Job opening: Forestry Technician (Fire Dispatch)
Salary: $17 per hour
Published at: Oct 26 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Corps graduates of fire certified programs are encouraged to apply.
This position is located within a National Forest. The position is located on a fire crew as a crewmember within the fire management organization. This position serves as a Fire Dispatcher located in a dispatch center. This may be a single agency dispatch office or interagency dispatch center located in a fire management organization.
Duties
Serves as a dispatcher performing the full range of standardized support duties commonly found in the work area, such as receiving, filling, and tracking resource requests for fire and other emergency incidents.
Follows detailed procedures in initiating requests to higher organizational levels for additional resources as needed.
Maintains resource status and tracking systems and operates telecommunications systems.
Collects, processes, collates and submits incident information to support fire operations (e.g. fire reports, smoke permits, spot weather forecasts, prescribed fire burn requests).
Organizes and reviews completed records of all orders placed and actions taken to ensure adherence to established operating procedures.
Processes weather information (e.g., spot weather forecasts, weather station observations, current and forecasted weather, lightning detection, and fuel moisture levels).
The weather information is used to determine burning indices, preparedness levels and staffing levels for suppression and aviation resources.
Inputs data into a number of fire-related computer applications (e.g., incident qualification records, fire reporting systems, and automated dispatch systems) and makes the initial assessment of outputs.
Assists in providing critical logistical support information to supervisor. Records and maintains communication logs.
Coordinates and may assist with fire training and orientation.
Gathers information for the development and maintenance of the dispatch mobilization guide and internal dispatch operating guides.
Shares information with cooperators and other interested entities.
Requirements
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
- Must be 18 years of age.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-Verify.
- Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
- This is a Test Designated Position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
- Minimum of 90 days of Wildland Firefighting experience is required.
- Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
- Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment.
Qualifications
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.
GS-04: Applicants must have six 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 months of specialized experience that is directly related to the work of the position; OR successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science (no more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable); OR an appropriate combination of experience and education above high school as described above. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university and include courses that are related to the occupation of the position.
Examples of General Experience includes: Performed farm/ranch labor, such as feeding/tending livestock or general maintenance of farm/ranch facilities; worked in a greenhouse, nursery or landscaping e.g., planting, moving, watering, and tending plants; animal caretaker in a laboratory, zoo or pet store; volunteer work at a park, hospital, community sports league, local fire department, etc.
Examples of specialized experience include: Assisted in filing and retrieving documents in a dispatching office. Assisted in receiving and processing requests for equipment, personnel, and supplies in conjunction with wildland fire and emergency incidents.
Selective Placement Factors
A minimum 90 days experience performing on-the-line (Primary/Rigorous) wildland fire suppression duties as a member of an organized fire suppression crew or comparable unit that utilized knowledge of wildland fire suppression, containment or control techniques and practices under various conditions. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume.
This is a testing designated position which requires a negative test result for illegal drug use prior to appointment and randomly thereafter.
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.
In accordance with USDA Department Regulation 4430-792-2, this position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the USDA Drug Free Workplace Program and subject to pre-employment drug testing. All applicants selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbents of this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis on an ongoing random basis, after appointment as directed.
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Contacts
- Address USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US
- Name: HRM Contact Center
- Phone: 1-877-372-7248 X2
- Email: [email protected]