These positions are located in Region 5, USDA Forest Service units. The purpose of these positions are wildland fire suppression/management/control as a specialized firefighter on an engine, helitack module, or hand crew with responsibility for the operation and maintenance of specialized tools or equipment. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Grabowski at brian.grabowski@usda.gov
In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. General/Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GW-03: You must have six (6) months of general experience. Examples of General Experience include: any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of a Wildland Firefighter, or general experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the Wildland Firefighter occupation. Examples of general experience include: Performed farm/ranch labor, such as feeding and tending livestock or general maintenance of farm/ranch facilities; Worked in a greenhouse or nursery moving, watering, and tending plants and performing other general labor tasks; Fed and watered animals, such as in a laboratory, pet store, or zoo; Any work experience, paid or unpaid. Unpaid experience, for example, may be regular volunteer work, such as at a park, community sports league facilities, etc. OR Successful completion of a one (1)-year of related education or appropriate firefighting training may be substituted for experience on a month-for-month basis. Firefighting training obtained as part of a high school curriculum-may be substituted for the six (6) months of general experience. OR An appropriate combinations of education and experience. For the GW-04: You must have six (6) months of general experience (any type of work that demonstrated the ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation) AND six (6) months of specialized experience that is directly related to the work of the position. Examples of qualifying general experience include: Performed farm/ranch labor, such as feeding/tending livestock or general maintenance of farm/ranch facilities and/or worked in a greenhouse, nursery or landscaping e.g., planting, moving, watering, and tending plants and/or animal caretaker in a laboratory, zoo or pet store and/or volunteer work at a park, hospital, community sports league, local fire department, etc. Examples of specialized experience include: Performed natural resource support work, e.g., forestry, range, park technician, wildland firefighter, or similar jobs; performed routine support assignments in a forestry specialty area, e.g., wilderness, timber, fire prevention/control, etc. OR Successful completion of a two (2)-year course of study in an accredited college or university in Fire Training, Fire Science, Fire Technology or other related fields of study. OR An appropriate combination of education and experience. For the GW-05: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GW-04) in the Federal service. OR Successful completion of a 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university with major study in Fire Science, Fire Training, Fire Technology or other related fields of study. OR An appropriate combination of education and experience. Examples of specialized experience include: Patrolled areas of controlled fires to mop-up by searching out and extinguishing any remaining burning material; Served on a specialty crew (hotshot, helitack, engines, etc.) to suppress the full range of difficult and complex fires; Operated specialized fire suppression equipment such as portable pumps or drip torches. Selective Placement Factors For the GW-05 grade level, successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirement of Firefighter 1 (FFT1) Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) and Forest Service - Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) qualifications must be met by the time of selection. Most recent IQCS master record and/or signed Agency Certified task book must be attached to your application. If you are selected, you may be required to submit an updated IQCS master record or signed Agency Certified task book as proof of attainment of IFPM requirements prior to a final verbal offer. In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents) which contain documented proof of the certification or attainment of the IFPM Selective Placement Factor for this position MUST be attached to your application. Red cards are not acceptable documentation. Currency Requirement: Required to maintain currency once hired into the position. Currency of NWCG qualifications is not required for selection. If not currently qualified, the applicant must provide documented evidence that they have been fully qualified in the past, and are able to regain currency within one year of being hired. Failure to provide this documentation will result in disqualification. FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a primary/rigorous position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees Retirement System. WORK CAPACITY TEST (WCT) for Wildland Firefighters: This position participates in wildland firefighting activities. Based on the type of work performed, TAKING and PASSING the WCT at the ARDUOUS, MODERATE, or LIGHT level is a condition of employment. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Duties listed are at full performance grade GW-05 level.
May be assigned to a fire lookout to provide detection and reporting of wildfires.
May assist trained personnel in more specialized assignments such as backfire and burnout, mobile and stationary engine attack, construction of helispots, helitack operations, and performing hover hookups.
Serve as an experienced firefighter on a hand crew or other related fire suppression crews performing fire suppression and/or fuels management duties under the most adverse conditions of climate, fuels, and terrain.
Perform the duties of a fully qualified chain saw operator and chainsaw repair technician.
Perform and may direct others in starting pump engine, priming pump, adjusting engine speed and pump valves, laying hose, and using appropriate nozzles and nozzle adjustment in effective use of water and additives.
Perform project work such as road and trail maintenance, habitat manipulation, and miscellaneous equipment and facilities maintenance.