Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/11/2026. 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-05 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. For a GS-06 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. To qualify for a GS-07 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. AGE REQUIREMENT: This position has 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 fire service by the time the firefighter reaches the age of 57 LICENSE REQUIREMENT: This position requires a valid state driver's license. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: Selective Placement Factors are knowledge, skills, abilities 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 requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet them are ineligible for further consideration. You must submit copies of your certifications with your application to receive credit. The following certifications are required for GS-05 and above. Copies of your certifications and/or documentation of these certifications in your resume is required. Certification by the National IFSAC as a Pro-Board Firefighter II. Certification by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or New Jersey State EMT. Certification by the National IFSAC as a Pro-Board Hazardous Materials Operations. 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: controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; rescue operations; detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; operation of fire communications equipment; controlling hazardous materials incidents and/or developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. OR, Education: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university with major study in Fire Science, Fire Training, or other related fields of study is qualifying for GS-5. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-06: Do you possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Firefighter (Basic Life Support) position? To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) in Federal Service. Such duties may include: providing emergency medical first responder or higher medical level pre-hospital patient assessments by conducting systematic physical examinations to determine patient's condition and treatment; controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; rescue operations; detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards; operation of fire communications equipment; controlling hazardous materials incidents and/or developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS 7: Do you possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the Firefighter (Basic Life Support) position? To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6) in Federal Service. In addition to meeting the experience listed above, you also may possess the following Specialized Experience to qualify at the GS 7 grade level: working experience serving as a team member effectively controlling and extinguishing fires, operating various nozzles and hose lines, making connections to and operating fire hydrants; performing forcible entries, ventilating structures, carries, raises and lowers ground ladders; performing in rescue operations, using a variety of hand tools, hydraulic tools and portable fire extinguishers; performing specialized rescues, hazardous materials spill responses and serving as a driver/operator of pumpers, ambulances and special service vehicles; performing fire protection inspector duties to include conducting inspections on built-in fire protection features such as fire barriers smoke barriers and fire doors; conducting testing and maintenance on fire detection and suppression systems such as sprinkler systems, fire pumps, fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers and fire hydrants. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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: Applicants will be given a physical examination including a treadmill and agility test. Failure to pass these tests may be justification for disqualification. Periodic medical examinations following appointment may be required to determine fitness for continued performance of the duties of the position. 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/.