Lead Firefighter (Basic Life Support / Hazmat Technician)

Job Details

Position Overview

Duties

• Directs a crew engaged in all-hazards response functions.
• Drives and operates firefighting/rescue vehicles and equipment.
• Instructs and trains employees on policies, procedures, and specific tasks and job techniques.
• Performs firefighting and rescue operations.
• Provides medical care at the emergency medical technician (EMT) level.
• Prepares reports for supervisory review regarding emergency responses, training, maintenance, and daily activities.

Qualifications & Requirements

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

• Current Department of Army Civilian Employees Applying on Time-Limited Assignments

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized Experience Statement: One year of specialized experience which includes: 1) Driving and operating firefighting apparatus and equipment. 2) Operating as a member of a hazardous material response team at the technician level. 3) Performing emergency medical care at the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level. 4) Performing aircraft rescue and firefighting operations. 5) Conducting inspections of firefighting equipment to maintain proper serviceability. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

Selective Placement Factors: In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement above, applicants must also possess the following certificates certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board) in accordance with DoD 6055.06-M upon entry into this position. (Note: You must attach a copy of your certifications for verification.)

• Firefighter I
• Firefighter II
• Airport Firefighter
• Hazardous Materials Technician
• Fire Officer I
• Fire Instructor I
• Fire Inspector I (NOTE: An accredited First Responder Inspector certification IAW Chapter 7 of NFPA Standard 1030, 2024 Edition is acceptable for this requirement).
• National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification or state EMT certification from a state with National Registry reciprocity.

Maximum Entry Age (MEA) The MEA for Firefighters is 37. An employee originally hired into a covered position must be hired by the last day of the month he/she reaches 37.

Maximum Reentry Age An employee who previously served on a covered position may be rehired past the MEA as long as he/she is able to complete 20 years of covered service by his/her mandatory retirement age. The maximum re-entry age for the individual is calculated by determining the total amount of time he/she has served on a covered position and subtracting that from age 57 if a firefighter. The employee's current age is compared to the calculated maximum re-entry age to determine if he/she can be rehired into the covered position.


You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Conditions of Employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires the completion of pre-employment and periodic subsequent medical examination in accordance with DoDM 6055.06 to ensure continued, required level of physical health and ability or fitness to perform the duties of the position.
• This position has a requirement to lift up to 50 lbs. in the regular performance of duties.
• The duties of this position meet the criteria for compliance with Federal and Department of the Army Drug Free Workplace Programs. Detection of the presence of drugs is warranted.
• This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random testing thereafter, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident.
• This position has been designated Mission Essential. In the event of severe weather conditions or other such emergency type situations the incumbent is required to report to work or remain at work as scheduled to support mission operations.
• Incumbent must wear a uniform and safety apparel in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• This position requires shift work to provide coverage on evenings, weekends, holidays, or special situations. Employee shifts are rotated on a regularly scheduled basis; 48-hour rotating shifts with a work schedule of 144 hours per pay period.
• The duties of this position require the incumbent to possess or obtain and maintain a valid state Driver's License in one of the 50 U.S. states or possessions to operate vehicles.
• This position requires successful completion of an annual Job Performance Test.
• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment.
• Incumbent is required to report for duty during Natural Disasters and other emergency situations as directed by the Fire Chief.
• Incumbent must maintain a functioning telephone to aid in contact during recall situations.
• The work requires the incumbent to drive a motor vehicle. An appropriate government driver's license is required.
• New hires must pass the record Physical Ability Test (PAT) and must pass the PAT annually thereafter. (A minimum of four months must pass between calendar years for annual PATs).
• This position requires the incumbent to pass a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Fit Test.
• Incumbent must participate in the department's wellness program to include a structured physical exercise program.
• This position has a Temporary Duty (TDY) or business travel requirement of 10% of the time.
• Appointment to this position may be subject to a one year probationary period unless the appointee has previously met the requirements as described in 5 CFR Part 11.
• Incumbent must participate in a cardiovascular physical fitness program.

Evaluations

Required Documents

• Your resume must be 2 pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

• You MUST submit a copy of the following: FF I, FF II, Airport FF, Hazardous Materials Tech, Fire Officer I, Fire Instructor I, & Fire Inspector I certified through DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification System, International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), or the Fire Service Professional Qualifications System (PRO-Board) AND a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification or state EMT certification from a state with National Registry reciprocity. If your application package does not contain proof of having these certificates and license , your application will be marked as incomplete and you WILL NOT receive consideration for this position.
• Rather than submitting individual DoD certificates, if you have received a Student ID# for the DoD Fire and Emergency Services Certification Program website (https://go.usa.gov/xdsTR) you may provide a copy of your most recent certification transcript. If you do not know your Student ID, you may contact the AFCEC Reach-back Center at [email protected] for assistance. Rather than submitting your EMT License, you may print proof of your current EMT License with NREMT from their website (https://www.nremt.org).
• If you are a current federal employee and do not have one of the required certificates due to the DoD F&ES Certification Program delay - You may submit a provisional certificate, memorandum from the Fire Chief requesting the certificates, and/or another document showing completion of the course. PLEASE NOTE: If selected, you will not be placed into the position until the official certificate has been received from the DoD F&ES Certificate Program.

• Cover Letter
• Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
• Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).

How to Apply

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13023967
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/31/2026.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.