Summary This position is located in the Facilities Management Service at VA Black Hills Health Care System - Hot Springs VA Medical Center in Hot Springs, SD. The Supervisor Firefighter (Basic Life Support)'s primary duty is to serve as a Deputy Fire Chief and provide fire prevention, protection, suppression, and safety for all medical center patients, employees, visitors, structures, and facilities. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION The Supervisor Firefighter (Basic Life Support) - Deputy Fire Chief provides leadership and operational oversight for fire protection, emergency medical services (Basic Life Support), hazardous materials response, confined space rescue, vehicle and elevator extrication, and other emergency services at the VA Black Hills Health Care System (VHABHHCS). Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Coordinating all emergency responses across both sites, maintaining command during incidents, and deploying specialized equipment like the Rescue Truck and Haz-Mat Trailer. Maintaining readiness for all responses and assuming full command in the absence of the Fire Chief. Overseeing daily fire safety operations and conducting quarterly ward, station, and interim drills to ensure preparedness. Scheduling and delivering fire/safety training for staff, tenants, and patients, including Hospital Decontamination Team instruction, while reviewing internal controls. Assisting in developing, implementing, and enforcing departmental policies, SOPs, and organizational initiatives to improve fire and EMS operations. Ensuring compliance with VHA Directive 7718, NFPA, TJC, OSHA, and VA standards, reporting unresolved issues to the Fire Chief. Supporting EMS program coordination, supervising operations, and implementing protocols and procedures. Ensuring medical supplies and equipment are fully stocked, serviceable, and promptly replaced when damaged or depleted. Supervising GS-09 Supervisory Firefighters and their teams, evaluating performance, approving step increases, and recommending awards or disciplinary actions. Providing leadership, mentorship, and counseling to staff, addressing conduct issues, and communicating feedback to the Fire Chief. Developing and managing monthly schedules, ensuring equitable duty assignments, mandatory coverage, and adapting staffing for emergencies. Approving leave, overtime, and shift trades while tracking timekeeping and annual leave usage. Ensuring firefighting and EMS equipment remains operational through maintenance, replacement, and supply management. Coordinating procurement and replacement of damaged or depleted equipment and supplies to maintain readiness. Preparing and maintaining reports on fire protection, prevention, suppression activities, inspections, and regulatory compliance. Documenting incidents including dollar-loss events, mutual aid, hazardous materials, patient searches, and code violations. Coordinating emergency response, patient safety, and procedural matters with internal departments and external agencies. Maintaining professional relationships with unions, neighboring fire departments, and VA officials, representing the department when the Fire Chief is unavailable Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. with one 24-hour shift Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 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 MINIMUM REQUIREMENT: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Supervisory Firefighter (Basic Life Support) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that demonstrated the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. 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. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) AND To be eligible for employment as a VA Firefighter, applicants must have obtained the following certifications as required by VHA Directive 7718 dated June 19, 2020 prior to the closing of the announcement. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, 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 requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. (NOTE: COPIES OF YOUR CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY THE CLOSING DATE TO RECEIVE CREDIT.) The Selective Placement Factors for this position are: Certification as Firefighter II in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 ~AND~ Certification as Hazardous Materials Operations Level Responders in accordance with Chapter 5, Core Competencies of, in NFPA 472 ~AND~ Certification as Driver/Operator pumper in accordance with NFPA 1002 ~AND~ Certification as Fire Officer II in accordance with NFPA 1021 ~AND~ Certification as Fire Inspector II in accordance with NFPA 1031 ~AND~ Emergency Medical Technician certification in the state in which the VA fire department is located (i.e., South Dakota) or the National Registry certification ~AND~ Certification as Hazardous Materials Incident Commander in accordance with NFPA 472 ~AND~ Certification as Fire and Emergency Services Instructor II in accordance with NFPA 1041 AND DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess and maintain a current valid Driver's License from a State. (NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued driver's license.) AND 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. AND MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: This position requires 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 firefighter service by the time the 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Fire Management Industrial Equipment Operation Managing Human Resources Patient Care IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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). 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. Physical Requirements: Prior to employment and annually thereafter, all firefighters (GS-0081) must be certified by a qualified physician as meeting (a) and (b) and (c) and (d):(a) Medical and physical requirements for performing their assigned duties;(b) Requirements of NFPA 1582;(c) Requirements of NFPA 1583; and,(d) Requirements of NFPA 1500, Chapter 10. 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Medical Requirements Applicants for positions that have duties of an arduous or hazardous nature must meet the medical standards described below. Since individual positions may not include all such duties, a physical condition or impairment may be disqualifying for employment only if there is a direct relationship between the condition and the nature of the duties of the specific position to be filled. 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. Remediable defects or curable diseases will not exclude a person from consideration, but proof that such defects have been remedied or the disease cured must be received during the life of the eligible register before persons otherwise qualified may be considered for appointment under civil service rules. 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. Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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.
