PDF versionJob Summary
This position is located on the Carson National Forest in Taos, NM . 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 field fire management organization as a Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire and Fuels). For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Dennis F Carril at 505-438-5345 email dennis.carril@usda.gov.
Major Duties
- Provides program management oversight for a high complexity fire/fuels management program, based on the IFPM complexity analysis rating factors.
- Provides professional expertise in the development and implementation of multiple resource objectives. Evaluates individual fuels treatments as well as the effectiveness of the overall program and makes recommendations for improvement.
- 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, including managing the budget from out-year planning to year-end closure.
- 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.
- 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.
- Develops, reviews and monitors fuels management plans. Works closely with other resource specialist to integrate vegetation management project designs in fuels program direction.
- Participates in the development of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects. Participates in preparedness reviews, proficiency checks and drills, safety sessions, and after action reviews.
- Implements and administers prescribed fire activities, wildland fire use, and fuels management activities to ensure targets are achieved, management objectives are met and mitigation measures are adequate.
- Designs and implements fuels management surveys to document presence, amount, and types of hazardous fuels. Utilizes the results to prioritize prescribed fire and fuels management projects.
- Participates 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.
- Monitors fire behavior, evaluates fire effects, identifies potential problems and takes appropriate action. Supports 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.
- 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.
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 described above, you must meet the following specialized experience. Your resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized Experience Requirement: GS-11: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 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; 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. 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 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.
Pay Range
$64,009.00 - $83,210.00