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Forestry Technician (Fire)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The position is located on a fire crew as a crewmember within the fire management organization. The purpose of the position is wildland fire suppression/management/control, as a firefighter on an engine, hotshot, helitack or hand crew. Other wildland fire related duties might involve fire prevention, patrol, detection, or prescribed burning.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/31/2022 to 02/07/2022
Salary
$17.31 to - $17.31 per hour
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Baker City, OR
Glide, OR
Gold Beach, OR
Halfway, OR
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary
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
22-TEMPF4-R6-3869-5DH
Control number
633850500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

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  • Serves as a senior firefighter on a handcrew. May perform the duties of a fully qualified faller, saw repair technician, or certified in the use of long line.
  • May on occasion serve as driver of crew carrier. All drivers of crew carriers are required to meet state Department of Transportation licensing requirements. This license must be obtained prior to being assigned driver duties.
  • Driver is subject the requirements of the Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing program.
  • Serves as a senior firefighter on a Fire Engine. Serves as alternate to the Assistant Fire Engine Operator.
  • May assist in performing work of 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.
  • Firefighter may have specialized duties such as water handling specialist, fully qualified faller, or responsible for maintenance of specialized equipment used to respond to wildland urban interface/intermix situations.
  • May on occasion serve as alternate driver which requires a commercial drivers license. This license must be obtained prior to being assigned alternate driver duties.
  • Serves as a senior firefighter on a helitack crew.
  • Loads helicopter cargo considering methods, weight distribution, necessity for securing, total weight, etc, and completes manifests of personnel and equipment being transported to the fire or other work site.
  • May exit helicopter in remote areas to construct helispots, or to attack small fires, hot spots and spot fires.
  • Specialized firefighter may serve as certified rappeller or specialist in the operation and maintenance of accessory equipment.
  • While on the fireline, employee will supress the fire by moving dirt, chopping brush, felling small trees, to build fire line using hand tools such as axe, Pulaski, shovel and McLeod, and power saws, to control spreading wildland fire.
  • May perform various aviation and ground support activities, such as servicing and operating batch mixers, tanks, and related components including pumps, valves, and hoses.
  • May be required to fill-in for other work leaders on established crews who are absent. Leads a squad (3-5) firefighters on a module in performing suppression duties on small or large fires.
  • As work leader is responsible for showing new employees how the work is performed, for implementing quantity and quality goals on-the-job, for assuring that equipment and tools are available, and that work is performed in a safe manner.
  • When not performing fire suppression duties, may inventory fuel beds, prepare associated reports, monitor burning conditions, and pile logging debris.
  • When not performing fire suppression duties, may act in assigned positions such as lighting boss or other designated positions during actual fuel reduction efforts by prescribed fire.
  • May perform project work and lead other workers in the same type of work which may include, but is not limited to: cleaning outdoor recreational facilities; mows grass and trims shrubs; perform trail maintenance and building maintenance duties.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • Must pass the Work Capacity Test for certain Interagency Fire Program Management or Fire Program Management positions.
  • Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
  • Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment
  • Successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirement of Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1).
  • Successfully completed the Secondary NWCG Core Requirement of Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (S-290).
  • Incumbent is subject to medical screening and must meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Qualification Standards for arduous duty wildland firefighting.
  • In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents).
  • IQCS must 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.

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-05: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 grade level; 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 combinations 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.

Examples of specialized experience include: Patrolling areas of controlled fires to mop-up by searching out and extinguishing any remaining burning material. Serving on a specialty crew (hotshot, helitack, engines, etc.) to suppress the full range of difficult and complex fires. Operating specialized fire suppression equipment such as portable pumps or drip torches.

Selective Placement Factors

  • Successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirement of Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) -AND-
  • Successfully completed the Secondary NWCG Core Requirement of Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (S-290).
  • Incumbent is subject to medical screening and must meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Qualification Standards for arduous duty wildland firefighting.
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.

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 level is a condition of employment, which means you must maintain the required level of physical fitness in order to remain in the position. The Arduous fitness (Pack) Test requires completing a three (3) mile hike within forty-five (45) minutes, while carrying a forty-five (45) pound pack. You are strongly encouraged to consult with your physician and begin training immediately if applying for this position. This announcement constitutes the required 30 days advanced notice for testing requirements.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents). IQCS must 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.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2022 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between June 19, 2022 and September 25, 2022.

This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible 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.

If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.

This position is not eligible for telework. Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

How you will be evaluated

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

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

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.

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