Summary The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Security Assistant (Dispatcher). The Security Assistant will function under Public Safety Service. The primary purpose of the position is to monitor physical security equipment and systems. Responsibilities This position serves as the Security Assistant for Police Service within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) with a primary purpose to monitor physical security equipment and systems. Major duties and responsibilities include: Physical Security Support: monitors and responds to alarms; traces access patterns, programming, assigns or removes user permissions, and remotely opens and secures doors during routine and emergency operations; determines when to dispatch law enforcement or other personnel to investigate; maintains radio/alarm activity records/logs to include dates, times, and results of communications and activities; prepares completed reports; issues and retrieves government issued keys and/or identification cards; and maintains accountability of Police Officer badges issued and all associated logs. Communications: monitors and receives routine and emergency calls from a variety of sources that need police, fire, medical or other emergency services; maintains contact with law enforcement units; monitors and directs responses to security and life safety communications, radio dispatches, telephone calls, and other emergency communication circuits; coordinates with various federal, state and local law enforcement officials for coordination of emergency situations; and operates a variety of communications equipment, telephones and computer systems to support both routine and emergency operations. Operations Support: performs system checks on a variety of equipment used in the dispatch center; troubleshoots systems when problems arise and resolves issues whenever possible; conducts equipment inventories and completes records and other logs; enters, updates and retrieves information from a variety of computer systems/databases; uses state and the National Crime Information Computer (NCIC) to access sensitive law enforcement information to support field operations and investigations; enters or updates regional and national records; compiles and prepares reports related to events occurring in the operation of the police control center; completes vehicle registration tasks and issues decals and permits. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Sunday-Saturday rotating 8-12 hour shifts to include weekends, holidays and overtime to meet the needs of the Medical Center Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Security Assistant/PD99858A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not 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 not 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 (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 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, 05/29/2026. Preferred Experience: At least 1 year of 911- Emergency Police/Fire Dispatching, Monitoring alarms. 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-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: One (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level in the Federal service that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of a Security Assistant, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. Specialized experience includes: the use of various computer, automation systems; computer skills in terms of data entry, compiling information, preparing and submitting reports, and database maintenance and management; maintaining confidentiality of information, both electronic and print; and communication and interpersonal relation skills sufficient to appropriately and courteously relate to internal and external customers both verbally and in writing. NOTE: 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. OR, Education: Have successfully completed (4) years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial or technical NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. Physical Requirements and Work Environment: The work is typically sedentary in nature. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. Working on off-tours, rotating shifts or regular overtime may be required. 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 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/. Additional Information 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 Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
