Duties

GS-0189-03 Recreation Aid: In this position, the employee receives a variety of training on the functions and responsibilities of a surf lifeguard related to visitor education, visitor protection and protection of the resources. The incumbent receives over 100 hours of pre-season training which includes EMS training, surf lifeguards skills training and physical fitness training. Additionally, the employee is required to perform in-service training two times daily and completes a broad variety of safety training. The employee learns the skills of surf lifeguard work, learns standard operating procedures, learns how to properly supervise and use safety control measures on an ocean lifeguarded beach, including compliance with rules and regulations, assisting visitors, providing ocean rescue, emergency medical services and search and rescue.

GS-0189-03/04 Recreation Aid/Assistant: The incumbent of the Surf Lifeguard position learns how to supervise park visitors, learns how to apply the principals of lifeguarding in order to manage large beach crowds of people. Once trained, the incumbent performs ocean surf rescues inside and outside the designated lifeguard area and provides appropriate medical care to injured and ill park visitors at the emergency medical responder level or above. Once trained, the employee works as part of a team to conduct search and rescue. The employee has a legal duty to act in emergencies within their scope of training. Employee operates off-road vehicles (ATV's) as one of their means of emergency response. In order to ensure non-degradation of park resources, the incumbent inspects beach areas such as berm, beach face and walkway accesses onto beach. Upon discovery of deficiencies, makes corrections whenever possible. The candidate reports uncorrected deficiencies to appropriate personnel. Once fully trained, the employee provides visitor assistance and emergency response anywhere within the park when called upon.

Once trained, employee provides safety contacts and enforcement actions with the visitor. The employee educates, informs and directs visitors on laws, rules, and regulations of the area. Assateague Island's lifeguard operation provides over 7000 visitor safety directions and enforcement actions annually. Once trained, the employee conducts daily assessment of surf zone conditions and weather conditions, collects data, posts data, communicates and interprets information to the public and park staff. The employee provides surf safety interpretive presentations to the public throughout the summer which are presentation designed to educate the visiting public on the various hazards one may encounter in the surf zone or at the beach and educate visitors on how to assess the risks and avoid the dangers. The employee educates and directs visitors on parks policies dealing with human / wildlife interaction.

Incumbent is responsible for ensuring that all articles found by lifeguard employees are reported on a Form No. 10-166 (Lost-Found Report), are safeguarded and turned in to the responsible person in charge as soon as possible. Lost-Found Reports will be filled out accurately and completely. Responsible for accurate documentation on to daily head lifeguard report, daily stand report, beach information signs and case incident records. Documents all protected beach and first aid incidents on the appropriate forms according to federal and agency guidelines. The employee inspects and maintains assigned equipment and ensures that it is ready for immediate use and stores equipment properly at the end of the day.

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement. The first cut-off date is February 6, 2023.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Incidental Driving: The GS-04 may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
• Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
Work Schedule: This position has a mixed work schedule some positions are part-time and some are full-time.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/30/2023-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-03 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: Have six months of general experience. General experience is (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Examples include working as at the YMCA, counselor at a summer camp, work as a leader with Boy Scout/Girl Scout clubs etc. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Have successfully completed one year above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate 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 or technical school. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your degree in your resume. You must submit a copy of your transcripts, or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. We cannot determine eligibility without this information. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty if you are selected). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION: Have a combination of work experience and education which added together would equal 100 percent of the needed qualifications for the position. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: Have six months of general experience AND six months of specialized experience. General experience is any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject areas of the occupation. Examples include working as a lifeguard at the YMCA, counselor at a summer camp, work as a leader with Boy Scout/Girl Scout clubs. Specialized experience is experience which is in the occupation of the position to be filled, in a related occupation, or in one of the specialized areas within that occupation, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression of the occupation in the organization. Some examples of specialized experience are a) aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; b) aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities; c) aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; d)summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g. demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children). You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Have successfully completed 2 years of study above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to recreation (e.g., basic psychology, group dynamics, physical education, arts and crafts, etc.). IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your degree in your resume. You must submit a copy of your transcripts, or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. We cannot determine eligibility without this information. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty if you are selected). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION: Have a combination of work experience and education (includes 6 semester hours in courses related to recreation (e.g., basic psychology, group dynamics, physical education, arts, and crafts, etc.)) when added together would equal 100 percent of the needed qualifications for the position.
You must include transcripts.

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

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.

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.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.
Physical Demands: The work requires daily strenuous physical exertion including running ½ mile or more with heavy rescue equipment, swimming long distances against currents and strong surf with heavy victims in tow and lifting and carrying heavy persons through large breaking waves. The incumbent will be using various rescue devices such as rescue fins, rescue kayaks and rescue paddleboards in the ocean where they may be paddling, swimming and kayaking long distances. The work of the employee regularly includes long periods of sitting, standing, and running over uneven terrain. The employee will also be driving ATV's in adverse weather conditions.

Working Conditions: Most of the work is performed outdoors subject to weather variances such as extreme heat or cold, rainy conditions, and high UV indexes, cold water temperatures, large waves and marine organisms. The employee is frequently exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations when involved in emergency response situations requiring the use of a wide range of personal protective gear. Emergency operations will require entry into hazardous environments, exposure to dangerous persons, animals, substances and potential exposure to infectious diseases. The terrain can be uneven and consists of soft or hard packed sand mixed with seashells and other debris.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information .