National Park Service Logo
Position Title
Lead Public Safety Dispatcher
Agency
National Park Service
Announcement Number
PW-1549-YOSE-25-12665729-ST Opens in new window
Open Period
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 to Tuesday, April 29, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Do you claim Veterans’ Preference? (limit characters)
2. 1. Are you the spouse of a member of the armed forces serving on active duty?

-OR-

2. Are you a spouse of a 100 percent disabled service member injured while on active duty?

-OR-

3. Are you the un-remarried widow or widower of a member of the Armed Forces killed while in active duty status?

For more information, review USAJOBS Veterans resources. 

To verify your eligibility for option 1 identified above, you must submit documentation verifying active duty status; and documentation verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces (i.e., a marriage certificate or other legal documentation verifying marriage).

To verify your eligibility for options 2 and 3 identified above, you must submit the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15 and all supporting documentation identified on that document (e.g., Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of service which includes character of service; death certificate and documentation identifying marital status at the time of death; disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service, etc..
(limit characters)
3. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from the agency hiring for this position?   If yes, confirm:
  • you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
  • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
  • you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
  • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
 
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center. 
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
(limit characters)
4. Do you meet one of the following Competitive Merit Promotion Eligibilities:
  • Current Federal or former employees with career or career- conditional appointments in the competitive service that hold, or have held a career or career-conditional position at a lower grade level as the position being announced; or,
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) eligibles
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation.  For example, a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your competitive status or a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service.  All required documentation will be outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement.
(limit characters)
5. Are you a former member of the Public Lands Corps (PLC) who has served the time required for completing a PLC project carried out on Federal land within the preceding 2 years (an individuals eligibility for NCE under this authority shall not exceed 2 years after completion of his/her last PLC project), and:

• Served as a qualified youth on an appropriate conservation project completing a minimum of 640 hours of satisfactory service that included at least 120 hours through the PLC (individuals must provide a copy of the "Certificate of Eligibility for NCE Hiring Based on PLC Service" and the complete PLC Participant Work Hours Verification Form with your application package in order to be considered under this hiring authority), and

• Meet OPM qualification standards and any other qualification requirement(s) stated in this vacancy announcement for the position in which you are applying.
(limit characters)
6. Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from a position in a Federal agency other than the agency hiring for this position?  If yes, confirm:
  • you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
  • you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
  • you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
  • your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
 
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.  
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
(limit characters)
7. Are you a current or former employee of a land management agency (Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; or Bureau of Reclamation) who:
  • was originally hired to a time-limited position under a competitive appointment; and,
  • served one or more time-limited appointments at a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two or more years; and,
  • performed at an acceptable level of service during each period of service; and,
  • if no longer employed by the land management agency, have been separated for no more than two years, and departed that position in good standing.
 
To verify your eligibility, you must provide documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
For more information, review Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA).
(limit characters)
8. Are you currently or have previously held a permanent Career or Career Conditional position in the Federal Government in the Competitive Service equivalent to the full performance level of the grade of the position being advertised?

To verify your eligibility as a current or former Federal civilian employee, you must submit a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form reflecting your permanent, competitive status. Your SF-50 (or equivalent personnel action form) must reflect:
  • career or career-conditional (Tenure field is 1 or 2); AND,
  • status in the competitive service (Position Occupied field is 1).
(limit characters)
9. Do you meet one of the following Non-Competitive Merit Promotion Eligibilities:
  • Disabled veteran receiving 30% or more disability compensation from the VA;
  • Transfer, reassignment or reinstatement eligible:  current Federal or former employee with career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service that hold, or have previously held a career or career-conditional position at the same or higher grade level with the same or higher promotion potential as the position being announced; or,
  • Individual eligible under other non-competitive appointment authorities such as: Veterans Recruitment Authority; Military spouses under E.O. 13473; Certain former overseas employees; Present and former Peace Corps, Vista or Action volunteers; Former White House staff; Present and former Foreign Service officers and employees; Certain National Guard technicians; Schedule A; OPM Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities.
 
