Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position. Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position.

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Government housing is unavailable for the location on this announcement. For contact information, visit Fire Contacts on the DOI FIRES website. To view a list of contacts, select the state you are interested in.

As a Wildland Firefighter (GW-4),your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as a trained wildland firefighter on any of the following crew types: engine, fuels, or wildland fire module.
• May participate in specialized assignments such as tree felling, backfire, and burnout operations.
• Utilizes a variety of specialized tools, equipment and techniques while actively managing wildland fires.
• May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4s.

As a Wildland Firefighter (GW-5),your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as a trained wildland firefighter on any of the following crew types: engine, fuels, or wildland fire module.
• Performs all aspects of wildland and prescribed fire operations including preparation, ignition, monitoring, holding and mop-up.
• Gathers and considers information on weather data, topography, fuel types and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents.
• May be required to operate light vehicles and 4X4s.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Direct Deposit Required.
• Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian preference for Employment (if claiming Indian Preference).
• 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.
• Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.
• You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• This position may require the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee may need to hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.
• You may be required to operate a fire engine and various motor vehicles as part of your official duties; a valid Commercial Driver's License may be required. If using a valid Driver's License with Firefighter endorsement to qualify, you will be required to obtain a Commercial Driver's License [within 90 days of employment]. You will be required to submit your Commercial Driver's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
• You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
• Subject to frequent extended travel particularly during fire season, and you may need to obtain a government charge card for travel.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.

Only experience and education obtained by 04/08/2026 will be considered.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

To qualify for a GW-4, you must meet at least one of the following:
1). Six (6) months of general work experience, which can be any work experience AND six (6) months of specialized work experience equivalent to the GW/GS-3 level duties.
Examples of specialized work experience may include the following:

• controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade
• forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work
• rescue operations
• detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards
• operation of fire communications equipment when it requires specialized knowledge of firefighting techniques, equipment, and procedures to prevent and manage fires
• controlling hazardous materials incidents
• developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention

-OR-
2). Successful completion of a 2-year course of study above high school, from an accredited college or university, in Fire Training, Fire Science, Fire Technology or in other related fields.
-OR-
3). A combination of the education and work experience described above.

To qualify for a GW-5, you must meet at least one of the following:
1). One (1) year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GW/GS-4 level duties
Examples of specialized work experience includes the following:
On-the-line wildland fire experience in forest/range fire control, prevention or suppression work as a skilled wildland firefighter, utilizing a variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment.
-OR-
2). Successful completion of a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree, from an accredited college or university, in Fire Science, Fire Training, Fire Technology or other related fields.
-OR-
3). A combination of education and specialized work experience described above.

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.

*Applicants must meet all minimum qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the minimum qualification requirements of this position. Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine if you are minimally qualified for the position. 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. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All minimally qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. Please note that the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.

The competencies below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered:

• Fire Management - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.