Hiring: Forestry Technician (Wildland Firefighter), Department of Interior, Arizona

Position closes on Dec.31, 2020

 

Duties

Summary

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Superintendent, Colorado River Agency in Parker, Arizona. The purpose of this announcement is to fill a Wildland Firefighter (Forestry Technician), filled under SPD#FDI0204.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Serves as an integral member of the Fire Management organization. Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Serves as a skilled crew member on a wildland fire engine.
  • As a trainee engine operator, drives engine to fire locations and positions engine for proper use and operation.
  • Performs basic fire line activities such as starting pump engine, priming pump, adjusting engine speed and pump valves, laying hose, and using appropriate nozzles and nozzle adjustment in effective use of water and additives.
  • May perform duties as a chain saw operator.

Physical Demands: Duties involve arduous and rigorous fieldwork requiring above average physical performance, endurance, and superior conditioning. Work requires prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying items weighing over 50 pounds, and other similar strenuous activities. The duties of this position require that the incumbent meet the arduous level of physical fitness as measured by the current physical fitness testing standards.

Work Environment: The work is primarily performed in a forest or desert environment in steep, uneven, rocky terrain with thick tangled vegetation, in smoky conditions. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites, exposure to excessive noise, falling or rolling material. May require overnights in back country camps for extended periods of time. Work may require travel by light fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft.

This is a Career-Seasonal appointment. You will be in a pay status for at least six months, but less than 12 months a year. When work or funds are not available, you will be placed in a non-pay status.

This position will support the Federal Government’s response efforts to COVID-19.

Travel Required

Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Indian Preference applies
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
  • You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial 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.
  • Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver’s license, and have a safe driving record within the 3 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
  • This position 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.
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Qualifications

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement and applications will be referred when vacancies occur. This announcement is intended as a mechanism of providing consideration for the greatest number of potential candidates. Candidates with a complete application will be considered for all vacancies that occur for a 3-month period or the closing date of this announcement, whichever comes first.

Your resume and any documents submitted will be retained for three months and may be used at any time during this period. After 3 months, you must reapply to this announcement in order to be considered.In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement – please be sure to include this information in your resume. You must meet the specialized experience and selective factors outlined below.

Specialized Experience:

GS-04: You must meet 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade which includes on-the-line wildland fire experience in a forest/range fire control, prevention, or suppression work as a trainee wildland firefighter.

  • OR- Two years of education above the high school level which includes at least 12 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management, or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science.
  • -OR- A combination of education and specialized 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.

This is a primary firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) (FERS). The position is subject to maximum entry age (MEA) requirements.

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The maximum entry-age for this position shall not exceed age 37, unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter experience 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 will result in 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.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

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

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2020 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Parker, Arizona. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the “rest of U.S.” chart.

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Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.

  • Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.
  • Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period.

Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

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Position closes on Dec.31, 2020   Duties Summary This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Superintendent, Colorado River Agency in Parker, Arizona. The purpose of this announcement is to fill a Wildland Firefighter (Forestry Technician), filled under SPD#FDI0204. Learn more about this agency Responsibilities Serves as an integral member of the Fire […]

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