Department of Health and Human Services

Emergency Management Specialist

Ravalli County, Montana Full time

Emergency Management Specialist

Department: Department of Health and Human Services

Location(s): Ravalli County, Montana

Salary Range: $73939 - $137000 Per Year

Job Summary: The Division of Fire and Rescue Services provides response capabilities for all fire, rescue, and technological emergencies on the NIH campus. The Rocky Mountain Laboratories is the second-largest off-campus intramural research facility within NIH, located on 33 acres in Hamilton, Montana. The facility comprises more than 30 buildings and employs a diverse workforce across a variety of occupations. RML also operates a state-of-the-art Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) Integrated Research Facility.

Major Duties:

  • If selected for this position as a GS-0089-11/12/13 Emergency Management Specialist your duties may include, but are not limited to the following: Participates and assists in the development of emergency plans for all RML facilities including those relating to fire as well as other major emergencies under the "All Hazards" umbrella that could occur within such facilities. Attends relevant meetings, conferences, and working groups with external partners to relay information related to RML resources for emergency management. Remains alert for communications pertaining to any emergency that may be of vital interest to RML components. Evaluates such information, provides information and updates to senior management and suggests actions to be taken to ensure the safety of personnel, property, research animals, and projects. Serves as Incident Commander during on-site emergencies. Directs response operations involving hazardous materials, medical emergencies, and rescues. Remains alert for communications pertaining to any emergency that may be of vital interest to RML components. Evaluates such information, provides information and updates to senior management and directs actions to be taken to ensure the safety of personnel, property, research animals, and projects. Coordinates with mutual aid responders and manages emergency scenes. Manages emergency response teams and equipment readiness. Ensures 24/7 coverage, team certification, and response capabilities. Maintains PPE, apparatus, and HazMat supplies. Provides first responder personalized care of the sick and injured based on DFRS SOPs and local medical direction. Coordinates the treatment and transportation of patients with mutual aid units. Responds to HazMat emergencies as part of the RML HazMat Response Team. Implements the DFRS Emergency Response Plan, perform the classification, identification, and verification on known and unknown materials by using advanced survey instruments and equipment. Select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective suits, perform in-depth hazard and risk assessment of hazardous materials, and perform specialized control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available. Determines and implements decontamination procedures and understands chemical, radiological, and toxicological terminology and behavior. Inspects, test, and maintains fire extinguishers on the RML campus and apparatus; maintains and checks for the readiness of all emergency response apparatus; conducts fire protection and prevention activities and receives/relays emergency management information as required; inspects, test, and calibrates personal/chemical protective equipment, technical rescue equipment, hazardous materials analytical equipment and inspects, test, and maintains supplies for various suppression and emergency medical equipment utilized by the Division of Fire Rescue Services in accordance with DFRS Standard Operating Procedures and local medical direction. Responds to HazMat emergencies as part of the RML HazMat Response Team. Implements the DFRS Emergency Response Plan, performs classification, identification, and verification on known and unknown materials by using advanced survey instruments and equipment. Selects and uses proper specialized chemical personal protective suits, performs in-depth hazard and risk assessment of hazardous materials, and performs specialized control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available. Serves as the principal advisor to RML and NIH senior leadership on hazard mitigation strategies and risk reduction initiatives. Interprets and applies national directives (e.g., PPD-8, HSPD-5, NIMS, NRF) to RML's unique biomedical research and high-containment lab operations and applying expert judgment in tailoring guidance to RML's operational environment.

Qualifications: You qualify at the GS-11 level, if you meet one of the following qualification requirements: Completed a Ph.D. or equivalent graduate degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M., if related. OR You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) providing initial support as a first responder, such as assisting with patient care, decontamination procedures, or hazardous materials assessments under direction of senior team members. 2) reviewing and updating emergency response and contingency plans (e.g., fire, hazardous materials, continuity of operations, and all-hazard plans) to ensure preparedness and compliance. 3) participate in emergency response activities by applying standard operating procedures, policies, and directives under supervision. Responses may have included fire alarms, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, or odor investigations. 4) Assist with selecting proper specialized chemical personal protective suits, assist with performing in-depth hazard and risk assessment of hazardous materials, and assist with performing specialized control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available. OR A combination of post baccalaureate education related to the position and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. You qualify at the GS-12 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) assist with the development of emergency management plans (e.g., fire, hazardous materials, continuity of operations, or all-hazards plans) for facilities or organizations. 2) monitoring and evaluating emergency communications and alerts, assessing potential impacts, and providing timely recommendations and updates to senior leadership. 3) serving as a first responder to incidents involving fire, hazardous materials, or medical emergencies; by coordinating on-scene operations with mutual aid units; making decisions on containment, control, and decontamination procedures. 4) performing technical hazard assessments of chemical, biological, radiological, and other materials, using specialized detection equipment and protective gear to identify risks and determine appropriate mitigation strategies. 5) performing inspections, testing, calibrations, and maintenance of emergency response equipment, protective clothing, fire suppression systems, hazardous materials instruments, and medical supplies to ensure operational readiness. 6) select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective suits, assist with performing in-depth hazard and risk assessment of hazardous materials, and assist with performing specialized control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available. You qualify at the GS-13 level, if you meet the following qualification requirements: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one (1) year of qualifying experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: 1) providing initial support as a first responder, such as assisting with patient care, decontamination procedures, or hazardous materials assessments under direction of senior team members. 2) acts as a first responder for all fire alarms, odor investigations and fires based on Standard Operating Procedures. 3) reviewing and updating emergency response and contingency plans (e.g., fire, hazardous materials, continuity of operations, and all-hazard plans) to ensure preparedness and compliance. 4) Select and use proper specialized chemical personal protective suits, perform in-depth hazard and risk assessment of hazardous materials, and perform specialized control, containment, and/or confinement operations within the capabilities of the resources and personal protective equipment available. 5) Determines and implements decontamination procedures and understands chemical, radiological, and toxicological terminology and behavior. 6) inspects, test, and calibrates personal/chemical protective equipment, technical rescue equipment, hazardous materials analytical equipment. You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12848948

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click Apply Online button. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package. Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12848948 After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder. 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. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 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. Set aside at least 3 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. 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. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later. We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov. For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact Lori Palmerat .palmerlom@mail.nih.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date. Visit our site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-22