Supervisory Wildland Fire Operations Specialist

Duties

Assist in planning and directing fire management program activities. Assist in coordinating and directing the application of standards, methods, and guidelines for all fire management program elements. Identify research needs based on land and fire management plan objectives. Brief internal and external managers on issues related to wildland fire, prescribed fire, and fire program activities. Coordinate program activities with Federal, state, tribal and local government entities. Serve on various interagency committees, teams and work groups. Conduct field reconnaissance of proposed prescribed burn units. Provide oversight, coordinate and initiate all fire management activities. Utilize the full range of strategic and tactical options as described in a Fire Management Plan. Assign missions to ground and aviation wildland fire suppression resources. Monitor weather and fire behavior, and communicate changes to strategy and tactics. Select strategies and tactics to ensure safe operations for assigned resources. Coordinate with dispatch office regarding current fire behavior and fire conditions, release of resources, and other logistical consideration. Request long- and short-term funding for wildland fire facility management and improvements. Provide technical and administrative supervision. Plan and direct overall work to be accomplished by subordinate positions, set and adjust priorities, and prepare schedules for completion of work. Develop performance standards and evaluate work performance of subordinates. Hear and resolve minor complaints from employees. Select employees for appointments, promotions, and reassignments.

AREA INFORMATION/HOUSING INFORMATION: Park headquarters is located in the small city of Fritch, population approx. 2300. Cost of living is low. Rental opportunities are available in the local commuting areas of Fritch, Borger, Stinnett, Panhandle and Amarillo, at varying prices and quality. A variety of restaurants, financial institutions, grocery stores, are all available within a short distance. Amarillo is a 40 minute drive, which offers the closest airport, shopping, etc. The city of Borger is a short 15 minute drive with grocery stores, movie theater, etc., and the closest Wal-Mart. We're 3 hours to Lubbock, 4 hours to Santa Fe, 5 hours to Albuquerque or Oklahoma City and 6 hours to Dallas or Denver. The elevation averages 3,000 feet. The climate is semi-arid with average precipitation of 21 inches. The average temperature is 58 degrees with summer extremes in the 100-degree range and winter extremes around 0 degrees. Tornados are a potential danger, and high velocity winds are common in spring and early summer. Park Housing is not available.

Qualifications

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: You must possess a 4-year degree in the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry or related disciplines appropriate to the position. The following additional subject fields have been determined to be acceptable as directly related degree programs for fire management jobs in this series: wildland fire management, forestry, natural resource management, agronomy, biochemistry, biometrics, ecology, fishery biology, general fish and wildlife administration, horticulture, physiology, plant physiology, rangeland management, soil science, wildlife biology, zoology, agricultural extension, animal science, botany, entomology, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, plant pathology, plant protection and quarantine, soil conservation, toxicology, wildlife refuge management. In addition, natural resources related disciplines include chemistry, environmental sciences (not environmental or natural resources policy), hydrology, outdoor recreation if it has a natural resource emphasis, physics, fire management, earth sciences, geology, meteorology related weather, climate, physical geography if it has a natural resource emphasis, and watershed management OR You may have a combination of education and qualifying experience which included courses equivalent to a major (24 semester hours or equivalent) as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education which totals four years. To satisfy this requirement, the nature and quality of this course work must have been such that it would serve as a prerequisite for more advanced study in the field or subject-matter area. This means the required course work must show progression beyond the associate degree level in directly related coursework, such that it may be considered to be leading towards a bachelor's degree (beyond the second year) in the related field.

GS-9 - SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position includes experience in at least two of the following three categories: (1) Experience that demonstrated understanding of fire effects on cultural and natural resources through assignments such as developing fire management plans to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint; or, conducting field inspections before and/or after prescribed fires or wildland fires to determine if defined resource objectives have been met. (2) Prescribed fire/fuels management experience demonstrated by activities such as professional forest of range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Browns planar intercept for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments); or, analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming; or evaluating prescribed fire plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible, and identify appropriate suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained. (3) Fire management operations that included analyzing and applying fire management strategies, PLUS experience in at least four of the following activities: Mobilization and dispatch coordination; Fire prevention; Training; Logistics; Equipment development and deployment; Fire communications systems; Suppression and preparedness.

GS-9 - EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Two years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study corresponding to the course work defined above.

GS-9 - SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION: Combination of the required education and experience. For example, six months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 27 semester hours or 41 quarter hour of graduate level education as described (50% of the education requirement).

Time-in-Grade Requirements**:** Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. This requires applicants who have held a GS position at any time within the past 52 weeks to have served at least 52 weeks at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for this occupation.

IFPM Qualifications**:** This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Wildland Fire Operations Specialist, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at http://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/
IFPM Qualifications: 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:

1. Task Force Leader (TFLD) or Helibase Manager Type 1 (HEB1)
2. Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2(RXB2) or Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3)
3. Minimum of 90 days of wildland firefighting experience.

You must submit your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG 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.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.