Deadline March 17, 2020
Summary
Explore a new career with the BLM – where our people are our greatest natural resource.
For additional information about the BLM, please visit our website.
This position is located in Rawlins, Wyoming. Information about the surrounding area may be found here: www.rawlins-wyoming.com
Responsibilities
The purpose of the position is to provide leadership and oversight of wildland fire suppression/management/control, as a seasoned, experienced firefighter on a helitack crew.
– Provide oversight and leadership of wildland fire suppression/management/control, as a seasoned, experienced firefighter on a helitack module.
– Assures that needed tools and equipment are available for firefighting tasks.
– May serve as a rappeller or short hauler or spotter.
– Provides technical and administrative supervision to wildland fire helitack crews.
– Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of the work.
– Responsible for formal and informal training programs to comply with policy and regulations.
– May assist in the preparation of hazardous fuels treatment plans and burn plans based on the predicted fire behavior and risk assessment.
Physical Demands: Arduous – Duties involve 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. Duties include demands for strenuous activities in emergencies under adverse environmental conditions and over extended periods of time.
Work Environment: The work is primarily performed in forest and range environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with vegetation, and in smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures vary from above 100 degrees F to below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. May be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of time.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is required
- Be sure to read the “How to Apply” and “Required Documents” Sections
- You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you
- have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land
- Direct Deposit Required
- Background Investigation Required
This announcement is being advertised concurrently under FA-WLF-DE-2020-0014 which is open to all qualified persons. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.
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. The MEA for this position shall not exceed age 37; unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter/law enforcement 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 may result in loss of consideration.
If over the MEA and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.
Passage of a pre-employment physical is required. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
THIS IS A DRUG TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION in accordance with Executive Order 12564, and under the Department’s Drug Free Workplace Program. Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. This position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
You must possess and maintain a valid automobile driver’s license.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience Requirements: 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. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.
To qualify for the GS-06 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: experience performing wildland fire suppression activities with an emphasis in helicopter support on wildland fire incidents; and leadership experience in the implementation of helitack strategies, tactics, and suppression methods that are used in the containment and control of wildland fires.
To qualify for the GS-07 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GS-06 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: experience performing and leading others in wildland fire suppression activities with an emphasis in initial attack helicopter operations and helicopter support management on wildland fire incidents; and working as a skilled lead wildland firefighter with on-the-line wildland fire helitack experience in forest/range fire control, prevention or suppression utilizing a wide variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment.
Substitution of Education for Experience:
For GS-06: 18 semester hours of graduate education which is DIRECTLY related to work of the position OR an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education.
For GS-07: 18 semester hours of graduate education which is DIRECTLY related to work of the position OR an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education.
Time-in-Grade: Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
* You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Senior Firefighter, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at www.ifpm.nifc.gov.
Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.
1) This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another primary covered position, or you are a preference eligible veteran.
2)Prior on-the-line firefighting: The Department of the Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a temporary, seasonal, or equivalent private sector fire position for no less than 90 days. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: (1) Wildfires – Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and (2) Prescribed Fires – Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume.
3) To meet IFPM requirements for this position, you must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position (currency not required):
A) Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1), AND;
B) Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-290)
4) You must also meet the NWCG requirements identified in the current Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Redbook):
A) One Season as a Fire Helicopter Crewmember (HECM); AND
B) Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) or higher
Additional Required Training:
A) Portable Pumps and Water Use (S-211) and Wildland Fire Chain Saws (S-212)
* You must meet all selective placement factor requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Education
Additional information
May require completion of a one year probationary period.
Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM’s Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.
CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they receive a minimum score of 90 based on the rating criteria used for this position.
Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on a RPL, you may be given priority consideration.
The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework.
This position may require regular and recurring overtime and shift work during fire season.
Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.
FACT SHEET for Fire & Law Enforcement Positions: Information on Special Retirement.
