Summary This position is located in Big Bend National Park, in the Visitor & Resource Protection Division. A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Responsibilities GS-05/6. The full-performance grade of this position is GS-06. The incumbent performs developmental assignments under closer than normal supervision. Assignments become progressively more difficult until the full-performance level is reached. Non-competitive promotion to the target job may be affected provided the incumbent is sufficiently experienced; meets all necessary qualification requirements for promotion to the target job; and is performing the full scope of the major duties and is functioning under the supervisory controls stated in the target job description. As a dispatcher for the Big Bend National Park Dispatch Center, the incumbent is responsible for dispatching complex all-risk incidents. The Center supports Law Enforcement, Structural Fire, Aviation, Intelligence, Medical, Search and Rescue, and other emergency service functions with federal, state, county, and local cooperators. The position is located in the Dispatch Center of Park Headquarters. The Center operates typically 0700- 2200 daily every day of the year. This critical/sensitive position serves as a public safety dispatcher in a park Dispatch Center that requires shift work, seven days a week all year long. The Dispatch Center environment is complex, working cooperatively with more than one park district, jurisdiction, and/or agency in a geographical area, requiring an extensive body of dispatch procedures knowledge: query access to National Criminal Information Network (NCIC), National Law Enforcement Communications System (NLETS), and state networks with full responsibility in public safety emergency response. Area Info: Big Bend National Park encompasses 801,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert with varied scenery and diversity of plant and animal life. The park community consists of 250 people, including employees of the NPS, Concession, Border Patrol, Postal Service, School, and their families living in 4 housing areas; Panther Junction (PJ), Chisos Basin, Castalon, and Rio Grande Village. A state-accredited elementary school (K-8) is located at Panther Junction. The park has a post office, gas stations, camper stores, restaurant, and lodge. Elevation in the park varies from 7825 to 1850 ft. The climate is generally pleasant with hot summers (90-110+ degrees F.) and mild winters (30-50 degrees F.). Terlingua (a small town 24 miles away from PJ) has a state-accredited high school (no bus service), lodging, restaurants, hardware store, small grocery and gift stores, churches and a bank. Lajitas has limited shopping, lodging, restaurants, golf course and churches. Alpine, Texas (100 miles from PJ) has most necessities, including supermarkets, variety of stores, a hospital, pharmacies, churches, a movie theater, and a university. The nearest larger cities are Midland/Odessa (225 miles) and El Paso (325 miles). Recreational opportunities include hiking, bird watching, photography, backcountry camping, bicycling, and river rafting. An active employee/ community association sponsors social events throughout the year. Please visit our website for more information at: https://go.nps.gov/bigbendareainfo Daycare and School Information: The San Vicente Independent School District (SVISD) and SVISD Early Learning Center (ELC), are located in Panther Junction and serve those that live in Big Bend National Park. SVISD ELC, is a state-accredited daycare facility for children ages 18 months to 4 years of age. Daycare services are currently free of charge (subject to change). The SVISD elementary school, located in Panther Junction, is a Texas Education Agency, A-Rated, elementary school (K-8). Terlingua (30 miles) has a state-accredited high school, rich in academics, extracurricular, and athletic opportunities for students in grades 9-12. For more information about the Daycare and Schooling, contact Jessi Milam, Ed.D. Superintendent, Cell: (830) 333-1074 or SVISD School Office: (432) 244-3131. Alpine, TX (100 miles) has a four-year university with in-person and online graduate programs." Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Occupancy of government quarters is required. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/05/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: relaying information on a radio or telephone system; working as a switchboard operator; dispatching information on a fire or at a construction site; working as a security guard or law enforcement officer; producing criminal reports through a computer system; or coordinating emergency response efforts. You must include hours per week worked on your resume. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years of education above high school in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. The education must have been attained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience) and three years of education above high school (50% of the education) would qualify an applicant for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. You must include transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-06 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: provide dispatch and/or call taking services, related to public safety (medical, law enforcement, search and rescue, fire or other emergencies/public safety related); operate computer systems such as but not limited to National Criminal Information Network (NCIC), National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS), Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), or similar systems that aid in public safety dispatching to run queries and document communications. You must include hours per week worked on your resume. Volunteer Experience: 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). 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. Education For the GS-05 level only- To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For the GS-06 level only-There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level of this announcement. Additional Information A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Physical Demands: Incumbent must function efficiently in a confined space for extended periods with no breaks and no opportunity to leave the confines of the Communications Center. The dispatcher is considered an "essential employee," meaning he/she is required to work most holidays, report for duty during adverse weather conditions, and be expected to work for long hours exceeding normally scheduled shifts in case of emergencies. Position is sedentary with high amounts of stress. Incumbent is subject to shift work, rotating shift work, and uncommon tours of duty. Work requires use of the voice in vocal communications for periods of hours at a time. Voice must be clear, audible, and tone effective with words plainly spoken and understandable. Incumbent must be able to hear clearly and discern a variety of audible communications and signals simultaneously. Incumbent must be able to read critical information from multiple sources, including computer screen, fax, and written log quickly and accurately. The work is of an emergency nature and is emotionally stressful. Incumbent must possess manual dexterity sufficient to operate computer terminals/keyboards and related equipment and to maintain written logs. Work involves occasional lifting of boxes and supplies up to weights of 50 pounds. Working Conditions: The work is normally performed in a well-lighted and temperature-controlled room. Noise levels are routinely high due to electronic equipment, telephones, radios, and other discussions ongoing in the performance of duties. The setting is typically confined and secure, and entrance and egress is controlled. During the training period and/or on other occasions, the incumbent will be assigned to accompany field law enforcement personnel in patrol vehicles to learn or gain a more detailed familiarization with agency field operating procedures and jurisdictional boundaries. Incumbent may not leave the center unless relieved by another qualified dispatcher.