What are the responsibilities and job description for the Wildland Firefighter (Fire Management Planning) (Direct Hiring Authority) position at National Park Service?
Summary
This position is with the Wildland Fire and Aviation Branch of the National Park Service's Fire Management Team. The incumbent will provide technical advice for short- and long-term strategic fire management planning, assessments, and interagency and/or unit fire management plans.
For more information regarding this position, please reach out to Cumberland Island National Seashore - Lucas Hunkler @ lucas_hunkler@nps.gov
Learn more about this agency
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Duties
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 01/24/2025, 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), 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.
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. NOTE: If your firefighting experience includes both structural and wildland, it is essential that your application materials clearly separate and document your wildland experience.
Selective Factor: 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. Wildland firefighting experience is required to meet qualifications for secondary (administrative) covered positions. The Department of Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as: On-the-line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression, or use of wildland fire. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows:
Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires.
Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience.
Volunteer Experience: 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.
Education
There is no educational qualifications for the GS-0456 Wildland Firefighter occupational series at the GS-09 grade level.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although a level of physical fitness is required which will allow for work during periods of extended stress and in the field when wildland fire situations arise. During the fire season, extended fire assignments away from the unit may be required under very stressful conditions.
Working Conditions: Although work is generally performed in an office setting. Field work involves exposure to temperature extremes, both from weather and fire conditions where falling trees and the presence of smoke and/or dust conditions create hazardous conditions. The nature of fire investigation work requires that protective clothing (boots, hard hats, etc.) be worn. The incumbent must exercise a variety of safety practices and precautions for the well-being of self and of others.
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) 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.
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 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 who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR
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 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 covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary coverage position.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)???????: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework with supervisors premission.
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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.
South East Fire and Aviation-SPARK
100 Alabama Street
Building 1924
Atlanta, GA 30303
US
This position is with the Wildland Fire and Aviation Branch of the National Park Service's Fire Management Team. The incumbent will provide technical advice for short- and long-term strategic fire management planning, assessments, and interagency and/or unit fire management plans.
For more information regarding this position, please reach out to Cumberland Island National Seashore - Lucas Hunkler @ lucas_hunkler@nps.gov
Learn more about this agency
Help
Duties
- This position develops field/local wildland plans and fire management alternatives in environmental settings that reflect national, regional, state, and local management goals and objectives related to fire management. Evaluates the adequacy and effectiveness of fire management programs through periodic on-the-ground inspections or visits to field units.
- Provides skilled decision-making recommendations on short and long-term strategic fire management planning, assessments, and interagency unit fire management plans.
- Applies advanced knowledge and judgment on wildland fire planning processes and procedures of a difficult level. Applies technical fire planning knowledge to analyze and resolve complex problems relating to the development, execution, and monitoring of field/local fire management issues by developing and implementing alternatives to meet the fire management social or political objectives and monitoring the effects of long-term droughts and changes in climate to analyze long-term fire related impacts on the environment.
- Provides technical support to fire management officers, land or resource management personnel, and planners throughout the fire program assigned.
- Provides technical advice in the use of the National Fire Danger Rating System.
- During wildland fire and fuels management assignments, provides on-the-job training and mentorship opportunities to lower graded firefighters on the use of tools and equipment.
- Performs administrative leadership responsibilities to include maintaining records such as receipts for supplies, travel, and credit card purchases; ensuring that work is carried out safely; reporting on work accomplishments of the crews being led; and reporting on employee performance concerns.
- Maintains wildland fire planning records management system and advise fire management officers, land, resources, and other staff specialists to ensure accuracy and timeliness in support of fire post-suppression requirements.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License.
- You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
- You must be willing to live and work in remote locations.
- Government Housing is not available.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- Subject to frequent extended travel up to 10 nights per month particularly during fire season, and you must 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.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 01/24/2025, 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), 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.
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. NOTE: If your firefighting experience includes both structural and wildland, it is essential that your application materials clearly separate and document your wildland experience.
Selective Factor: 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. Wildland firefighting experience is required to meet qualifications for secondary (administrative) covered positions. The Department of Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as: On-the-line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression, or use of wildland fire. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows:
Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires.
Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience.
- AND -
Volunteer Experience: 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.
Education
There is no educational qualifications for the GS-0456 Wildland Firefighter occupational series at the GS-09 grade level.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although a level of physical fitness is required which will allow for work during periods of extended stress and in the field when wildland fire situations arise. During the fire season, extended fire assignments away from the unit may be required under very stressful conditions.
Working Conditions: Although work is generally performed in an office setting. Field work involves exposure to temperature extremes, both from weather and fire conditions where falling trees and the presence of smoke and/or dust conditions create hazardous conditions. The nature of fire investigation work requires that protective clothing (boots, hard hats, etc.) be worn. The incumbent must exercise a variety of safety practices and precautions for the well-being of self and of others.
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) 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.
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 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 who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR
- 575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.
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 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 covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary coverage position.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)???????: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework with supervisors premission.
Read more
- Help 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.
South East Fire and Aviation-SPARK
100 Alabama Street
Building 1924
Atlanta, GA 30303
US
