The Life Safety Manager/Fire Chief coordinates and manages the Life Safety, Fire Protection, Fire Prevention, and Emergency Medical Service Programs for VA Maine Health Care System. The incumbent is responsible for a 200 bed Medical Center that comprises over 400 acres, three National Cemeteries, one 8 story high rise hospital, two nursing homes, mental health ward, eight satellite outpatient clinics and five veteran outreach centers and additional 14 quarters, several that are on the national Archive List. Primary life safety and fire protection responsibilities cover approximately 200 inpatients, 24 hours a day, 10,000 outpatients per month, numerous volunteers, students, construction workers, visitors and vendors along with approximately 8 Community Residential Care Homes, 2 Homeless Veterans facilities, 21 Nursing Homes located in all 16 Counties in Maine. Medical staff consists of approximately 1,350 employees with an average of 200,000 man hours per month risk.
Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Full responsibility for the development, organization and implementation of a comprehensive Medical Center life Safety and fire protection program.
- Assures that the intent of established rules and procedures such as VA, JCAHO, NFPA, OSHA, local, state, federal codes, etc., are followed and met by subordinates, Medical Center staff, and general public.
- Supervises the inspection, testing and maintenance programs of all fire protection equipment, including fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, fire hydrants, portable and installed fire extinguishing systems.
- Prepares and executes formal personnel actions (reassignments, promotions, and recruitments); Selects, promotes, counsels and disciplines employees; Receives formal grievances and develops training plans
- Responds to fire alarms and calls for assistance, including hazardous materials incidents, serves as fire scene incident commander and is solely responsible for issuing orders and directing firefighters and Medical Center employees, including Nursing staff and Police, in a plan of attack in order to promptly and effectively extinguish fires, save lives and property and limit or prevent environmental harm.
- Coordinates and directs the workplace safety and fire prevention inspection programs to assure that all areas of the Medical Center buildings, grounds, property, equipment, construction sites, VA contracted nursing homes and outreach program sites are inspected at the required frequencies.
- Coordinates with and, acts as advisor to, both clinical and administrative officials in review of fire and safety requirements for the selection of equipment and materials.
- Develops schedules, conducts and/or coordinates in-depth fire and safety training classes for all managers, supervisors, employees, students and volunteers. Slides, films, literature, demonstration and exhibits are used as well as hands on demonstration in the conduct of these classes.
- Serves as Life Safety Management Program Coordinator on the Medical Center Environment of Care Committee. In this capacity the incumbent collects and analyzes data, prepares and presents quarterly reports comparing results against historical data, and advises on the effectiveness VA Maine Health Care System's Fire Prevention and Protection Program.
- Performs other related duties and functions as required.
Work Schedule: Rotating shift work, 56 hours per week. The Fire Department operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Fire Chief
/PD003640
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Required,Selectee must file a financial disclosure report, OGE Form 450, within 30 days of onboarding and then annually after that.
Notification:
-This position is in the Competitive Service.
-This position is not a Bargaining Unit position.
-This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.
-Selectee required to serve one year supervisory/managerial probationary period.
-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.
-Current and former 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.
