Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all qualified U.S. Citizens.

As a Wildland Firefighter your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• As an experienced member of and/or leader within a wildland fire module or crew in fuels management, fire suppression, monitoring, and post-fire activities, applies an understanding of firefighter safety, fire behavior, topography of the area, weather, fuels, and training in fire management work to direct suppression operations and to recommend and implement tactical strategy on attacking, controlling, or mopping up fires, building or patrolling firelines, cleaning up burned areas within firelines, suppressing spot fires, felling snags or trees, and cutting brush.
• Ensures assigned crew members and equipment for the specific fire assignments or daily work assignments are in a state of readiness for the assignment or initial attack.
• Leads less-complex fuels management projects or participates in more complex projects that may include gathering data for monitoring programs and implementing prescribed fire, and mechanical and biological treatments; inventorying fuel beds; and piling vegetation debris.
• Leads firefighting personnel by directing their activities when suppressing wildland fires or by serving as a situational leader on wildland fires by directing the work of a small crew of firefighters in building firelines, burning out, mopping up, and patrolling firelines.

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.

Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.

Direct Deposit Required.

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 requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.

Official U.S. Wildland Fire Service uniform is required.

A condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a [1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial period] during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

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.

Must meet the maximum age requirement. See qualifications section for more information.

You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

Qualifications

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

Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.

1. This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another primary covered position, or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application may result in loss of consideration. Please refer to the Required Documents section for further guidance on what documentation is required to meet this requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.

2. This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Senior Firefighter and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found here: Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM). To meet IFPM requirements, you must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position (currency not required at time of referral, but may be required to obtain and maintain currency if selected):

A.) Firefighter Type 1, (FFT1)
AND
B.) S-290, Intermediate Fire Behavior Training
You must submit a copy of your IQCS Master Record (or agency equivalent) showing completion of both at the time of application.

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.

Only experience and education obtained by close date 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 Qualification GW-6:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-5 level in the Federal Service demonstrated by performing range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include leading firefighting crews in prescribed burning and wildfire suppression field operations and performing wildland fire suppression, preparedness, prevention, monitoring, hazardous fuels reduction and prescribed fire as wildland firefighter crewmember.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is not an option to qualify for the 0456 series utilizing education at this grade level.

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.

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.

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.

Working Conditions: 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:

• Knowledge of fire behavior principles, including the influence of weather, terrain, and fuel types, to effectively manage and position resources for wildland fire response.
• Knowledge of wildfire strategies, to relay assignments, evaluate conditions, and ensure crew safety.
• Knowledge of fire operations, engine, pump, hose, handcrew, and helicopter operations to perform and lead effectively.
• Knowledge of accepted fire safety practices and procedures to prevent injury and loss of life.

You MUST upload "Required Documents" PRIOR to the Closing Date.

**Please note that documents selected to transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer the document(s) in the Document step at the end of the application process.

Resumes MUST include your name and how to best contact you, including an email address and a phone number. List each season or position held, duties performed, dates specified in month/year to month/year format. In addition, the resume must reflect full-time or total number of hours worked per week. Part-time hours can be pro-rated based on number of hours worked per week provided. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.

• Example 1: 05/2025 to 08/2025 could be credited as 3 months if 40 hours worked per week (full-time) are listed -or- 2.25 months if 30 hours worked per week are listed -or-1.5 months if 20 hours worked per week are listed.
• Example 2: 05/2023 to 10/2023 could be credited as 5 months of experience if 40 hours worked per week (full-time) are listed -or- 3.75 months if 30 hours worked per week are listed -or- 2.5 months if 20 hours worked per week are listed.
• Example 3: Dates listed with month/day/year to month/day/year could be given credit for each to/from date in its entirety if hours worked per week are listed. 05/1/2024 to 08/16/2024 could be credited as 3 months, 16 days if 40 hours worked per week are listed -or- 1 month, 23 days if 20 hours worked per week are listed.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on what should I include in my federal resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include.

A complete Assessment Questionnaire: This is completed automatically during the online application process. The questions have to do with minimum qualifications, selective factors if applicable, a verification statement, etc. There is no additional document needed to complete this requirement.

Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:

High School Transcript - If you are using Firefighter training obtained as part of a high school curriculum for the GW-03, you MUST submit a legible copy of your high school transcript from an accredited institution, to include your name, the schools name and location, and the information showing successful completion of courses with the number of credits given.

College transcripts - if qualifying based on education. For more information, see the Education section.

Veterans' Preference Documentation - If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, you MUST submit evidence of eligibility. DD-214 MUST show character of service. Failure to submit a DD-214 which shows the character of service and other appropriate supporting documentation, if applicable, will result in NOT granting preference. Note: If you are still on active duty, contact the DOI FIRES Program Office for acceptable alternative documentation.
- 0-point Sole survivorship preference (SSP), please provide the documentation you received granting this preference.
- 5-point preference - DD-214 which shows character of service or other documentation which proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions.
- 10-point preference - DD-214, SF-15, an official letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veteran's Affairs, or other appropriate source.

For further information, please refer to the "Veteran Information" link at the bottom of the screen.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP you MUST submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

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.

*You only need to upload documents that apply to you. For uploading instructions please click here.

You will not be contacted for additional information. If you have questions regarding what is considered appropriate supporting documentation, contact the DOI FIRES Program Office.

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