patients with behavioral problems. Performs patient assessment (primary and secondary head-to-toe survey). Treats patients with emergencies involving soft tissues, open wounds with possible internal organs that are exposed, the upper and/or lower extremities, the skull and spine, soft tissues of the head and neck, the chest, abdomen, genitalia, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, diabetes, childbirth, and burns.
- Administers care to patients with respiratory failure, airway obstruction and performs cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Detects, evaluates, and controls external and internal bleeding.
- Operates and maintains equipment consisting of base stations, mobile radios, portable radios, and cellular phones.
- Knowledgeable in language of anatomy & physiology, anatomical postures language and directions of movements.
- Familiar with the departments' personal protective equipment (PPE). Familiarizes self with laws such as Duty to Act, Negligence, Standard of Care, Abandonment, Patient Rights-Consent, Patients-Confidentiality, Immunities, and other legal aspects.
- Serves as driver/operator of major motorized firefighting equipment, responding with fire engine to assist ambulance at emergency scenes and a variety of utility service calls.
- Operates alarm room equipment including radio, computers, and fire reporting facilities. Performs maintenance tasks on firefighting apparatus, equipment, and facilities. Assists with hydrant, hose, sprinklers, and alarm tests.
- Provides classes for training of "hands on" or lecture, for other firefighters in the skills of driving and operating equipment. Serves as Lead Firefighter if required.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 8:00am to 8:00pm, 72-hour week, 144 hours per pay period; works a schedule of 48hrs on then 72hrs off, 48hrs on then 72hrs off, and 48hrs on then 48hrs off. Work schedule subject to change based on the needs of the department.
Position Description/PD#: Firefighter (Basic Life Support)/ PD104080
Requirements Help
Conditions of employment - You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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
- Physical Requirements: The work required does inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is 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 ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/28/2026.
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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6 level. 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.
You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:
Basic Requirements: Individual Occupational Requirements: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Experience that demonstrated the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA5 s) to perform successfully the duties of the position. Such duties may include (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.
Grade Determination: Specialized Experience GS-7: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: is Performing fire/rescue and firefighting duties at large hospital complex/ campus consisting of fuel tanks, multi-story buildings housing non-ambulatory, nursing home and mental health patients; warehouses, residential housing and apartment complexes; Operating fire extinguishing equipment during firefighting operations to minimize damage; Verify the presence and/or concentration of hazardous materials through use of monitoring equipment to prevent environmental contamination to properties; Formulate written hazardous material incident reports to document potentially hazardous spill areas; Provide patient assessment by conducting systematic physical examination.
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.
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: Agencies may require candidates to demonstrate satisfactory performance of the minimum physical abilities necessary to perform safely and efficiently the essential tasks of a particular position. The abilities may be demonstrated through prior satisfactory performance in the same or a similar position, or agencies may choose to use a task demonstration.
Medical Requirements: Applicants for positions that have duties of an arduous or hazardous nature must meet the medical standards described below.
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.)
Any serious deviation from sound medical condition may be grounds for rejection of an applicant regardless of whether the condition is named below.
Eyes: Corrected distant vision must be at least 20 /30 in one eye and 20 /70 in the other eye. Uncorrected distant vision is required only if it is likely that corrective lenses may be lost or broken. If so, uncorrected distant vision must be at least 20 /100 binocular. Ability to distinguish basic colors is required. Applicants must be free from acute or chronic eye disease.
Ears: Using an audiometer for measurement, there should be no loss of 30 or more decibels in the unaided worst ear at the 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz levels.
Nose, Mouth, and Throat: Applicants must be free from conditions that interfere with distinct speech, free breathing, or with the use of breathing apparatuses or protective equipment.
Lungs: Applicants must be free from any pulmonary or chest wall disease or condition that results in not being able to perform the duties of the position.
Heart and Blood Vessels: The following conditions may be cause for rejection: organic heart disease, valvular or vascular diseases, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, recurrent syncope, or history of myocardial infarction.
Abdomen: Acute or chronic disease or inflammation of the abdominal viscera, hernia, or significant enlargement of the liver or spleen that interferes with the performance of the duties of the position will be cause for rejection.
Spine, Pelvic, Sacroiliac and Lumbo-Sacral Joints: Applicants must have free movement of spine and pelvic joints.
Neurological System: Degenerative neurological disease or disorder that results in documented evidence of neurological impairment that renders the applicant unable to perform the duties of the position will be cause for rejection. A history of serious mental disease may be disqualifying.
Extremities: Individuals cannot have anomalies in the number, form, proportion, and movement of the extremities that interfere with function. This includes non-united fractures; nonreducible dislocations; united fractures and reduced dislocations with incomplete restoration of function; amputation of arm, hand, leg, or foot; loss of any skeletal portion of the thumb of either hand; loss of more than the two distal phalanges of the ring or little fingers of either hand; any lose joints; pes cavus, weak foot, or clubfoot; flatfoot with symptoms unresponsive to orthotics; loss or deformity of great toe or any two toes on the same foot; torn cartilage or loose foreign bodies within the knee joint; instability of the knee joint; or inadequately healed surgical procedure.
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.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:
Additional information REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATION: Applicants must possess and maintain a valid State motor vehicle operator's license of the appropriate classification or kind. 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.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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