Duties

Operations and Preparedness

Participates with higher-graded fuels management staff, fire management officers, and/or specialists in fuels management planning, implementation and monitoring. Conducts on-the-ground inspections or visits to field units.

Conducts routine field reconnaissance of prescribed fire/fuels treatment units, summarizes field findings, and makes basic recommendations on appropriate prescriptive criteria for meeting program objectives. Makes recommendations for fuels treatment plans.

Administers routine technical aspects of the prescribed fire plans, ensuring that preparation, ignition, holding, mop-up, and rehabilitation are completed to the standards specified.

Administers routine technical aspects of mechanical and biological fuels treatment plans, ensures preparation, project layout, implementation and rehabilitation are completed to the standards specified.

Participates in all aspects of a fire management program including fuels management, fire suppression, fire prevention, planning, monitoring, and post-fire activities. Applies an understanding of firefighter safety, fire behavior, topography of the area, weather, fuels, and training in fire management work to direct suppression operations and to recommend and implement tactical strategy on attacking, controlling, or mopping up fires, monitoring fire activity, building or patrolling firelines, cleaning up burned areas within firelines, suppressing spot fires, felling snags or trees, and cutting brush. Prepares control lines for burnout operations and participates in ignition/firing operations. Coordinates with aircraft for aviation support missions.

Planning

Conducts routine project assessments to determine the condition presence or absence of wildland fuels. Collects data on fuel conditions and fire behavior through a variety of methods, including field surveys, computer modeling software, and prescribed treatment methods. Results are reported to the supervisor, or higher-level fuels staff, and used in the determination and prioritization of fuels management projects.

Identifies fuels management objectives by reviewing various land management plans and recommends the appropriate treatment. Provides basic assistance in establishing study plots to assess fire and fire suppression impacts on the ecosystem. Participates in the development and refinement of plot characteristics, frequency of visits, subjects to be measured, and data storage and analysis techniques.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
• Drug testing position
• Medical Requirements
• Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform required
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Driver's License: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver’s license throughout their employment in this position.
  
  

Qualifications

This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as a Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist, Low Complexity. Minimum IFPM qualification standards must be met prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at

Prior experience in wild land firefighting is required in order to carry out the duties of this position. You will not be considered for this position if you do not have prior wild land firefighting experience.

This is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system.

Only experience and education obtained by 04/30/2025 will be considered.

***Your resume MUST include BEGINNING and END DATES specified in MONTH/YEAR to MONTH/YEAR format. In addition, your resume MUST reflect FULL-TIME/PART-TIME or total number of HOURS worked per week***

You may qualify at the GS-07 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirements:

• Possess one year of specialized wildland fire experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include performing fuels management activities and functions including prescribed fire, mechanical and biological fuels treatments, fire effects monitoring, fuels monitoring, smoke monitoring and preparing fuels treatment projects.
  
  

In addition to the specialized experience above, you must have the qualifications described below:

IFPM Qualifications for Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist (PFFS) (Low Complexity) (Selective Factor) Currency Required:

• Fully qualified in Engine Boss Single Resource (ENGB) or Crew Boss, Single Resource (CRWB) or Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB) or Helicopter Manager, Single Resource (HMGB)
  
  

AND

• Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4)
  
  

NOTE: You must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required minimum qualifications for this IFPM position. Failure to provide this documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in you being rated as not qualified.

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.

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 85 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application.

For More Information Visit

Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit

To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at

Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.

This position is with the Branch of Fire Management-U.S. Air Force Wildland Fire Program located in Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Salary is based on the new (GW) pay schedule specific for wildland firefighter positions.

Telework

This position is suitable for telework only in an emergency or natural disaster.

Pcs Information

• No PCS entitlements authorized
  
  

Conditions Of Employment

TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION: All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: You must pass a pre-employment medical examination. Also, you may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if you are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.

DRIVER'S LICENSE: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
  
  

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.