Firefighter

About the role

It is the mission of the NIST Fire Department to provide an effective fire prevention and protection program to reduce the loss of life and property through the continuation and implementation of policies and education.

The department provides a high quality of standard emergency medical care, rapidly responds to any request for assistance by our NIST staff or our neighboring fire departments in Montgomery County.

What you will do

• In this position at the ZS-III level, you will respond to all emergency calls and employs appropriate suppression techniques, decontamination methods, extinguishing agents, and equipment required to control and extinguish fires.
• You will also: Respond to hazardous material incidents for the purpose of stopping/controlling the release, i.e., approaches the point of release to plug, patch, or otherwise stop the release and prepares report of incident.
• Provide life support to include patient baseline vitals and medical history; administer emergency medications if required, stabilizes patient for transport, and prepares reports of incident.
• Perform fire inspections, maintains firefighting equipment/operations and building compliance, and carries out fire prevention or protection programs.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal fire prevention ordinances and building codes, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulations, writes reports, procedures and plans.
• Operate emergency control console, monitors fire signals and other communications equipment and, at times,monitors the security alarm system.
• In this position at the ZS-IV level, you will drive and operate firefighting and emergency medical apparatus.
• Respond to all emergency calls and employ appropriate suppression techniques, decontamination methods, extinguishing agents, and equipment required to control and extinguish fires.
• You will also: Respond to hazardous material incidents for the purpose of stopping/controlling the release, i.e., approaches the point of release to plug, patch, or otherwise stop the release and prepares report of incident.
• Provide life support to include patient baseline vitals and medical history; administers emergency medications if required, stabilizes patient for transport, and prepares reports of incident.
• Perform fire inspections, maintains firefighting equipment/operations and building compliance, and carries out fire prevention or protection programs.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal fire prevention ordinances and building codes, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulations, writes reports, procedures and plans.
• Operate emergency control console, monitors fire signals and other communications equipment and, at times, monitors the security alarm system.

Education

This position allows applicants to qualify with education. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package.

However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment.

Use of foreign education for qualifications An accredited organization must evaluate education completed outside of the U.S. to ensure that it is comparable to education received in accredited institutions in the U.S. Click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website.

A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with course-by-course listing) is required with your application.

How you will be evaluated

Please prepare a resume that is no longer than two pages; only the first two pages will be considered during the review process. Ensure your font is 11 points or larger and upload your resume as a .pdf document. This helps ensure your formatting looks exactly the way you intended.

How you will be evaluated: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Subject Matter Experts may be used for qualification determinations.

If the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements are met, your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals, or awards relevant to the duties of the position.

Your rating may be lowered if your responses in the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

To preview the questionnaire, click here: *** Rating: Applications will be assessed on the following competencies: First Response Fire Management Vehicle Operation Structured Resume Review.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required specialized experience. SMEs will review ONLY two (2) pages of your resume. SMEs will not review additional information beyond your resume.

Applicants passing the structured resume review will move to the next phase of the assessment process. Referral: If you are among the top-qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview.

You will be referred based on your eligibility (e.g., Merit candidate, veterans' preference, etc.). Please review the Evaluation Process on how applicants are review and referred based upon how they wish to be considered for the position.

CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must submit proof of eligibility (See REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SECTION) and be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority.

"Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility

Documents you must provide

• The documents required vary based on how you're applying (i.e., as a veteran or disabled veteran, current or former Federal employee, etc.).
• Please review the Required Documents for this position to find out if there are any documents required with your application.
• Failure to submit required documents, based upon how you apply, may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
• A complete application includes: 1) A resume, 2) vacancy question responses, and 3) submission of any required documents.
• Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, or if the documents submitted are illegible you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
• Resume: All applicants must submit a resume by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their choosing.
• Please prepare a resume no longer than 2 pages; only the first 2 pages will be considered during the review process.
• Ensure your font is 11 points or larger and upload your resume as a .pdf document.
• This helps ensure your formatting looks exactly the way you intended.
• Cover letters are optional.
• To receive any credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and the number of hours worked for the experience listed on your resume.
• We suggest you review the qualification requirements for this position as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports the position qualifications.
• Please refer to the Resume Guidance on how to build an effective resume.
• Reinstatement: If you are a former federal employee (separated from Federal service for at least 1 year) and wish to be non-competitively reinstated for a higher grade or full performance level than which you left federal employment, you MUST provide a copy of your separation SF-50 (the "position occupied" block on the SF-50 should show a "1" and your "tenure" block should show a "1" or "2") AND the last performance appraisal you received from your federal employment which shows at least a fully successful rating.

What to expect next

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated.

For information on what each Application Status means, visit: USAJOBS Help Center - How to see your application and job status. We will update applicant statuses when: A qualification determination is made. If found not qualified/eligible, no additional updates will be provided.

Applications are referred to the selecting official. A selection decision has been made. Please notify us if your contact information changes after announcement's closing date.

Also, note that if you provide an inaccurate email address or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication, which could affect your consideration for this position.

Additional information

This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here! We may share your application package with other selecting officials.

Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions.

You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY to be considered for this position.

All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations. A probationary period may be required.

This position has physical requirements which include but may not be limited to: Heavy lifting,45 pounds and over Straight pulling Pulling hand over hand Pushing Reaching above shoulder Use of fingers Both hands required Walking Standing Crawling Kneeling Repeated bending Climbing, use of legs and arms Both legs required Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Both eyes required Depth perception Hearing (aid may be permitted) This position has environmental factors which include, but may not be limited to: Outside and inside Excessive Heat Excessive Cold Excessive Humidity Excessive dampness or chilling Dry atmospheric conditions Excessive noise, intermittent Constant noise Dust Silica, asbestos, etc. Fumes, smokes, or gases Grease and oils Radiant energy Electrical energy Slippery or uneven walking surface Working around machinery with moving parts Working around moving objects or vehicles Working on ladders or scaffolding Working below ground Unusual fatigue factors (fire and rescue) Working with hands in water Vibration Working closely with others Working alone Working in hazardous conditions This position requires the passing of a drug test.

NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. For more information, please visit our Careers website.