Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire/Fuels-High Complex)

Company: Department Of Agriculture
Location: Neihart
Posted on: June 7, 2021

Job Description:

• Duties

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Duties

Summary

THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and dates when applications are due for these locations can be found on the Forest Service website.

See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section for details.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Duties listed are at full performance grade GS-11.
• Provide program management oversight for a high complexity fire/fuels management program, based on the IFPM complexity analysis rating factors.
• Responsible for the smoke management program to ensure compliance with state air quality standards. Coordinate with federal, state, and local government air quality officials in their development of operational procedures and reporting requirements.
• Perform fiscal analysis, formulates the annual fuels management budget, and maintains a system of accounts to track program expenditures, including managing the budget from out-year planning to year-end closure.
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary field studies related to fuels management program issues to determine effectiveness of treatments. Coordinate and provide transfer of findings to the appropriate personnel.
• Serve as a member of an interdisciplinary team planning, developing, and implementing land management plans, compliance documents, and agreements. Provide input and recommends strategies for fuels and fire management.
• Provide assistance to other resource program managers in the design of fuels management prescriptions and implementation plans. Provide information on fuels management methods to enhance, restore, and protect ecosystems.
• Develop, review and monitor fuels management plans. Work closely with other resource specialist to integrate vegetation management project designs in fuels program direction.
• Participate in the development of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects. Participate in preparedness reviews, proficiency checks and drills, safety sessions, and after action reviews.
• Implement and administer prescribed fire activities, wildland fire use, and fuels management activities to ensure targets are achieved, management objectives are met and mitigation measures are adequate.
• Design and implements fuels management surveys to document presence, amount, and types of hazardous fuels. Utilize the results to prioritize prescribed fire and fuels management projects.
• Participate in the development, review and modification of the fire management plan. Reviews environmental documents, prescribed fire plans, and wildland fire use plans of other agencies and stakeholders which will affect the unit.
• Monitor fire behavior, evaluates fire effects, identifies potential problems and takes appropriate action. Support wildland fire suppression activities.
• May serve as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on fuels management contracts and may be responsible for the preparation of contract specifications and performance measures.
• Coordinate with the next higher organizational level, other agencies, cooperators, and stakeholders to develop interagency fuels strategies. Represent the organization in multi-agency fuels management activities.
• Maintain awareness of technological developments in wildland fire science and related disciplines. Collect information through a variety of methods, including field surveys, computer modeling, and specific literature searches.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel overnights on fire suppression or fire related assignments for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

11

• Job family (Series)

0401 General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences

• Requirements

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
• Must be 18 years of age.
• Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of training.
• This is a Test Designated Position. You will be tested for illegal drugs prior to appointment and randomly thereafter. Appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results.
• Must pass the Work Capacity Test for certain Interagency Fire Program Management or Fire Program Management positions.
• Minimum of 90 days of wildland firefighting experience is required.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
• Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
• There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here, however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.

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. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement:

Degree: Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major course of study in biological sciences, agriculture or natural resources management, chemistry or at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, natural resources, wildland fire management, forestry, or agriculture equivalent to a major field of study, plus appropriate experience or additional education that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, or natural resources.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level). Specialized experience is defined as developing fire management plans to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint; or conducting field inspections before and/or after prescribed fires or wildland fires to determine if defined resource objectives have been met. In addition to fire program management, appropriate experience must have included either prescribed fire/fuels management -or- fire management operations as described below:

Prescribed fire/fuels management - experience in a broad range of activities such as: professional forest or range inventory methods, (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels or live loading assessments); analysis of fuel loading and determination of fuel treatment methods and programming and evaluating prescribed fire plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identify appropriate suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained.-OR- Fire management operations - analyzing and applying fire management operations/strategies, plus experience in at least four of the following activities: Mobilization and dispatch coordination, Fire prevention, Training, Logistics, Equipment development and deployment, Fire communications systems, Suppression and Preparedness.

For the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to at least the GS-09 grade level). Specialized experience is defined as reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and technical adequacy; and conducting field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; and developing analyses on the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management. In addition to fire program management, appropriate experience must have included either prescribed fire/fuels management -or- fire management operations as described below:

Prescribed fire/fuels management - experience in a broad range of activities such as: professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments); Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming; Land use planning and environmental coordination; Evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identification of appropriate suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained. -OR- Fire management operations - analyzing and applying fire management strategies, plus experience in at least five of the following activities: Mobilization and dispatch coordination, Fire prevention and education, Training, Logistics, Equipment development and deployment, Fire communication systems, Suppression and preparedness, or Aviation.

Selective Placement Factors

Successfully completed the Primary IFPM Core Requirement of NWCG Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2) -AND- Successfully completed the Secondary NWCG Core Requirement of Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3) -OR- Task Force Leader (TFLD)-OR- Successfully completed the Primary IFPM Core Requirement of NWCG Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2) -AND- Successfully completed the Secondary NWCG Core Requirement of Helibase Manager (HEBM).

A minimum 90 days experience performing on-the-line (Primary/Rigorous) wildland fire suppression duties as a member of an organized fire suppression crew or comparable unit that utilized knowledge of wildland fire suppression, containment or control techniques and practices under various conditions. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume.

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 has been identified as High Complexity under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) or Forest Service Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) and is subject to selective placement factor requirements contained in the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard and Guide when filling this vacancy. IFPM or FS-FPM selective placement factors are made up of a primary and secondary National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) core Incident Management Qualifications and Required Training. The applicant must possess these qualifications at the applicable complexity level to be considered eligible for this position.

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 position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees 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, MODERATE, or LIGHT level is a condition of employment. The arduous, moderate, or light WCT is dependent on the incumbent's NWCG (National Wildfire Coordinating Group) incident management qualifications required for their IFPM or FS-FPM position.

Education

See QUALIFICATIONS section for education requirements.

Keywords: Department Of Agriculture, Billings , Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire/Fuels-High Complex), Other , Neihart, Montana