Forestry Technician (Smokejumper) Direct Hire Authority

Selective Placement Factors: This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as screen out elements. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factors will be rated not qualified: This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided for prior Federal service in another primary covered position, OR proof of land management workforce flexibility act (LMWFA) eligibility (see required documents section for more information on proof for LMWFA), OR you are a preference eligible veteran. If you meet any of the previous exemptions to MEA you must provide the required documents. 90 days of Prior on-the-line Wildland Firefighting Requirement: The Department of the Interior (DOI) defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a fire position for no less than 90 days. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: Wildfires – Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and Prescribed Fires – Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience. This experience must be documented with specific dates (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY) and hours worked in your resume; failure to document may result is loss of consideration. Prior smokejumping experience required – **For the GS-06 level only** This experience must be documented with specific dates in the resume. Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) required – You must provide the required document as instructed in the ‘Required Documents’ section of this announcement. Specialized Experience: In order to be rated as minimally qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the minimum qualification requirements – please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Failure to provide required information on resume could result in ineligibility for consideration. To qualify for the GS-05 level, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 is required. Examples of specialized work experience include, but not limited to: wildland fire suppression as a member of a hand crew, helitack crew, engine crew or fire use module, including instructing or leading firefighters in both fire/non-fire assignments. OR- Successful completion of a 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree with either a major study in forestry, range management, or agriculture, or a subject matter field directly related to the position, or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours of mathematics is creditable. The level of the course work must have been equivalent to at least the junior- and senior-year levels of a baccalaureate program; OR- A combination of education and experience that is directly related to the work of this position. To qualify for the GS-06 grade level, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 is required. Examples of specialized work experience include, but not limited to: wildland fire suppression as a member of a hand crew, helitack crew, engine crew or fire use module. Experience also includes instructing or leading firefighters with both fire and non-fire assignments and includes experience as a qualified smokejumper using Ram-Air parachutes, supervision of one or more employees (with little or no direct supervision) on wildland fires while anticipating fire behavior, determining suppression tactics, and taking the necessary action to control fires. OR- Successful completion of 1 full year of graduate level education which is directly related to the position; OR- A combination of education and experience that is directly related to the work of this position. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. If selected at the lower grade, subsequent promotion to the next grade level will be processed without further competition dependent upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties. Medical Requirements Please see the Department of Interior Medical Standards Program website for the Federal Interagency Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for your position: http://www.nifc.gov/medical_standards/index.html. Physical Requirements Employment in this position is conditional upon your successful completion of the following BLM smokejumper physical fitness performance tests: When you report for duty, you will be given a physical condition test. The test is given in one time period with a 5-minute break between exercises. The test consists of performing the following exercises: 30 push-ups 6 pull-ups Run 1.5 miles in 10.47 minutes or less and backpacking a 110 pound load three miles in less than 65 minutes. Work Capacity Test at the Arduous Level: All arduous wildland firefighters must backpack a 45 pound load for three miles in 45 minutes or less. Physical Demands: The incumbent must be able to work under extreme physical exertion regularly working 16 hour shifts or longer on the fireline. Work on the fireline requires considerable strenuous physical exertion. Work Environment: The majority of the work is performed out of doors in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions or in a crowded airplane. Firefighter Special Retirement: This is a primary fire position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). The position is subject to maximum entry age (MEA) requirements. The MEA for this position shall not exceed age 37; unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position on or after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application will result in loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.
Explore a new career with the BLM – where our people are our most precious resource. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is looking for employees to work as career seasonal Smokejumpers (Forestry Technicians) in Boise, Idaho and/or Fairbanks, Alaska. For information on Boise Smokejumpers, visit their website, or view this video. For information on Alaska Smokejumpers, visit their website. Please See **Alaska Pay Differential** in “Additional Information” Section.