Duties

EARLY CONSIDERATION: 02/03/2023. All applications submitted by 11:59 pm EST will be considered. As vacancies remain, applications received after 02/03/2023, will be considered, on an as needed basis.

• Oversee district lifeguard operations and provide direction to staff two days per week or when the head lifeguard is otherwise absent.
• Ensure staff follows standards, protocols and procedures. On their own initiative, work with staff to develop work assignments including special training, in-service training, clean-up projects, data collection, data posting, and weekly and monthly safety checks on equipment.
• Assist the Head Lifeguard and Chief Lifeguard with training in personal safety, equipment care and use, surf lifeguard skills, EMS, communication systems and reporting procedures.
• Control visitor activity through enforcement actions and safety directions, signs and a safety flag system.
• Perform ocean surf rescues inside and outside the designated lifeguard area.
• Provide appropriate medical care to injured and ill park visitors at the emergency medical responder level or above.
• Provide safety contacts and enforcement actions with the visitor, educating, informing and directing them on laws, rules, and regulations of the area. Educate and direct visitors on park policies dealing with human / wildlife interaction.
• Inspect, maintain, repair, and be responsible for the condition and storage of assigned equipment and ensure that it is ready for immediate use. Store appropriate equipment properly at the end of the day.

AREA INFORMATION: Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS) is a 37 mile long barrier Island along the coast of Maryland and Virginia, located approximately 130 miles east of Washington D.C. ASIS is managed by the National Park Service with a mission to protect and preserve our national natural and cultural resources while providing for the enjoyment of these resources by visitors. Assateague serves as a public land where visitors can come to relax, recreate and immerse themselves in the resource. Popular activities include walking the beach, swimming, surfing, wildlife viewing, birding, crabbing, fishing and kayaking. Over one million visitors come to Assateague each year, including the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge located in the Virginia district of Assateague Island. ASIS has two lifeguarded beach areas; one located in the Maryland section and the other located in the Virginia portion. The Assateague Maryland State Park also provides a lifeguard service at the north end of the island.
Physical Demands: Duties are considered rigorous, and required to meet prescribed medical standards prior to employment. Requires daily physical exertion to include running 1/2 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. Will use various devices such as rescue fins, rescue kayaks and paddleboards in the ocean surf zone environment where they may be paddling, swimming and kayaking long distances through large breaking waves to execute effective rescues. Required to exhibit an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better in each eye or a best corrected (contact lenses or spectacles) visual acuity of 20/20 or better. Driving ATV's in all weather conditions. Must meet prescribed physical requirements by a timed swim of 500 yards i less than 10 minutes and a run of 1.25 miles in 12 minutes or less.
Working Conditions: Work is performed outdoors where you can be subjected to weather variances such as extreme heat or cold, rainy conditions, and high UV indexes, cold water temperatures, large waves and marine organisms. Can be exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations in emergency response, 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. Terrain can be uneven and consist of soft or hard packed sand mixed with seashells and other debris.

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 will 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 may also have 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical.
• You will be required to wear the National Park Service Lifeguard uniform.
• You may be required to work weekends and holidays.
• Upon selection, the candidate must be able to pass the Assateague "Surf School" program. The candidate must be able to pass the ARC First Responder Cognitive Exam with a score of 80 percent or better along with a pass or fail on the practical exam. Candidate must pass surf lifeguard skills training practical and cognitive exam. Incumbent must be able to successfully complete a timed ocean swim of 500 yards in less than 10 minutes, and complete a timed 1.5 mile run in less than 12 minutes.
• Required daily in-service training regimen includes a 2000-yard run (1.14 miles), followed by a 500-yard ocean swim, followed by a run/swim/run combination of 100 yards each.
• You will be required to possess a current Emergency Medical Responder certification.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old due to the hazardous work (ie. driving a motor vehicle, etc.)

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/06/2022-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.

SELECTIVE FACTOR: These positions are responsible for responding to emergency water related calls in and outside of the protected beach zones. The lifeguards are the initial and primary responders for water related emergencies and for injured or ill park visitors. Due to the critical nature of this position and the impact on visitor health and safety, a CPR and an Emergency Medical Responder certification is required for this position. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.
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SELECTIVE FACTOR: The positions are responsible for training staff in ocean/surf lifeguard skills starting on their start date. Ocean/Surf Lifeguard Experience is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.
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To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least 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-4 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as but not limited to: responsible for patrolling and providing lifesaving services to the public at a pool or beach facility, perform the duties and responsibilities of a Recreation Assistant (Lifeguard), that includes patrolling and providing lifesaving services to the public at a pool or beach facility, develop and conduct lifeguard and lifesaving training for a staff of Recreation Assistants (Lifeguard), managing a pool or beach facility that includes a staff of lifeguards, serve as a swim instructor/coach. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in courses related to Sports and Recreation Management, Sports and Recreation Studies, Coaching, Sport, Recreation and Fitness Administration, etc. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement), and two academic years of directly-related of undergraduate education (50% of the qualifying education). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. 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

GOVERNMENT HOUSING MAY BE AVAILABLE.
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.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

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 .