Fire Protection Specialist

Company Description The National Park Service (NPS) manages over 420 natural, cultural, and recreational sites across the United States, preserving and protecting the nation’s diverse landscapes and historic legacies. Visitors from around the world come to experience iconic places such as the Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty, and Gettysburg, as well as lesser-known sites that are equally meaningful. As the first national park system of its kind, NPS serves as a global model for the establishment and management of protected areas and collaborates with other nations to share best practices. In addition to managing parks, NPS supports communities by providing grants and assistance to conserve historic places, rivers, trails, greenways, and local recreation opportunities.

Role Description As a Fire Protection Specialist (Fire Instructor), your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as an instructor for all fire related suppression classes for course disciplines delivered in the NPS to include firefighter, driver operator, fire officer, live fire instructor and fire refresher.
• Provides technical expertise and serves as subject matter expert to assure language within aid agreement/contracts is comprehensive and meets the needs of any one NPS site requiring fire.
• Serves as the principal technical advisor for the Structure Fire Training Program in the areas of education and training systems design, course development, training implementation and evaluation, and qualification standards.
• Responsible for planning and developing experimental programs, evaluating results, and using pertinent findings to plan, develop, and implement new service-wide programs.
• Provides expert guidance and counsel for protection and suppression/training/prevention aspects of structural fire management policy development and implementation.

Qualifications

Candidates must possess prior structural firefighting experience .

Structural Fire: The Department of the Interior defines structural firefighting experience as any firefighting experience except wildland firefighting. Structural experience may be gained though work in suppressing fires such as those in buildings, ships, vehicles, airstrips and aircraft, and other non-wildland firefighting. This experience may be gained by serving in a structural firefighting position within the federal government or in an equivalent position outside the Federal government. Periods of structural firefighting gained as a volunteer or paid call firefighter can also be credited. In some instances, candidates may be hired in a dual wildland and structural firefighting role. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered.

Successful completion and have currency in the following from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or Professional Qualifications (Pro Board)

:

• International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) -OR-
• Pro-Board
• Hazmat-Awareness; AND Hazmat-Operations; AND Hazmat IC;
• Firefighter I; Firefighter II; AND
• Fire Officer I; Fire Officer II; Fire Officer III; AND
• Fire Instructor I, Fire Instructor II; AND
• Fire Inspector I; Fire Inspector II OR Fire Inspector 2024 standard

To qualify for the GS-12 grade level

, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 is required. Examples of work include, but are not limited to the following:

• Experience working in a progressive fire department as a chief fire officer (Asst. Fire chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Fire Chief.)
• Directing or assisting in directing the activities of a fire department; acting as the sole authority and command of a fire scene.
• Recommending and enforcing all department policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Providing guidance to department officers in the planning and implementation of operations, programs, training, and personnel management.
• Responsible for the general direction, or supervision and evaluation of all paid and reserve personnel, including employee safety, training and job performance.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements by 09/11/2026.

Eligibility and Qualification Requirements: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement. Specifically, i. Area of Consideration. ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions.