Firefighter (Paramedic)
About This Position
This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: This position is located at Fort Carson, CO This position is included under the provisions of Special Retirement Coverage (SRC) and may have both a maximum entry age and a mandatory retirement date.
Click here for more information on SRC for Firefighters (Primary/Rigorous)
Qualifications
Who May Apply: US Citizens 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: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service which includes: 1) responding to fire alarms for all classes of fires, including those involving radioactive and/or hazardous materials, medical emergencies, rescue operations, wild land fires, hazardous material incidents, and aircraft emergencies; 2) responding to accidents and other emergencies involving injuries and illnesses 3) conducting complete examinations of patients to determine their conditions and the appropriate treatments. *NOTE: Because there is no position in the normal line of progression in the organization that is one grade lower than the position being filled, one year of specialized experience at the second lower grade level (GS-07) is creditable for in-service applicants.
External applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08).
In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirement above, applicants must also possess the below listed certifications 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. To qualify, the incumbent must possess the following: Firefighter II, Driver/Operator Pumper, HAZMAT Technician, HAZMAT Operations, and National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)/National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) qualification indicating Firefighter Type II certification (Red Card), 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; Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification, and Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (EMT-P), which must be issued by State or National Registry. Must be able to obtain and maintain Airport Fire Fighter certifications within 18 months of date of appointment. (Applicants must provide copies of certifications with their applicant package).
NOTE: Rather than submitting individual DoD certificates, you may opt to use the DoD Lookup System website https://www.dodffcert.com/ and then save and upload your one/two page individual report. (Rather than submitting your EMT Certification Card, you may print proof of current registration with NREMT from their website(https://www.nremt.org/nremt/about/checkEmtStatus.asp Proof of Age: As this is a Primary/Rigorous firefighter position, your application package MUST include a government issued document indicating your date of birth. Failure to submit this document will result in your application being marked as incomplete and you WILL NOT receive further consideration for this position. Maximum Entry Age (MEA): The MEA for Firefighters is
- An employee originally hired into a covered position must be hired by the last day of the month he/she reaches
37.
You MUST attach a copy of your Driver's License to your resume packet, or your resume packet will be considered incomplete. 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. Waivers to Maximum Entry Age: MEA may be waived, but only under specific circumstances and only if approved by the authorized entity. Waivers to MEA for firefighters must be approved by the agency.
Mandatory Separation: An employee who occupies a special retirement position is subject to mandatory separation when all the following minimum conditions are met: age 57; completion of 20 years of creditable service as a firefighter. Mandatory separation is effective on the last day of the month in which the minimum conditions are met. Employees who are subject to mandatory separation are given a notice period of at least 60 days.
Major Duties
Respond to fire alarms for all classes of fires, including those involving radioactive and/or hazardous materials, medical emergencies, rescue operations, wild land fires, hazardous material incidents, and aircraft emergencies.
Assess fire ground conditions. Upon arrival at emergency scene position apparatus, take into consideration pre-planned instructions and such factors as hydrant locations, exposure, wind direction, overhead power lines, terrain, and rescue equipment.
Provide medical care to onsite accidents and other emergencies involving injuries and illnesses. Conduct complete examination and determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of their condition and determine the appropriate treatment.
Perform operator maintenance on emergency vehicles, firefighting and medical equipment as required
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone. No substitution of education for experience is permitted.
How You Will Be Evaluated
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position.
Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
Additional Information
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
This position requires a 1 year probationary period during which the agency evaluates your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In making this determination, the agency may consider your performance and conduct; agency needs and interests; whether your continued employment supports organizational or Government goals; and whether it promotes the efficiency of the Federal service. Continued employment requires written certification that it advances the public interest.
Direct Deposit of Pay is required. Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees. If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
This is a(n) Installations Career Field position. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement. When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable.
Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) allowances may be authorized, subject to the provisions of the Joint Travel Regulations and an agency determination that a PCS move is in the Government Interest. Recruitment and relocation incentives may be authorized Student loan repayment may be authorized.
Salary negotiations for those candidates who are new to Federal service may be authorized. Credit for Prior Non-Federal Work Experience and Certain Military Service for Determining Annual Leave Accrual Rate may be authorized.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/25/2026 to receive consideration To begin, click Apply to access the online application.
You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13035018).
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. 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.
You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position.
Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), 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: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements. As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1.
Your resume: 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 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.
- DoD Certificates and NREMT License : You MUST submit a copy of the following: Firefighter I/II, HAZMAT Awareness/Operations/Technician, Driver Operator-Pumper, Driver Operator-ARFF, Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) and Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B), 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 State or National Registry EMT License . 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.
- Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable Proof of Age: As this is a primary/rigorous firefighter position, your application package MUST include a government issued document indicating your date of birth. Failure to submit this document will result in your application being marked as incomplete and you WILL NOT receive further consideration for this position.
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.