Emergency Management Specialist

The position is located within each VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven CT Campus and reports to the Associate Director or Executive Leadership Team. The position of an Emergency Management Specialist (EMS) manages the health care system in sustaining national and regional support to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP).

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/30/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:GS-12 Grade Requirements

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Functioning as the local program manager for the Disaster Emergency Personnel System (DEMPS), which is a program comprised of qualified volunteers who register and train in disaster management and support national deployment requirements. Recruiting, evaluating, identifying, and training specifically qualified volunteers to support national task orders. Approval for DEMPS deployments are coordinate through Medical Center Director. Serving as the local program manager for First Receiver Decontamination. Monitors the Decontamination Unit Leader in organizing and coordinating all areas of responsibility related to the Decontamination Response Team including coordinating with the Safety Officer, Industrial Hygienist, Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) Coordinator. Supervising the Decontamination Triage Leader, Decontamination Entry Team Leader, Decontamination Site Access Control Unit Leader and Decontamination Logistics Officer. Initiating, ensuring, and maintaining an inventory of Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR) and other decontamination equipment; coordinates with the Industrial Hygienist on annual PAPR functional checks; ensuring training is provided to the Decontamination team. Responsibilities include forecasting decontamination sustainment fund and life cycle management of equipment. Activating and providing direct support to the Hospital Incident Management Team. Preparing the Hospital Command Center (HCC) for drills, exercises and responses. Reconstituting HCC supplies and equipment after the demobilized. Developing and distributing an After-Action Report with Improvement Plan resulting from capability gaps.

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: The work includes walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, and occasionally assisting with a wheelchair. In some instances, relationships with patients and caregivers can become intense and the incumbent is constantly exposed to high levels of stress and anxiety. This position demands emotional stability, as the incumbent is deeply involved with many challenging, seriously ill, and/or dying patients and their caregivers.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Responsibilities:

The Emergency Management Specialist is the primary point of contact and Liaison in managing intra and interagency VA contingency support of Department of Defense (DoD), VA health and medical support of the National Response Framework (NRF) and other applicable authorities and support provided through the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). This position interacts in a professional and competent manner daily with individuals of executive level responsibilities and authority. In this position the EMS represents the Associate Director or Executive Leadership at key planning sessions, after actions reviews, response planning, NDMS, VA/DoD Contingency and Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 meetings, conferences, forums and symposiums; as well as any applicable ad hoc meetings that may present.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Advising Agency Executives and key stakeholders with expertise on program and policy impacting the CEMP including vulnerable Veteran populations.
• Participating in the development, coordination and review of directives, white papers, Medical Center Memorandum, service support agreements, standard operation procedures, policy matters and related documents issued by the VHA and the Healthcare System.
• Coordinating internal and external publicity for the CEMP in conjunction with Medical Center Office of Public Affairs. Assists the Area Emergency Manager in maintaining and reporting daily bed inventory for NDMS and VA/DoD Contingency, as deemed appropriate.
• Planning, organizing, implementing, overseeing and providing technical assistance for projects relating to emergency management programs.
• Reviewing documents received for review, concurrence and/or signature by EMS.
• Utilizing EM principles ensuring accurate and proper documentation and anticipating possible inquiries from VHA OEM, VISN, and VAMC Executive Leadership. Analyzes, maintains, synchronizes, and sustains the CEMP with national and local stakeholders; all the same, as the Office Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), The Joint Commission (TJC), Office of Information Technology, National Fire Protection Association (NPFA), and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
• Managing and maintaining the health care system's automated alert and notification system, coordinating, and monitoring results with the Communication Support Team.
• Consulting and advising on creating subgroups, training requirements and message building. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring Cascade Calling Systems are updated and prepared for immediate use during any type of emergency or exercises. Maintains calling rosters for Medical Response Team, Incident Management Team, Decontamination Team, and any other specialized teams requiring activation.
• Representing the healthcare system at the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and federal, state, county, and local coalition. Conducts program analysis, evaluations and reviews ensuring plans are current meeting both internal and external requirements.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist/PD99789S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

• This position is not a Bargaining Unit position.
• May be required to attend conference at other facilities or other VA sites on occasion.
• Current Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.
• This position is in the Competitive Service.
• Time-in-Grade Restriction: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service.
• Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for other current permanent Federal agency employees

Salary : $105,481