Range Technician (Fire)

Duties

Summary of Duties:

• As a senior wildland firefighter on a handcrew or prescribed fire crew, performs the duties of a fully qualified chain saw operator and chainsaw repair technician; and uses helicopter long lines.

• Collects fire weather data, fuel and/or soil moisture samples, maps projects, and maintains records.

• Performs all aspects of wildland and prescribed fire operations including preparation, ignition, monitoring, holding, and mop-up.

• Drives engine to fire locations (frequently over unimproved roads) and positions engine in appropriate location taking into consideration the safety and efficiency of the crew and equipment to be used in the control and mop-up operations.

• Starts pump engine, primes pump, adjusts engine speed and pump valves, laying hose, and using appropriate nozzles and nozzle adjustments in effective use of water and additives.

• Loads helicopter personnel and cargo considering methods, weight distribution, necessity for securing total weight, etc., and completes manifests of personnel and equipment being transported to the fire or other work site.

• Inventories and inspects helicopter accessories, fire tools, and equipment; assures that needed tools and equipment are available for firefighting tasks; and uses long line external loads and operates and maintains accessory equipment.

• Gathers and considers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents, recommending best approaches and practices for deploying personnel and equipment.

• Responsible for operation and maintenance of specialized equipment used to respond to wildland and prescribed fire situations.

• Participates in wildland fire and safety training; and participates in crew proficiency checks and drills, safety sessions, and fire critiques.

• May inventory fuel beds, prepare associated reports, perform hazard fuel reduction projects, monitor burning conditions, pile vegetation debris and act in assigned positions such as ignition or holding specialist or other designated positions during actual fuel reduction efforts by prescribed fire.

• Performs project work such as road and trail maintenance, habitat manipulation, and miscellaneous equipment and facilities maintenance.

Qualifications

Experience and Education Requirements: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for One-Grade Interval Technical or Medical Support Positions, and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0455: Range Technician Series; and the Approved IFPM/NWCG Qualifications Standards and Guide for GS-0455, Senior Wildland Firefighter).

GS-5: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire management experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level OR 4 years of successfully completed education above the high school level leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as those shown below for GS-4. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable.

Specialized Experience:
Experience which has provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully function in the wildland fire management position. Example of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Work in the conservation, regulation, and use of public or federally controlled lands for grazing.
• Range research activities.
• Work in the operation of a livestock ranch or in assisting in the management or preservation of lands comparable to the public range.
• Range or forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work.

Selective Placement Factors:
These are MANDATORY qualification prerequisites to qualify for this position. This position is one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Senior Wildland Firefighter - Moderate Complexity, therefore, the applicant must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position:

• Primary Core Qualification: Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) or higher.
• Required Training: S-290, "Intermediate Fire Behavior" Training.
• Prior Wildland Firefighting Experience: Applicants must have prior firefighting experience as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter (wildland fire) position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government. Wildland firefighting experience is defined as on-the-line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression, or use of wildland fire. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. The three distinct types of wildland fire are wildfire, wildland fire use, and prescribed fire (includes only fireline experience on a prescribed fire and does not include experience in the planning stages).

Note: Selective factors are knowledges, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard, but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Applicants who do not meet the selective factors are ineligible for further consideration. You MUST provide a current copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other agency equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG qualifications for this IFPM position when submitting your application.

Education

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation upon request. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.