Job opening: Forestry Technician (Fire) - Direct Hire Authority
Salary: $42 022 - 60 703 per year
Relocation: YES
Published at: Nov 06 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This permanent full time seasonal aviation position is located with the Western Region, Division of Forestry and Fire Management, Fire Management Section, Aviation Unit with Duty Station in Whiteriver, Arizona. It will be filled from Standard PD No: FDI207B/A utilizing the Direct-Hire Authority (5CFR 337.201). Category rating, veteran's preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do NOT apply for this vacancy.
Duties
Provide leadership and oversight of wildland fire suppression/management/control work a helitack module.
Performs and/or oversees initial attack fire suppression activities, locates fireline, directs and participates in fireline construction, backfiring and burnout operations.
Assists in 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.
Inventories and inspects helicopter accessories, fire tools, and equipment.
Gathers and considers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in
responding to wildland fire incidents
Makes initial evaluation of fire situations; determines suppression methods to use, deployment of module/crew, type of tools to use and application of water.
Performs the operation and maintenance of specialized equipment used to respond to wildland and prescribed fire situations.
Plans and assigns work to be accomplished by subordinate positions, sets and adjusts priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work
Requirements
- U.S. Citizenship Required
- You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
- You may be required to successfully complete a probationary period
- A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
- If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
- This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
- This is a Testing Designated Position and is subject to both pre-employment and random drug testing as a condition of employment. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
- This position is subject to pre-employment and annual medical screening and physical fitness testing for arduous duty.
- This is a Permanent, Full-Time Seasonal Position and is subject to placement in Non-Pay Status when services are not needed do to lack of work, funds, or unforeseen circumstances.
Qualifications
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for One-Grade Interval Technical or Medical Support Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0462: Forestry Technician Series; and NWCG/Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations)
GS-7: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire work experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to work in forest/range fire control, prevention or suppression work as a lead wildland firefighter directing others in the use of a variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment; directing and performing prescribed burning; leading the operation of a wildland fire engine or suppression efforts of a helicopter module OR one full year of graduate level education in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position.
GS-6: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire work experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, on-the-line wildland fire experience as a senior wildland firefighter in forest/range fire control, prevention or suppression work, prescribed burning; operating and maintaining specialized wildland fire tools, equipment, vehicles, and may include leading the work of crew personnel OR one year of graduate level education that is directly related to this position.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: These are MANDATORY qualification prerequisites to qualify for this position. The applicant must have possessed all of the following Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations under the BIA Exclusive Use Helicopter Module Position Standards to be considered eligible for this Fire Helicopter Squad Leader (FHSL) position:
Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) or higher
Helicopter Crew Member (HECM) or higher,
Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) or higher.
Required Training: S-290, Intermediate Fire Behavior
NOTE: Selective factors are knowledges, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard, but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Applicants who do not meet the selective factors are ineligible for further consideration. You MUST provide a current copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other agency equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG qualifications for this IFPM position when submitting your application. Selectees for IFPM positions requiring currency will be required to obtain and maintain currency for the NWCG qualifications listed above.
MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE (MEA) AND FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) (FERS). The maximum entry-age (MEA) for this position shall not exceed age 37, unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian law enforcement or firefighter experience or you are a preference eligible veteran. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants over the MEA of 37 MUST have enough prior covered service under the Firefighter Special Retirement benefit in order to be eligible for re-entry into a primary firefighter position.
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. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement.
Applicants are responsible for submitting all supporting documentation prior to the closing date of a vacancy for an MEA determination. Acceptable forms of documentation consist of SF-50's showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable Federal civilian appointments or copies of agency approved certification letters based upon individual claims for coverage. Failure to provide this documentation with your application may result in the loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 90 days from the closing date.
Education
If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit:
FOREIGN EDUCATION
Contacts
- Address BIA Strategic Recruitment - Trust
301 NW 6th
Room 311
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
US
- Name: Strategic Recruitment-Trust
- Phone: 405-768-4060
- Email: [email protected]
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