Forestry Technician (Senior Wildland Firefighter)-Direct Hire Authority

Summary
Positions will be located at Marble Falls, AR (Buffalo River Wildland Fire Module), Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) Division.
The incumbent serves as a Senior Wildland Firefighter on a Type 1 Wildland Fire Module and performs wildland fire suppression, management, and or control functions as well as serves as a firefighter on an engine, helitack, prescribed fire, wildland fire module, or on a hand crew.
For additional questions about this position, please contact Joseph_Milligan@nps.gov
This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position.
Duties
Major Duties for the GS-5 level:

• Serves as a Senior Wildland firefighter on a hand crew, or on a wildland fire engine or prescribed fire module. Performs duties of a chainsaw operator. Performs all aspects of wildland and prescribed fire operations including preparation, ignition, monitoring, holding and mop-up. Collects fire weather data, fuel and/or soil moisture samples, maps projects and maintains records.
• May drive engine and/or four-wheel drive pickups to fire locations over unimproved roads. Performs and may direct others in starting the pump engine, priming pump, adjusting engine speed and pump valves, laying hose, and using appropriate nozzles.
• May perform hazard fuel reduction projects, which entails mechanical removal of vegetation through use of chainsaws, etc.
• Operates four-wheel drive pickup trucks and fire engines, portable pumps, chain saws, and other common fire equipment.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• 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.
• 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 may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and shift work.
• Position is a career seasonal 13/13; 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.
• 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 28 nights per month particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
• Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to periodic medical examinations throughout employment.
• The Work Capacity Test (WCT-Pack Test) as a method for assessing an employee's fitness levels for fire qualifications in the positions covered by this recruitment notice. Arduous fitness (WCT-Pack Test) will consist of completing a three-mile hike, within 45 minutes, while carrying a 45 pound pack. NOTE: Arduous Work Capacity Test

Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the12/28/2023 of this announcement unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
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.
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.
Selective Factors:

• Successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirements of Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) AND
• S-290 Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior AND
• Under age 37 -OR- less than age 37 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service worked 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 maximum age requirement.

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 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 closingdate 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.
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." The Arduous fitness (Pack) test requires completing a three (3) mile hike within forty-five (45) minutes, while carrying a forty-five (45) pound pack. You are strongly encouraged to consult with your physician and begin training immediately if applying for this position. This announcement constitutes the required 30 days advanced notice for testing requirements. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
-AND-
To qualify for this position at the GS-05 level, you must possess one of the following:
A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the federal service. Specialized experience includes forestry aid or technician work; engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices; farming or ranching work that provided a basic understanding of land use and involved the application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices; forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
-OR-
B. Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture or a subject-matter field directly related to the position that includes at least 24 semester hours of course work in related course work such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable.
-OR-
C. Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined.
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). This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program management (IFPM) Standard. This position requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. For more information on IFPM, click here.
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
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.
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.
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.
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. Rigorous fieldwork requiring above average physical performance, endurance and superior conditioning. Work requires 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. Operation of some specialized fire equipment can place extended physical stress on employee during fire activities.
Working Conditions: The work is primarily performed in 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 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. Employee 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 (boots, hardhat, gloves, flame resistant clothing, etc.). Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft.
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
This announcement could serve to fill additional...