About This Position
These positions will be located at a USDA Forest Service Unit. The position serves as Fire Prevention Officer on a Forest Service unit. The primary purpose of this position involves planning and execution of fire prevention, suppression, and education programs. See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section for the specific contact information.
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.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GW-08 level: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the (GW-07) grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of Specialized Experience: Provided technical expertise on fire protection and prevention/suppression issues; Made inspections of lands and buildings for compliance with Federal, State and local codes and Special Use permit requirements and contract provisions relating to fire precautions; Reviewed fire control plans and documents relating to fire prevention, detection, and hazard reduction, pre-suppression and suppression tactics and strategies; Assisted in the development, implementation and presentation of the role of fire in ecosystems management educational programs.
For the GW-09 level: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the (GW-08) grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of Specialized Experience: Assisted in developing and executing plans to solve complex problems involving fire preparedness, fuels management, fire prevention, and/or training; Assisted the management of fire prevention and detection programs, scheduling staffing, maintenance and/or training; Assisted the development of fire control plans and/or documentation relating to fire pre-suppression, prevention, detection, suppression tactics and/or strategies. 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 firefighter position under 5 USC 8336 (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends upon his or her individual work history. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Major Duties
Duties listed are at full performance grade GW-09 level.
Provides technical expertise on fire protection and prevention/ suppression issues. Supervises inspections in compliance with Federal, State and local codes and Special Use permit requirements and contract provisions relating to fire precautions.
Develops, implements and makes presentations on the role of fire in ecosystem management educational programs on unit, both internally and externally.
Develops and presents fire prevention training for unit and forest personnel and cooperating agencies, public utilities and citizens groups.
Develops district or unit fire prevention plan by analysis of fire occurrence data, hazard and risk, values, suppression capabilities and potential for the loss of resources.
Cooperatively designs/executes joint programs in fire prevention; reviews development plans for compliance with fire safe practices; provides technical expertise on fire protection in special use permits, service contracts and timber sale contracts.
How You Will Be Evaluated
This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.
Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12898870
Additional Information
For additional information about the duties and location(s) of these positions, please contact regional representative: To see the different locations within the Regional Offices | US Forest Service (usda.gov) Region 5: Pacific Southwest Region - Brian Grabowski at [email protected] Region 6: Pacific Northwest Region - Jason Heinz at [email protected] Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. These are permanent positions with varying tours of duty and may include weekend work. Some positions may have irregular and protracted hours of work.
Tours of duty include full-time or less than full time (guaranteed minimum 13 pay periods full-time employment). Government housing and federal day care facilities may be available. The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement.
Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2025/wildland-firefighter/ for additional information on pay rates.
Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer. The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates.
Additional Information is available on the OPM Website. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email [email protected] PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management.
However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed.
How to Apply
Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process. Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin.
You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged.
We are available to assist you during business hours (7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Mountain Time Zone, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing.
Resumes must not exceed two pages. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this. To begin, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.
Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages.
Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.
Required Documents
The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages. If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website.
All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation. Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.