Forestry Technician (Wildland Firefighter) - Direct Hire Authority

Summary
This permanent full-time seasonal aviation position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southwest Region, Division of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management, Aviation Section, Duty Station in Towaoc, Colorado and will be filled from Standard PD Number: FDI0204.
This announcement will be used to fill vacancies utilizing the Direct-Hire Authority (5CFR 337.201). Category rating, veteran's preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do NOT apply for this vacancy.
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
ALL U.S. CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: These positions will be filled using Direct Hire Authority for this occupation. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.
Duties

• Serve as a skilled module/crewmember on an helitack crew.
• As a helitack module member, loads helicopters, determines weight calculations, completes crew manifests, and may construct helispots, or attacks small fires, hot spots and spot fires
• Performs basic fireline activities such as line construction, lopping and scattering of fuels using hand tools and holding, patrolling, monitoring and mop-up operations.
• Serves as a skilled Wildland Firefighter during prescribed burns, monitoring and controlling the fire, and collecting data on fire weather and fire behavior
• Performs project work such as fuel inventory and hazard fuel reduction projects
• Cleans, maintains, reconditions and stores firefighting tools and equipment.
• Inventories fire supplies and equipment.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
• You may be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
• This is a Testing Designated Position and is subject to both pre-employment and random drug testing as a condition of employment. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
• This position is subject to pre-employment and annual medical screening and physical fitness testing for arduous duty.
• This is a Permanent, Full-Time Seasonal Position and is subject to placement in Non-Pay Status when services are not needed do to lack of work, funds, or unforeseen circumstances.
• This position has been designated as an Incidental Operator under the Indian Affairs Motor Vehicle Safety Program, therefore, the incumbent will be required annually to acknowledge and certify possession of a valid state driver's license.

Qualifications
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for One-Grade Interval Technical or Medical Support Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0462: Forestry Technician Series; and NWCG/Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations).
GS-4: 6 months of general work experience and 6 months of specialized work experience; OR 2 years of successfully completed education above the high school level that included at least 12 semester hours in any of following courses: 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 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable OR 4 seasons of specialized experience.
GENERAL EXPERIENCE: (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized experience may be substituted for general experience.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience which has provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully function in the wildland fire management position. Example of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Forestry aide or technician work.
• Engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved the application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices on non-forest or ranch lands when combined with knowledge of forestry operations and equipment.
• Farming or ranching work that involved application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices, including safety and use of equipment, and that provided a basic understanding of land use.
• Forest or range fire control, fire prevention, or fire suppression work as a skilled Wildland Firefighter.

SEASONAL EXPERIENCE: A season of experience is considered to be a period of no less than 3 months of continuous employment on a seasonal basis. Shorter periods may be combined to make a season, provided a total of at least 3 months' experience is shown. For any period where the work exceeded 3 months, the excess work is credited towards an additional season of experience.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: These are MANDATORY qualification prerequisites to qualify for this position. The applicant must have possessed all of the following Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations under the BIA Exclusive Use Helicopter Module Position Standards to be considered eligible for this Fire Helicopter Crewmember (FHCM) position:

• Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) or higher

NOTE: Selective factors are knowledges, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Applicants who do not meet the selective factors are ineligible for further consideration. You MUST provide a current copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other agency equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required qualifications for this position when submitting your application.
MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE (MEA) AND FIREFIGHTER SPECIAL RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) (FERS). The maximum entry-age (MEA) for this position shall not exceed age 37, unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian law enforcement or firefighter experience or you are a preference eligible veteran. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants over the MEA of 37 MUST have enough prior covered service under the Firefighter Special Retirement benefit in order to be eligible for re-entry into a primary firefighter position.
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. 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.
Applicants are responsible for submitting all supporting documentation prior to the closing date of a vacancy for an MEA determination. Acceptable forms of documentation consist of SF-50's showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable Federal civilian appointments or copies of agency approved certification letters based upon individual claims for coverage. Failure to provide this documentation with your application may result in the loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the 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. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION
Additional information
Indian Preference Policy: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC Section 472). Verification form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. No other documents will be accepted as proof of Indian Preference.
All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2023 Salary Tables here and select the duty station from Towaoc, Colorado to choose the appropriate pay chart. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart. NOTE: This vacancy is utilizing the Nationwide Special Salary Table Number 001M along with applicable chart for designated geographic location.
This is a permanent full-time seasonal career/conditional appointment. The incumbent will be in pay status at least 13 pay periods (26 weeks) or more depending on funding & workload not-to-exceed 25 pay periods (50 weeks) per calendar year. Services will not be required at certain times due to lack of work/funds, weather conditions, ceiling limitations or other unforeseen circumstances & will be placed in a non-work, non-pay status
TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. ANY RELOCATION EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTING FOR DUTY WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE.
TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for Situational telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
This position has been designated as an Incidental Operator under the Indian Affairs Motor Vehicle Safety Program and requires the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out his/her assigned duties but whose principal duties are not operating a motor vehicle and his/her position is not classified as a motor vehicle operator. The incumbent will be required initially and annually to acknowledge and certify possession of a valid state driver's license.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Programs 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 more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 90 days from the closing date.

• Benefits
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How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requ...