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Forestry Technician (Lookout)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Four (4) positions will be filled from this announcement. Please verify that the appropriate duty location is selected: Gasquet,CA, Orleans,CA; Willow Creek,CA & Mad River,CA

For information about these positions, please contact:
Albert Goughnour, 707-457-3868, albert.goughnour@usda.gov -Gasquet,CA
Jason P. Jones, 530-627-3284, jason.p.jones@usda.gov -Orleans,CA
Manfred Burger, 530-629-4284, manfred.burger@usda.gov -Willow Creek,CA
Seth Toerpe, 707-574-6411, seth.toerpe@usda.gov -Mad River, CA

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/16/2020 to 07/23/2020
Salary
$34,916 to - $34,916 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Locations
Gasquet, CA
1 vacancy
Mad River, CA
1 vacancy
Orleans, CA
1 vacancy
Willow Creek, CA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel - Occasional Travel-May be required for training and/or meetings.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
20-R5-GVA-10853160-DP-MVK
Control number
573647600

Duties

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  • Use standard fire finders, compass, binoculars, protractors, and geographic maps to locate observed smoke.
  • Estimate distance to smokes and probable size and characteristics of fires using available technology.
  • Plot location of fires using specialized equipment.
  • Enter information resulting from Unit patrols into an automated tracking system.
  • Use computer data base searches and produce reports.
  • Patrol Unit ensuring prevention signs are maintained and explain fire prevention laws and policies to visitors.
  • Issue campfire permits to visitors.
  • Maintain photo records and log books identifying the source and duration of smoke plumes.
  • Use radio communications to warn personnel involved in the response to fires of changes that may affect them.
  • Operate a radio communications center which connects to other lookout stations and dispatch centers.
  • Report and record daily weather observations.
  • Report azimuth, distance, location, volume, color, behavior of smoke, and other pertinent information by radio.
  • Report significant fire status changes to such as increased smoke, wind conditions, changes in color or volume of smoke to dispatch center.
  • Relay messages received relating to weather forecasts, fire hazard conditions, fire emergencies, accidents, and location of work crews and personnel.
  • Serve as key contact at a lookout station.
  • Maintain lookout equipment and make minor adjustments.
  • Report resultant fires from observing ground lightning strikes and recording storm paths.
  • Advise fire suppression personnel of changing conditions with the use of weather instruments to interpret fire weather data.
  • Promote the fire prevention program by explaining laws/policies, fire prevention methods, and fire hazard conditions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
  • This is a bargaining unit position.

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.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-05 level: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level; OR Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) 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 (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable or a combination of education and experience as described above; OR a combination of experience and successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester/90 quarter hours) as described above that together meets the requirements for the position. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Examples of specialized experience includes: Maintained lookout equipment and log books/records; Maintained lookout station and grounds in a neat and orderly condition; Received and relayed a variety of fire and administrative data and kept dispatchers/fire officials informed of current conditions; Promoted the fire prevention program by explaining laws and policies to visitors.

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.

Education

See Qualifications section for Educational requirements.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

This announcement may be used to fill positions with a seasonal work schedule where full-time work is guaranteed for 13 pay periods and when not working, you will be placed in non-pay/non-duty status.

This is a bargaining unit designated position.

Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

Government Housing is not available.


This position is not eligible for telework.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications.

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10853160

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