Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire/Fuels)

Duties

Provides program management oversight for a high complexity fire/fuels management program, based on the IFPM complexity analysis rating factors.  Evaluates individual fuels treatments, effectiveness of the overall program and makes recommendations for improvement.

Implements and administers prescribed fire activities, wildland fire use, and fuels management activities. Monitors fire behavior, evaluates fire effects; and identifies potential problems. Develops fuels treatment alternatives adhering to applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.  Serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team planning, developing, and implementing land management plans, compliance documents, and agreements.

Participates in the development, review and modification of fire management plans.
Performs fiscal analysis, formulates the annual fuels management budget, and tracks program expenditures.  

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.  Ensures welfare and safety in all aspects of project implementation and identifies training needs in fire and fuels management.  Participates in preparedness reviews, proficiency checks and drills, safety sessions, and after action reviews.
 
Coordinates multi-disciplinary field studies related to fuels management program issues to determine effectiveness of treatments.  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.

Qualifications

You must possess the Basic Requirements identified below to be considered eligible for all positions at the GS-5 grade level and above.  Transcripts must be provided with the application to validate that coursework requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

A. Degree: Biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

-OR-

B. 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 experience.  Your resume must clearly show that you possess the specialized experience requirements. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled and has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties related to fire program management. 

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.

GS-11: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level.  Experience at GS-09 level must have included all of the fire program management elements as described below:

• 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.

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:

• 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.
• 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 Secondary NWCG Core Requirement of Helibase Manager Type 1 (HEB1).

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. 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.

To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Official Transcripts and/or Technical Fire Management (TFM) certificates MUST be attached and received before the vacancy closes or before a referral list is issued from an open continuous announcement.