Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. These positions are located in Susanville and Bakersfield, CA. Information about the surrounding area can be found at https://www.visitcalifornia.com/places-to-visit/susanville/ and https://www.bakersfieldcity.us/ We expect to fill 3 vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Duties

Leads and directs suppression operations on attacking, controlling, or mopping up fires; building or patrolling fire lines; cleaning up burned areas; suppressing spot fires; felling snags, trees, and cutting brush. Quickly adjusts actions based on evolving information and situational awareness. Reassesses and adjusts escape routes and safety zones. Coordinates with aircraft, module, and crew logistics to place caches of equipment and supplies at strategic points. Operates, moves, inspects, and performs preventative maintenance on vehicles and equipment. Identifies lookout locations and assigns a lookout; scouts fireline in critical areas and patrols fireline for spot fires and slop overs. Directs the operation and use of special tools and equipment such as power saws, portable pumps, firing devices, and programming radio frequencies. Directs and ensures readiness of vehicles, equipment and supplies for daily and emergent work assignments. Mentors, instructs, and directs lower graded wildland firefighters in the building firelines, burning out, mopping up, and patrolling fire lines. Conducts on-the-job training on the use of wildland firefighting tools and equipment. Accounts for crewmembers’ location, health, safety, and welfare. Performs administrative recordkeeping such as timekeeping, travel, charge card, training, crew accomplishments, and performance concerns.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
• Direct Deposit Required.
• Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
• You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• You must pass a pre-employment physical.
• You must meet specified levels on annual physical fitness tests, and pass periodic medical exams for wild land fire personnel, commensurate with current incident management qualifications.
• You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• An applicant appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
• May require a one year probationary period.
• Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• This is a Bargaining Unit position.
• This is a career seasonal position. You will be in pay status for at least 6 months, but less than 12 months per calendar year. When work and/or funds are unavailable, you will be placed into non-pay status.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factors: The applicant must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified. Selective Placement Factor For the GS-5/6 This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a SFF, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at http://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/ This position requires the following qualifications - Currency Not Required: Firefighter 1 (FFT1) S-290 Selective Placement Factor For the GS-7 This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Squad Leader, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at http://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/ This position requires the following qualifications - Currency Not Required: Incident Command Type 5 (ICT5) Crew Boss (CRWB) S-211 Portable Pumps & Water Use S-212 Wildland Fire Chain Saws S-270 Basic Air Operations I-200 Basic ICS I-215 Fire Operations in Wildland/Urban Interface S-234 Ignition Operations S-260 Interagency Business Management L-280 Followership to Leadership In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Qualifications Required for the GS-5 grade level (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-4 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Served as a skilled wildland firefighter on a specialty crew (hotshot, helitack, engines, etc.) to suppress a full range of fires and/or independently, or with one or two other crew members, carried out specialized assignments such as tree felling, mop-up, patrolling and/or burnout and/or operated and maintained equipment such as a Pulaski, shovel, McLeod, ax, chainsaw, portable pumps or drip torches for fire suppression tasks OR a bachelor's degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school (120 semester/180 quarter hours) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or that included at least 24 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, outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science (no more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable); OR an appropriate combination of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Qualifications Required for the GS-6 grade level (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Serve as a senior wildland firefighter on a handcrew, or on a wildland or prescribed fire module. Perform the duties of a chainsaw operator and performs chainsaw maintenance and minor repair. Prepare and hook longlines and external loads. Perform all aspects of wildland and prescribed fire operations including preparation, ignition, monitoring, holding, and mop-up. Collect fire weather data, fuel and/or soil moisture samples, maps projects, and maintains records. Qualifications Required for the GS-7 grade level (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-6 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples wildland firefighter module to locate and lead fireline construction, backfiring and burnout operations, engine and pump operations, tree falling, holding/patrol/mop-up operations. Monitors fire behavior, fire effects, and fire weather. Collects fire data such as fuel loading, tree stand density, fuel moisture, and maintains records. Maintains and operates specialized equipment, including emergency repairs. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. This is a primary firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c)(CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). The position is subject to maximum entry age (MEA) requirements. The maximum entry-age for this position shall not exceed age 37 unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter experience or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. 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. Failure to provide this documentation with your application will result in loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims. Physical Demands: Arduous exertion for protracted periods of time such as, but not limited to, extensive running, walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, pulling hoses, jumping and twisting, prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity. Work Environment: Forest, range, and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. Employee must adjust and cope with exposure to weather elements, dust and smoke, poor bivouac and eating situations under an unpredictable set of circumstances. Firefighters may be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of time. The hazardous nature of the work requires that personal protective equipment be worn (e.g., boots, hard hat, gloves, flame resistant clothing). Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft.

Education

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Contacts

• Address BLM California State Office BLM California State Office, CA-945 2800 Cottage Way Suite W-1623 Sacramento, CA 95825 US
• Name: Katherine Pomaville
• Email: [email protected]