Incumbent serves as a Fire Dispatcher in either a single agency or interagency dispatch center located in a fire management organization and may encompass Federal, state, Tribal and private lands within the dispatch centers area of influence. The center is responsible primarily for wildland fire preparedness, suppression support activities and may respond to all-hazard incidents as needed or directed.
For more information about this position see "Position Information".
Summary
Incumbent serves as a Fire Dispatcher in either a single agency or interagency dispatch center located in a fire management organization and may encompass Federal, state, Tribal and private lands within the dispatch centers area of influence. The center is responsible primarily for wildland fire preparedness, suppression support activities and may respond to all-hazard incidents as needed or directed.
For more information about this position see "Position Information".
Receives fire reports and fire information, determines the appropriate response to incidents and requests from the field.
Plans and carries out procedural and technical tasks involved in dispatching personnel, equipment, and supplies to suppress wildland fires.
Anticipates needs based upon the status of fire suppression activities and makes recommendations regarding orders/anticipated orders.
Processes and interprets weather information (e.g., spot weather forecasts, weather station observations, current and forecasted weather, lightning detection, and fuel moisture levels).
Collects, processes, collates and submits incident information to support fire operations (e.g., fire reports, ICS-209's, situation reports, statistical reports, smoke permits, spot weather forecasts, prescribed fire burn requests).
Monitors all fire radio communications and maintains logs on all telephone and radio conversations that transpire.
Coordinates and assists with fire training, reviewing operating procedures and making recommendations for improvement.
Gathers intelligence to perform briefings, update incident statistics, inform supervisors and fire management personnel, and for inputting data in situation reports and Incident Status Summary (ICS-209).
This is a 13/13 position; meaning there is a guaranteed 13 pay periods in pay status, and can be up to 13 pay periods in non-pay status within a year.
This is a are Career-Seasonal position. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis.
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.
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 the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 37 and is requesting a waiver to the requirement.
If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
You may 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 will be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
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, is on a bid system, and is NOT guaranteed.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 07/02/2025 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 - month/year), and the resume 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. 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.
Basic Qualification Requirements:
This is an administrative position in an organization having a firefighting mission, and is clearly in an established career path. Prior firefighting experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE.
Candidates must possess Primary/Rigorous wildland firefighting/wildland fire support experience, gained through duties such as: logistical dispatch experience with ties to emergency operations like wildland fire, structural fire, emergency management services or law enforcement, fire line work in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered. AND
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
For the GS-04 level:
Applicants must have one year of progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work which provided the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position being filled; Examples of general experience include: Received and relayed information to the appropriate person or office; used computer databases, spreadsheets, word processing software, and/or maintained logs; processed and maintained documents and files per organizational guidelines. OR
An Associate's Degree or two years of successfully completed education above high school; OR
A combination of successfully completed post-high school education and experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.
For the GS-05 level:
Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4 grade level; Examples of specialized experience include: Communicated information regarding wildland fire incidents to the appropriate person or office; utilized a telecommunication system to transmit and receive information to and from field units; worked with various computer software programs to maintain incident logs, fire records, and resource tracking; provided service to the center customer base regarding wildland fire incidents and daily operations. OR
A Bachelor's Degree or 4 years of successfully completed education above high school; OR
A combination of successfully completed post-high school education (in excess of the first 60 semester hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.
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).
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
This is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system.
FERS TRANSITION REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under CSRS, an employee must transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved retirement covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary retirement covered position.
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.
Education
When submitting college transcripts, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
POSITION INFORMATION:
**PLEASE NOTE - this position is covered under the new GW pay table specific to Wildland Firefighters. Please see this link for the pay tables: Wildland Firefighter.
This position is located in Yellowstone National Park; duty location Yellowstone, WY. This location is covered under the Rest of the United States pay table: RUS Pay Table. For additional questions regarding the duties or location for this position, please contact Laura Dooley at Laura_Dooley@nps.gov.
Additional information
This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority".
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR ยง575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.
A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Physical Demands: The work involves long hours of sitting, intense concentration, and working at peak proficiency/intensity levels with irregular breaks and mealtimes. The duties of this position create a highly stressful environment during peak activity, requiring the ability to keep calm in emergency situations. Must be able to cope with the pressure of meeting timeframes and changing priorities. Mental concentration and accuracy are required. Vehicle and aircraft travel associated with field visits and other administrative travel may be required.
Working Conditions: Work is performed primarily in an office setting. During peak activity, increased radio traffic, numerous ringing phones, and conversations result in high noise levels, which require a high level of concentration to perform duties. This creates a high stress work environment.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 whether they meet the qualification requirements.
Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.
This vacancy will be filled through a 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 applicant will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/14/2025:
Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are applying under CTAP and ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
College transcripts are required if qualifying on education.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/14/2025. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. It is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
We do not accept hard copy or emailed application packages.
Intermountain Fire and Aviation-SPARK
1 Denver Federal Center
Building 50
Denver, CO 80225
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the qualified candidates, your name will be referred to the hiring official, and you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Career-Seasonal appointments at Yellowstone National Park are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs. On an annual basis, employee signs a "career-seasonal" agreement with the supervisor which defines the work schedule for that year non-pay status. After 90 days in this position, employee's work schedule may be changed to a permanent non-career seasonal position. In which case they will work 12 months per year. Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 13 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 11/1 through 3/1. On an annual basis, employee signs a "career-seasonal" agreement with the supervisor which defines the work schedule for that year.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/14/2025:
Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are applying under CTAP and ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
College transcripts are required if qualifying on education.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/14/2025. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. It is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
We do not accept hard copy or emailed application packages.
Intermountain Fire and Aviation-SPARK
1 Denver Federal Center
Building 50
Denver, CO 80225
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the qualified candidates, your name will be referred to the hiring official, and you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Career-Seasonal appointments at Yellowstone National Park are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs. On an annual basis, employee signs a "career-seasonal" agreement with the supervisor which defines the work schedule for that year non-pay status. After 90 days in this position, employee's work schedule may be changed to a permanent non-career seasonal position. In which case they will work 12 months per year. Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 13 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year but not more than 25 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. Work schedule and periods of non-pay status are contingent upon funding and operational needs with non-pay status from approximately 11/1 through 3/1. On an annual basis, employee signs a "career-seasonal" agreement with the supervisor which defines the work schedule for that year.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