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation.  For example, a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service) or other proof of your service which includes character of service; a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50); etc.  All required documentation will be outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement.
(limit characters)
Preferences
1. My performance is at an acceptable level and I am not serving under a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). (limit characters)
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating. (limit characters)
2. 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 (MUST include beginning and ending month/year e.g., 5/2019-10/2019 or 5/10/2019-10/20/2019), 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 exact hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. (limit characters)
3. Merit Promotion applicants who are in a current GS position or have held a GS position any time in the previous 52 weeks (one year) must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks (one year) at the GS-08. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. SF-50(s) that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application (e.g. Promotions, STEP Increases, etc.). Award SF-50s will not be accepted for determination of time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. (limit characters)
4. When you applied to this job, did you have any engagement with a National Park Service (NPS) Recruiter? (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Minimum Qualification Requirements (limit characters)
1. From the descriptions below, select the response that most closely and accurately describes the experience you possess which demonstrates your knowledge and skills as a Lead Dispatcher, GS-2151-09. Read all responses before making your selection. If you do not meet the minimum qualifications of the position, you will be rated not qualified and will not receive consideration for this position. Your resume (and supporting documentation) must support your questionnaire responses. Failure to support your answers within the body of your resume will result in your score being lowered or being disqualified for this position. (limit characters)
For each of the following tasks, choose the statement from the list below that best describe your experience and/or training. Do not overstate or understate your level of experience and demonstrated capability. Each of your responses must be clearly supported by your training and/or specific work experience you describe in your application packet submitted for this position (application form or resume, list and description of training completed and/or other items you submit). If not, your score will be lowered or you may be found not qualified. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for rating you ineligible, not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification based on the resume, narratives, and other relevant documents you submit. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your stated level of experience and demonstrated capability. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you or for dismissing you from the position following acceptance. The information you provide will be verified. (limit characters)
Leadership (limit characters)
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
2. Provide team leadership by assigning work/projects, adjusting the flow of work, and following up on issues.
(limit characters)
3. Ensure the productivity of the work group by soliciting input from members, listening to suggestions, and implementing suggestions when feasible.
(limit characters)
4. Create a sense of teamwork within the communications center work unit by providing leadership support.
(limit characters)
5. Identify development and training needs of employees to provide career development opportunities.
(limit characters)
6. Review internal operating procedures and systems related to public safety to make recommendations for improvement.
(limit characters)
7. Receive and resolve simple complaints or disputes involving employees.
(limit characters)
Teaching Others (limit characters)
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
8. Develop formal or informal coursework for dispatch staff personnel training covering topics related to law enforcement, fire, structure fire, search and rescue, emergency medical and/or 9-1-1 public safety dispatching operations.
(limit characters)
9. As an advanced senior dispatcher, work with dispatchers, technicians, and others on troubleshooting radio, computer network, or similar system outages that do not respond to standard solutions and resolve problems referred by others.
(limit characters)
10. As a senior dispatcher serving in a complex dispatch environment of multiple units, jurisdictions, and/or agencies, provide training to lower-graded and/or new dispatchers and informs on proper procedures.
(limit characters)
11. Provide training to lower-graded and/or new dispatchers and inform them on the proper dispatching procedures as required.
(limit characters)
12. Provide technical guidance, orientation, and training to lower-level dispatchers regarding the operation of public safety computer networks.
(limit characters)
Public Safety and Security (limit characters)
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
13. Ensure personnel safety by maintaining status on responders who are responding to incidents in the field and anticipate responder requests and needs. (limit characters)
14. Coordinate responses to emergency incidents by initiating response of personnel and equipment according to organization's protocols and providing communication and logistical support to responders.
(limit characters)
15. Query and relay information critical to law enforcement activities (wants, warrants, driver and vehicle status, Be on the Lookout, and Attempt to Locate) in order to assist law enforcement personnel with contacts and investigations.
(limit characters)
16. Relay and exchange sensitive or confidential information with other individuals or organizations.
(limit characters)
Telecommunications (limit characters)
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
17. Operate a multi-frequency radio or multi-line phone console in a communications center to initiate responses to incidents including dispatching personnel and/or equipment.
(limit characters)
18. Coordinate the use of assigned radio frequencies, direct radio traffic to appropriate channels, and restrict channels to emergency use as needed to prioritize radio traffic and related communications.
(limit characters)
19. Serve as primary point of contact for responders and field staff monitoring radio traffic and assisting operations.
(limit characters)
20. Utilize and analyze information from a variety of national, state, or local law enforcement and wildland fire related computer databases/systems/networks.
(limit characters)
Stress Tolerance (limit characters)
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided. (limit characters)
21. Perform dispatch and call taking services for a wide variety of complex public safety related incidents and operations (complex is indicated by factors such as environment being highly urbanized, remote, serving multiple units, jurisdiction, or agencies, high visibility to the public, or of media interest) that requires applying an extensive body of dispatch procedures and knowledge.
(limit characters)
22. Coordinate a wide variety of emergency responses (rescue, ambulance, helicopter operations, or similar) that involve either coordination with multiple agencies, and/or that occur in complex environments (urbanized,
remote, etc.).
(limit characters)
23. Determine chief medical emergency complaint and provide pre-arrival instructions to callers using Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) or similar formalized protocols.
(limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
24. Information Only: Do you currently hold a certification as an Initial Attack Dispatcher for Wildland fire? (limit characters)