These positions are located in National Park Service Fire and Aviation Management organizationally located on Helitack Crews in Yosemite NP and in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. These are Career-Seasonal positions. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. Yosemite will be hiring as a career ladder by offering this position as a GS-06 with GS-07 promotion potential.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement01/31/2025 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 qualified specialized experience. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program management (IFPM) Standard. This position requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. For more information on IFPM, click here. Selective Factors: The applicant must have possessed all the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position: 1: Helicopter Crew Member (HECM) 2: Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) 3: Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) -AND- 4: Portable Pumps and Water Use (S-211) 5: Wildland Fire Chainsaws (S-212) -AND- This position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. These positions are covered by the special enhanced annuity retirement provisions for Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in documented special retirement covered position(s) sufficient to count toward 20 years of covered service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system. -AND- To Qualify for the GS-0456-06: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized for this position is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. For this position, specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position and must have included work in, or directly related to, forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression. Examples of specialized experience for this position includes personally performing and/or leading others in one or more of the following wildland firefighting functions: serving as a lead firefighter on a fire suppression hand-crew; a prescribed fire crew; a wildland fire engine crew; a wildland fire helitack crew; or other forestry technician or comparable position performing wildland fire related work. To Qualify for the GS-0456-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized for this position is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include: (1) personally leading a crew in Wildland Fire Operations, and at least one of the following wildland fire-fighting functions: Initial attack and Fire-line Suppression Operations; Prescribed Fire Operations; Helitack Operations; and (2) personally leading or supervising others in any two of the following functions: initial attack and suppression hand-crew operations; prescribed fire operations; wildland fire engine crew operations; helitack fire crew operations; providing on-the-job training and conducting daily crew briefings, safety sessions, and/or other basic wildland fire training. NOTE: If your firefighting experience includes both structural and wildland, it is essential that your application materials clearly separate and document your wildland experience. 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.
Helitack Squad Boss: Assists the senior position directing the fire suppression efforts of the helicopter module, to include directing the loading of helicopter personnel and cargo considering weight and balance, securing cargo, etc. Completes manifests of personnel and equipment being transported to the fire or other work sites. Prepares and hooks longline external loads and maintains and operates other accessory equipment. Inventories and inspects helicopter accessories, fire tools, and equipment. Assures that needed tools and equipment are available for firefighting tasks. May serve as Helispot and Dipsite Manager on incidents requiring the establishment of these sites. Prepares and maintains required documents (e.g., flight invoices, manifests, daily diaries, and load calculations). Will serve as a rappeller or short hauler and spotter. Ensures readiness of helicopter support accessories and helicopter safety equipment. Ensures vehicles are kept in a full state of readiness for emergency fire dispatch Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.