Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position. Open to the first 300 applicants or until the closing date of 10/30/2023, whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

• Serve as a registered apprentice in a developmental capacity as a wildland firefighter trainee.
• Fight wildland fires in extreme heat conditions.
• Starts pump engine, primes pump, adjusts engine speed and pump valves, lays hose, and uses appropriate nozzles and nozzle adjustment in effective use of water and additives.
• Services and makes minor repairs to engine; inspects, checks and services accessories such as pump, water lines, tank, reels, or pump power plant; and keeps in fire readiness.
• Inspects, cleans and stows hose. Makes emergency repairs and adjustments of pump while in use. Performs line construction and mop-up activities.
• Performs the duties of a chainsaw operator and performs simple chainsaw maintenance.
• Other apprenticeship training assignments may include: trail maintenance; may be assigned to a fire lookout for reporting of fires; with training may serve in wildland fire dispatch center communicating weather and resource status.
• Gathers and considers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents.
• Responsible for operation and maintenance of specialized equipment used to respond to wildland and prescribed fire situations.
• Duties listed are at the full performance level of the position.

Conditions of employment

• These are Career-Seasonal positions. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis.
• An 18/8 position means there is a guaranteed 18 pay periods in pay status, and can be up to 8 pay periods in non-pay status; A 22/4 position means there is a guaranteed 22 pay periods in pay status, and can be up to 4 pay periods in non-pay status within a year.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• This is a Test Designated Position. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• Must pass the Work Capacity Test for certain Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) or Fire Program Management (FPM) positions.
• Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and pass a medical examination given by an authorized government physician.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Must be 18 years of age at time of close date of announcement.
• Under age 37; less than age 37 after subtracting Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position or a veteran, older than age 37 and requesting a waiver.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
• You will be required to operate a government motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required.
• You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service fire uniform standards.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
• Subject to frequent extended travel up to 14 nights a month particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
• Incumbent will be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• Government housing may be available, depending on location, is on a bid system and is NOT guaranteed.

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 Forestry Technician Series 0462 (opm.gov).

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

For the GS-03 level:
Six months of general experience. General experience is any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position or provides a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Examples of general experience include: Biological science aid or technician work; forestry aid or technician work; farming or ranching work that provides a basic understanding of land use; forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
-OR-
Successfully completed 1 year of study that included at least 6 semester hours in a combination of courses such as range management or conservation, agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, engineering, biology, mathematics, or other natural or physical sciences. Transcripts must be attached to application package.
-OR-
An equivalent combination of experience and education. Transcripts must be attached to application package.

For the GS-04 level:
Six months of general experience and six months of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-03 level in the federal service. Examples of general and specialized experience include: Biological science aid or technician work; forestry aid or technician work; farming or ranching work that provided a basic understanding of land use; forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work; engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involves application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices; farming or ranching work that provides a basic understanding of land use and involved the application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices.
-OR-
Successfully completed 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. Transcripts must be attached to application package.
-OR-
An equivalent combination of experience and education. Transcripts must be attached to application package.

For the GS-05 level:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: Forestry aid or technician work; engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices; farming or ranching work that provided a basic understanding of land use and involved the application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices; forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
-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 those shown above for GS-4. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. Transcripts must be attached to application package.
-OR-
An equivalent combination of education and experience. Transcripts must be attached to application package.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must submit a legible copy of your transcripts (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected).

This position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. 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. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system.

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." 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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated based on how well they meet the qualification requirements.

Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of the application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.

This vacancy will be filled through DOI's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.

If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.

If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the employee will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.