Seasonal Health Technician (Emergency Medical Technician)

Summary These positions are located in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, in the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is April to May but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: May 2026. Duties The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year. Dates of employment will vary depending on funding, weather conditions and visitation. Within regulatory limitations, the length of initial appointment may be shortened or extended depending on work availability and funding. Positions are being recruited in both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks including positions in the Lodgepole, Grant Grove and Cedar Grove Subdistricts. EMTs will be assigned ambulance duty, responding as the initial provider for most EMS calls. EMTs will request assistance from other trained personnel as necessary. The park employs approximately 20 permanent rangers who have certifications ranging from EMT to Paramedic. The parks respond to roughly 350 calls annually ranging from first aid to advanced life support. EMTs respond to roughly ten fatal incidents each year. EMTs will conduct appropriate patient assessment, make a transport decision, and work within established NPS Protocols under medical control. EMTs will make base hospital contact via phone and radio patch. Patient care will be documented appropriately in the field to allow for electronic reporting after the call. EMTs will keep supplies stocked and notify their supervisor when supplies need to be ordered. Ambulances will be cleaned and organized for effective response. Equipment will be decontaminated and cleaned after every call. EMTs will plan, prepare for, and execute EMS training for local responders. EMTs may conduct other emergency services operations with appropriate certifications including Search and Rescue, structural and wildland fire, extrication, and visitor services. The parks respond to roughly 150 SAR incidents a year, with a handful of them requiring technical rescue. EMTs will be responsible to respond as directed to manage foot and vehicle traffic in congested areas. EMTs may be assigned project work during slow periods or intermittent down time. Housing: Available rental housing units may include tent cabins, mobile homes, apartments, or traditional houses and housing/rooms will likely be shared with other employees, interns, volunteers, etc. Units may be rustic, located in wilderness areas, with few if any modern conveniences. Pets (other than service pets) and overnight guests are not allowed; units are to house assigned employees only. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks represent an extraordinary continuum of ecosystems (96% designated wilderness) arrayed along the greatest vertical relief (1,370 to 14,505 feet elevation) of any protected area in the lower 48 states. They are the highest, most rugged reaches of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (including Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet elevation) and feature the world's largest trees - Giant Sequoias. Sequoia National Park is the nation's second oldest national park (established September 25, 1890) and encompasses 404,863 acres. Kings Canyon was established on March 4, 1940, and encompasses 458,847 acres. Both parks provide a wealth of recreational opportunities via 835 miles of trails, wild and scenic rivers, alpine lakes, and caves, along with a full range of overnight lodging prospects to choose from that include 14 campgrounds. For area information visit: https://www.nps.gov/seki/getinvolved/workwithus.htm. Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months - generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information: http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm. Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. 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. Incumbent must maintain good physical condition and be able to pass the Physical Exercise Battery (PEB) or applicable standards outlined in Director's Order/Reference Manual-57 NPS Occupational Medical Standards, Health and Fitness. Work demands range from periods of office work (walking, standing, sitting and lifting) to strenuous periods of extended and extreme physical and mental activity. 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 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 will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You will be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility. 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-12/26/2025-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: You must possess, or be able to obtain by entry on duty, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher-level certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or state equivalent with the ability to obtain a National Registry Certification. YOU MUST PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR EMT CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATION FOR AN APPROPRIATE COURSE. - AND - 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-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists; and conduct patient assessment using knowledge of topographic anatomy, major body systems, and emergency medical techniques. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years of progressively higher-level undergraduate education leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a bachelor's degree, in excess of 60 semester hours, and divide by 60 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week worked and 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. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. 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 If you would like more information regarding this announcement, please contact: Justin Price, [email protected] Chris Streit, [email protected] 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. Physical Demands: Demands range from office work (walking, standing, sitting and lifting) to strenuous periods of extended and extreme physical and mental activity. EMS and search and rescue activities involve walking long distances over rough terrain, carrying heavy loads, and using technical rescue equipment. Prolonged periods without sleep are a common occurrence both during ambulance shifts and during SAR response. Incumbent must be able to fly in a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft without ill effects. The work involves extended periods of heavy moving and lifting of patients. Generally, the work requires recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and positioning of patients, frequently under adverse conditions or in confined surroundings. Working Conditions: Work is performed in an office setting, medical clinic, ambulance, classroom, in the field, on trails, and in remote backcountry settings. On a regular and recurring basis employee is required to work in all types of weather conditions. EMS work involves frequent exposure to hazardous environments, hazardous flight landings and takeoffs, extremes in temperature, and exposure to communicable diseases. The employee is required to comply with use of various levels of personal protective clothing and special safety and health precautions. 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. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.