Summary This position is assigned to the Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Emergency Medicine Service, Ambulance Service, in various VA Medical Center (VAMC) locations with an emergency room, acute care or urgent care clinic, or other similar departments performing basic and advanced life support procedures. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: Paramedic Duties (70%): The Paramedic responds to on-site accidents and other emergencies involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening. Determines and prioritizes appropriate medical treatment/procedures and need for additional assistance. Paramedics shall perform patient triage and take/records patient's vital signs as needed. Paramedics perform physical examinations and obtains patient history, assesses status of patient's neurological system, cardiovascular system, circulatory system, skeletal system, orthopedic system, motor and sensory skills, and level of consciousness. Paramedics shall have broad knowledge and skills sufficient to provide and gather information on the human body structure, function, illnesses and diseases, and the treatment procedure supporting patient charting and goals for the assigned patient for the purpose of communicating with the patients and nursing/medical staff members. The Paramedic makes an independent preliminary assessment of the pa condition and selects from a variety of prescribed protocols the one that is considered appropriate under the given circumstances. The Paramedic determines, with due regard to the condition, if and how the patient can be moved and to which medical facility the patient should be transported. The Paramedic prioritizes treatments for patients having multiple problems and employs a variety of advanced emergency medicine techniques, methods, and equipment during transport to the appropriate medical facility. Ambulance/Transport Vehicle Operation (30%): The Paramedic selects the most efficient route to and from sites, taking into consideration traffic patterns, health facility locations, etc. Paramedic operates the emergency transport vehicle and uses telephone and radio communications equipment and systems. Paramedics shall have skills and familiarity with emergency and patient transport vehicle characteristics to safely operate the vehicle under adverse weather and/or traffic conditions to provide emergency and patient transportation. Paramedics shall have skills to read highway maps, program GPS devices, read and follow instructions in order to locate and complete assigned tasks. The Paramedic adheres to traffic ordinances and regulations pertaining to operation of emergency vehicles. Paramedics prepare appropriate patient and vehicle use documentation and reports to ensure medical requirements are met. After each trip, replaces linens, blankets, and other supplies; sends supplies and equipment for sterilization, and ensures vehicle is ready for the next run. Performs thorough safety and operator maintenance inspections and makes minor repairs on a variety of emergency ambulances, patient transport vehicles, and medical equipment. The Paramedic ensures that the vehicles are kept clean and neat. Paramedics will decontaminate the vehicle in accordance with Medical Treatment Facility (MTF) established procedures. Utilizes various tools and equipment, some of which are specialized emergency medical equipment such as Henley backboards, EKG monitor and defibrillator, mechanical CPR device, etc. Work Schedule: TOD will vary as the site is open 24 hours Paramedics work rotating shifts, including holidays, and are subject to occasional recall to maintain adequate coverage of the Emergency Department and ambulance service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mandatory overtime may be required due to run times that may extend beyond normal scheduled work hours. Travel: Incumbent shall possess a valid and unrestricted state driver's license. Travel will only occur during patient transportation Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic/PD99778S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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 or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 12/02/2025. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-08 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Positions in this series range widely in @type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes knowledge of a majority of body systems, i.e., skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and genitourinary, to perform patient examination; responding to accidents and other emergencies involving injury and/or illness which may be life-threatening and require basic life support procedures; experience providing transportation of patients to medical treatment facilities; using communication equipment and techniques to accurately obtain and relay information to and from dispatchers and health care providers; knowledge of protocols and treatments used in the delivery of emergency care for persons injured in chemical, nuclear, biological, and hazardous materials incidents; and experience operating emergency or patient transport vehicles. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond one year of graduate school and experience, described above, to meet total qualification requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: First Response Pathophysiology Technology Application Vehicle Operation 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: Heavy lifting, (45 pounds and over); Heavy carrying, (45 pounds and over); Straight pulling; Pulling hand over hand; Pushing; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking; Standing; Kneeling; Repeated bending; Climbing; Use of legs; Both legs required; Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other eye; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Operation of motor vehicle during day and at night; Twisting, simple grasping and fine manipulation Environmental factors: Outside and inside; Excessive heat; Excessive cold; Excessive humidity; Excessive dampness, Excessive noise, intermittent; Slippery or uneven walking around machinery with moving parts; Working around moving objects or vehicles; Unusual fatigue factors (working overnight to mid-day); Vibration; Working closely with others; Protracted or irregular hours of work; Mandatory overtime; Must be able to work days, nights, and swing shifts; Exposure to infected patients & contaminated materials; Capable of working effectively under stress 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/. Education NOTE: 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. Ex: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.
