Recreation Aid/Assistant

U.S. Department of the Interior; Berlin (MD); On-site; USD 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking dedicated Surf Lifeguards to ensure the safety of beach visitors at a national seashore. This role involves extensive training in lifesaving techniques and emergency medical response, allowing you to make a real impact on visitor safety. You'll be responsible for supervising beach areas, conducting rescues, and educating the public on safety procedures. Join a team committed to protecting both people and natural resources while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. If you're passionate about safety and the environment, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Must have lifeguarding experience and EMS training.
• Education or combination of experience and education required.

Responsibilities

• Prevent drowning and provide medical care to visitors.
• Conduct safety assessments and enforce park regulations.

Skills

Lifeguarding

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Supervision

Search and Rescue

Visitor Education

Education

High School Diploma

Two years of study above high school

Tools

ATVs

Job description

The primary goals of the lifeguard operation are to prevent drowning within the designated lifeguard area, to provide appropriate medical care to ill and injured visitors and to respond appropriately to incidents outside of the lifeguard area. The position serves as a Surf Lifeguard at one of two protected beach units. The purpose of the position is to provide protection to visitors and to the resources. The incumbent may be located in either district of Assateague Island National Seashore.

Duties

GS-0189-03 Recreation Aid: In this position, the employee receives a variety of training on the functions and responsibilities of a surf lifeguard related to visitor education, visitor protection and protection of the resources. The incumbent receives over 100 hours of pre-season training which includes EMS training, surf lifeguards skills training and physical fitness training. Additionally, the employee is required to perform in-service training two times daily and completes a broad variety of safety training. The employee learns the skills of surf lifeguard work, learns standard operating procedures, learns how to properly supervise and use safety control measures on an ocean lifeguarded beach, including compliance with rules and regulations, assisting visitors, providing ocean rescue, emergency medical services and search and rescue.

GS-0189-03/04 Recreation Aid/Assistant: The incumbent of the Surf Lifeguard position learns how to supervise park visitors, learns how to apply the principles of lifeguarding in order to manage large beach crowds of people. Once trained, the incumbent performs ocean surf rescues inside and outside the designated lifeguard area and provides appropriate medical care to injured and ill park visitors at the emergency medical responder level or above. Once trained, the employee works as part of a team to conduct search and rescue. The employee has a legal duty to act in emergencies within their scope of training. Employee operates off-road vehicles (ATVs) as one of their means of emergency response. In order to ensure non-degradation of park resources, the incumbent inspects beach areas such as berm, beach face and walkway accesses onto beach. Upon discovery of deficiencies, makes corrections whenever possible. The candidate reports uncorrected deficiencies to appropriate personnel. Once fully trained, the employee provides visitor assistance and emergency response anywhere within the park when called upon.

Once trained, employee provides safety contacts and enforcement actions with the visitor. The employee educates, informs and directs visitors on laws, rules, and regulations of the area. Assateague Island's lifeguard operation provides over 7000 visitor safety directions and enforcement actions annually. Once trained, the employee conducts daily assessment of surf zone conditions and weather conditions, collects data, posts data, communicates and interprets information to the public and park staff. The employee provides surf safety interpretive presentations to the public throughout the summer which are presentation designed to educate the visiting public on the various hazards one may encounter in the surf zone or at the beach and educate visitors on how to assess the risks and avoid the dangers. The employee educates and directs visitors on parks policies dealing with human/wildlife interaction.

Incumbent is responsible for ensuring that all articles found by lifeguard employees are reported on a Form No. 10-166 (Lost-Found Report), are safeguarded and turned in to the responsible person in charge as soon as possible. Lost-Found Reports will be filled out accurately and completely. Responsible for accurate documentation on to daily head lifeguard report, daily stand report, beach information signs and case incident records. Documents all protected beach and first aid incidents on the appropriate forms according to federal and agency guidelines. The employee inspects and maintains assigned equipment and ensures that it is ready for immediate use and stores equipment properly at the end of the day.

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement. The first cut-off date is February 6, 2023.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/30/2023-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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-03 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

1. EXPERIENCE: Have six months of general experience. General experience is (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Examples include working as at the YMCA, counselor at a summer camp, work as a leader with Boy Scout/Girl Scout clubs etc. You must include hours per week worked.
2. -OR-
3. EDUCATION: Have successfully completed one year above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your degree in your resume. You must submit a copy of your transcripts, or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. We cannot determine eligibility without this information. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty if you are selected). You must include transcripts.
4. -OR-
5. COMBINATION: Have a combination of work experience and education which added together would equal 100 percent of the needed qualifications for the position. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

1. EXPERIENCE: Have six months of general experience AND six months of specialized experience. General experience is any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject areas of the occupation. Examples include working as a lifeguard at the YMCA, counselor at a summer camp, work as a leader with Boy Scout/Girl Scout clubs. Specialized experience is experience which is in the occupation of the position to be filled, in a related occupation, or in one of the specialized areas within that occupation, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression of the occupation in the organization. Some examples of specialized experience are a) aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; b) aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities; c) aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; d) summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g. demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children). You must include hours per week worked.
2. -OR-
3. EDUCATION: Have successfully completed 2 years of study above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to recreation (e.g., basic psychology, group dynamics, physical education, arts and crafts, etc.). IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your degree in your resume. You must submit a copy of your transcripts, or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. We cannot determine eligibility without this information. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty if you are selected). You must include transcripts.
4. -OR-
5. COMBINATION: Have a combination of work experience and education (includes 6 semester hours in courses related to recreation (e.g., basic psychology, group dynamics, physical education, arts, and crafts, etc.)) when added together would equal 100 percent of the needed qualifications for the position. 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.

About the company

The United States Department of the Interior is a federal executive department of the U.S. government. It is responsible for the management and conservation of most federal lands and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, territorial affairs, and insular areas of the United States, as well as programs related to historic preservation. About 75% of federal public land is managed by the department, with most of the remainder managed by the United States Department of Agriculture's United States Forest Service. The department was created on March 3, 1849.