PDF versionJob Summary
This position is located on the Grand Mesa/Uncompahgre/Gunnison National Forests in Delta, CO. This is a standard wildland fire management position description intended for use in the USDA Forest Service. The incumbent serves in a key fire management position in a field fire management organization as a Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire and Fuels) For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Calvin C Speas at 970-874-6650 email clay.speas@usda.gov.
Major Duties
- Incumbent provides program management oversight for a high complexity fire/fuels management program. Provides professional expertise in the development of resource objectives and guidance for implementation of projects and programs.
- Develops fuels treatment alternatives to support management decisions while adhering to applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.
- Evaluates individual fuels treatments as well as the effectiveness of the overall program and makes recommendations for improvement.
- Provides program oversight and guidance related to the use of prescribed fire and naturally ignited wildfires to achieve Land and Resource Management Plan objectives.
- Responsible for the smoke management program to ensure compliance with state air quality standards.
- Coordinates with federal, state, and local government air quality officials in their development of operational procedures and reporting requirements.
- Performs fiscal analysis, formulates the annual fuels management budget, and maintains a system of accounts to track program expenditures. This includes managing the budget from out-year planning to year-end closure.
- Coordinates with the next higher organizational level, other agencies, cooperators, and stakeholders to develop interagency fuels strategies. Represents the organization in multi-agency fuels management activities.
- Maintains awareness of technological developments in wildland fire science and related disciplines. Collects information through a variety of methods, including field surveys, computer modeling, and specific literature searches.
- Stays abreast of state-of-the-art computer modeling software and scientific methods to support fire use, air quality, and fuel treatment planning and applications.
- Disseminates information on technological advancements in the field of natural resources management for use in land use planning and other activities.
- Coordinates multi-disciplinary field studies related to fuels management program issues to determine effectiveness of treatments. Coordinates and provides transfer of findings to the appropriate personnel.
- Evaluates fuel treatments on-the-ground for compliance with policies, standards, and guidelines. Provides advice, counsel, and guidance to field personnel on correct procedures and practices.
- Designs and implements fuels management surveys to document presence, amount, and types of hazardous fuels. Utilizes the results of the surveys to prioritize prescribed fire and fuels management projects.
- May assist the Fire Management Officer and/or Fire Planner with the overall long-range Forest fire and aviation planning. Works regularly with administrators from other Federal, state, and local agencies.
- Analyzes current plans and initiates changes within guidelines or makes recommendations to meet changing conditions within the limits of current or anticipated funding.
- Serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team planning, developing, and implementing land management plans, compliance documents, and agreements. Provides input and recommends strategies for fuels and fire management.
- Provides assistance to other resource program managers in the design of fuels management prescriptions and implementation plans. Provides information on fuels management methods to enhance, restore and protect ecosystems.
- Provide leadership in fire management program areas such as contracting, fire planning, aviation, safety, and wildfire response. In the absence of the FMO, may be required to serve as Forest Duty Officer, acting FMO or Fire Staff.
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 Requirements: 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 the basic requirements described above, you must meet the following specialized experience. Your resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-11: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience that demonstrates and understanding in at least two of the following three categories: Reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and technical adequacy 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. Prescribed fire/fuels management - experience in 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; 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. 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 For the GS-12: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience that demonstrates and understanding in all of the fire program management elements as described below: Reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and technical adequacy 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 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 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. 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 Aviation Selective Placement Factors Successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirement of 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 NWCG Core Requirement of 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. 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. Positions may be filled as career ladders or could be filled at the full performance level dependent upon the individual units needs. 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 not guaranteed. FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary firefighter position covered under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(D)..
Pay Range
$64,009.00 - $99,741.00