Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

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Emergency Management Specialist (Watch Officer)

Martinsburg, WV

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Security Clearance: None

Summary

The VHA Office of Emergency Management (OEM) 1ONA1 is within the VHA Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management (1ONA). VHA OEM is a national program office with staff strategically placed across the nation. The incumbent is responsible for Emergency Management (EM) work preparing for and carrying out or coordinating emergency functions to prevent, protect from, mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters.

Duties

Duties:
Watch Officers Establish and maintain VHA situational awareness and common operating picture in Support VHA senior leadership and VHA's Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP) to ensure the continuity of medical and hospital services for Veterans, and during a disaster or emergency, to civilians, as appropriate. This includes support to VISNs, VAMCs and associated facilities, and emergency planning and response functions with other federal, regional, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners.

The following are the principal duties and responsibilities of this position:

Identify, collect, fuse, analyze, and disseminate data and information obtained through various secured and unsecured sources, including open-source reports, social media, and information from federal, state, or local sources, to facilitate VHA leadership situational awareness and decision-making and when required, emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities.
Develop intelligence and informational products related to threats to VHA operations and security and uses analytics to develop CEMP-related steady-state reports as required.
Review and update existing Watch Office emergency preparedness and response plans and procedures in accordance with the NRF and NIMS.
When required, issue emergency alerts and notifications consistent with established procedures at various levels of the VHA from senior leadership to OEM Senior Leadership and field staff to initiate emergency response operations.
Use existing automated alert systems and rudimentary alert and notification systems such as telephone, email, or other when necessary.
Maintain continuous information stream with VHA leadership and other parties as required and establishes emergency reporting and recording functions until replaced by other formal structures such as the EMCC.
Provide liaison role between VHA leadership, VHA Healthcare Operations Center (HOC), VHA OEM, VISNs, VAMCs and associated facilities, and other entities as required with the VA IOC.
Incumbent possesses a broad background in health care delivery, functions as an advocate for VHA facilities and personnel to effectively and accurately represents their capabilities and requirements in emergency situations.
Resolve problems through personal contacts, obtains expedited decisions on urgent matters, and otherwise assists facilities in obtaining responsive action for their requests.
Coordinate operational plans and emergency response activities between the EMCC, VA IOC, National Cemetery Administration (NCA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), VA Program Offices, and other Federal, State and local government and support entities as required.
Assists in developing, coordinating, and monitoring VHA requirements in support of COOP and Continuity of Government (COG), Crisis Response Team, Emergency Relocation Group (ERG) activations and associated inter/intra agency exercises.

The duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the overarching Emergency Management Specialist Position Description applies to the VHA Watch Officer.
Provide full spectrum geospatial studies and analysis in support of the VHA senior leadership and VHA's CEMP to ensure the continuity of medical and hospital services for Veterans, and during a disaster or emergency, to civilians, as appropriate. This includes support to VISNs, VAMCs and associated facilities, and emergency planning and response functions with other federal, regional, state, local, tribal, and territorial(SLTT) partners.
During steady state operations, the Watch Officer must coordinate the production of GIS products that facilitate trending, predictive analysis, tactical and strategic level programmatic decision making, and overall fusion of information and creation of products that advance VHA emergency preparedness and management and the whole of government emergency program coordination.
Develop and or coordinate the employment of information-sharing tools, both secure and unsecured, to disseminate VHA emergency or programmatic emergency preparedness and management information to internal and external communities of interest.
Work Schedule: 12 hour Rotating Shifts
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Emergency Management Specialist (Watch Officer)/PD19029A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required