Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire and Fuels)

Company: Department Of Agriculture
Location: Prineville
Posted on: May 3, 2021

Job Description:

• Duties

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Duties

Summary

THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates applications are due for these locations can be found on theForest Service website.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Provides oversight for a moderate complexity fuels management program. Develops fuels treatment alternatives and evaluates individual fuels treatments.
• Maintains awareness of technological developments in wild land fire science.
• Responsible for the smoke management program to ensure compliance with state air quality standards.
• Performs fiscal analysis, assists in formulating the annual fuels management budget, and maintains a system of accounts to track program expenditures.
• Prepares wildland fire risk assessments incorporating wildland/urban interface considerations into all agreements, operating plans, and land and fire management plans.
• Serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team planning, developing, and implementing land management plans, compliance documents, and agreements.
• Provides input and recommends strategies for fuels and fire management. Reviews environmental documents, prescribed fire plans, and wildland fire use plans of other agencies and stakeholders which will affect the unit.
• Participate in the development of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects.
• May serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on fuel management contracts and may be responsible for the preparation of contract specifications and performance measures.
• Implements and administers prescribed fire activities, wildland fire use, and fuels management activities (i.e. surveys) to ensure targets are achieved, management objectives are met and mitigation measures are adequate.
• Identifies training needs and participates in prescribed fire and fuels management, and wildland fire and safety training in the techniques, practices, and methods of fire suppression.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignments.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences

• Requirements

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
• Must be 18 years of age.
• Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of training.
• This is a Test Designated Position. You will be tested for illegal drugs prior to appointment and randomly thereafter. Appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results.
• Must pass the Work Capacity Test for certain Interagency Fire Program Management or Fire Program Management positions.
• Minimum of 90 days of wildland firefighting experience is required.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
• 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.
• There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here, however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.

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.

You must possess the Basic Requirements indicated below, plus additional specialized experience and/or education to be considered eligible for this position. This position has a positive education requirement; therefore, a legible copy of your college transcripts is required to be attached to your application prior to the closing date of the announcement; applicants who fail to submit their transcripts will not be given credit for their education. Your application or resume must clearly show that you possess the appropriate specialized experience requirements. The following link provides more information on the qualifications for these positions: Professional and Scientific Positions.

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.

Basic Requirements:

Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major course of study in biological sciences, agriculture or natural resources management, chemistry or at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, natural resources, wildland fire management, forestry, or agriculture equivalent to a major field of study, plus appropriate experience or additional education that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, or natural resources.

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

For the GS-09: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level. Experience must be in at least two of the following three categories:

1. Experience that demonstrated understanding of fire effects on cultural and natural resources. The assignments must have shown participation in activities such as:

• Developing fire management plans to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint; or
• Conducting field inspections before and/or after prescribed fires or wildland fires to determine if defined resource objectives have been met.

2. Prescribed fire/fuels management - experience in activities such as:

• Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments), or
• Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming, or
• Evaluating prescribed fire plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identify appropriate suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained.

3. Fire management operations - analyzing and applying fire management strategies, plus experience in at least four of the following activities:

• Mobilization and dispatch coordination
• Fire prevention
• Training
• Logistics
• Equipment development and deployment
• Fire communications systems
• Suppression and preparedness

Selective Placement Factors:

A minimum 90 days experience performing on-the-line (Primary/Rigorous) wildland fire suppression duties as a member of an organized fire suppression crew or comparable unit that utilized knowledge of wildland fire suppression, containment or control techniques and practices under various conditions. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume.

Successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirements of Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2) AND Secondary NWCG Core Requirement of Engine Boss (ENGB) or Crew Boss (CRWB) or Helicopter Manager (HMGB) or Felling Boss (FELB) or Heavy Equipment Boss (HEQB).

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

This position has been identified as Complexity under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) or Forest Service Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) and is subject to selective placement factor requirements contained in the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard and Guide when filling this vacancy. IFPM or FS-FPM selective placement factors are made up of a primary and secondary National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) core Incident Management Qualifications and Required Training. The applicant must possess these qualifications at the applicable complexity level to be considered eligible for this 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. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees 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.

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

Education

Keywords: Department Of Agriculture, Bend , Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire and Fuels), Other , Prineville, Oregon