Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic - Recruitment Incentive

This position is located in Veterans Transportation Services (VTS), Ambulance Service, at the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The primary function of the position is to perform basic and advanced life support procedures.

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

This Medical Care Transpiration Technician - Paramedic position is assigned to the Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Transportation Services (VTS), Ambulance Service, in various VA Medical Center (VAMC) locations with an emergency room, acute care or urgent care clinic, or other similar departments performing basic and advanced life support procedures. The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs all duties of a Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician, which includes: responds to accidents and other emergencies involving injury, illness, life threatening situations; patient triage and take/record patient vital signs; conducts complete assessment of patient's condition, obtains patient history; makes independent preliminary patient assessments and if and how the patient can be moved and to which facility to transport patient to; administers Basic and Advanced Life Support Care, responds to and monitors cardiac and defibrillation; provides fluid resuscitation by IV and manages trauma injuries, bleeding, and post-traumatic shock.
• Operates various emergency vehicles and emergency/medical equipment, tools and supplies which may include ambulance, extrication tools, blood pressure cuff, cardiac monitor, glucose monitor, defibrillator, endotracheal tube, external pacing device, 12 lead EKG airway equipment, intravenous pump, oxygen terminal, pulse oximetry monitor, CPAP, auto-ventilator, medical supplies, radio communications equipment.
• Ambulance Interpretive Guidelines involve: Airway Obstruction and Respiratory Arrest; Cardiac Arrest; Mechanical Breathing Aids; Bleeding and Shock; Fractures of Torso and Extremities; Head, Face, Neck and Spine Injuries; Eye, Chest, Abdomen, and Genitalia; Childbirth; Miscellaneous Medical Emergencies; Environmental Emergencies.
• Operates emergency transport vehicles, uses telephone and radio communications equipment and systems, selects most efficient route to and from sites taking into consideration traffic patterns, adverse weather conditions, and health facility locations. Reads highway maps, program GPS devices, and follows instructions. Decontaminates the vehicle and assures vehicle is ready for the next run by replacing supplies and medical equipment and performs safety inspections and operator maintenance.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Condition of continued employment: If Paramedic does not possess certification as a National Registered Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic), Paramedic shall obtain this certification no later than (NLT) 18 months after employment as condition of continued employment with VA.

Work Schedule: Paramedics work rotating shifts, including holidays, and are subject to occasional recall to maintain adequate coverage of the Emergency Department and ambulance service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Mandatory overtime may be required due to run times that may extend beyond normal scheduled work hours.
Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic, GS-0640-09,in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Please refer to the Qualifications and Duties sections of this vacancy announcement for detailed information.

• SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE (GS-09): You must possess at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-08) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Medical Care Transportation Technician - Paramedic. Qualifying specialized experience includes performing patient examinations; responding to accidents and other emergencies involving injury and/or illness which may be life-threatening and require basic life support procedures; providing transportation of patients to medical treatment facilities; using communication equipment and techniques to accurately obtain and relay information to and from dispatchers and health care providers; and operating emergency or patient transport vehicles. (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.) -OR-
• SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (GS-09): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Successfully completed two (2) full years of graduate education or a master's degree is creditable only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If transcript is not received by the closing date, your application may not be reviewed.) -OR-
• COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education (in excess of one year) and specialized experience as described above may be used to meet the total qualification requirements. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If transcript is not received by the closing date, your application may not be reviewed.).

In addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements, the following criteria must be met to be qualified for this position.

English Language Proficiency Requirement: 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 perform the duties of this position.

-AND-

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR (SCREEN-OUT) - FOUR Selective Placement Factors (SPF) have been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration.

1. Must possess a valid/current state issued Paramedic license/certification for eligibility for employment .
2. Must possess and maintain current Basic Life Support Provider (BLS) Certification. (COPY OF CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED by the closing date of the announcement to receive credit for further consideration).
3. Must possess and maintain current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Provider Certification. (COPY OF CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED by the closing date of the announcement to receive credit for further consideration).
4. Possess a valid and unrestricted state driver's license. (Please DO NOT provide driver's license. We may not accept pictures. This requirement will be verified during interview).

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/.

Physical Requirements: This position involves extended periods of heavy moving and lifting of patients in a variety of situations. The work requires recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and positioning of patients, frequently under adverse conditions or in confined areas; may require to spend prolonged periods in protective breathing apparatus and protective closing during chemical, nuclear, biological, or hazardous materials incidents/exercises. Employee may be exposes to infection and contagious diseases, and may involve exposure to patients who are intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, or mentally unstable resulting in belligerent and violent behavior.

IMPORTANT: 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/.

• 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.
• 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 identification 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.