Fire Management Officer - Direct Hire Authority

This position provides short and long-range fire management planning, program direction, coordination, and evaluation of the fire management program located with the BIA Western Region, Southern Paiute Agency, Branch of Fire Management in St. George, Utah. It will be filled from Standard PD Number FDI0225, utilizing the Direct-Hire Authority (5CFR 337.201). Category rating, veteran's preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do NOT apply for this vacancy.

Qualifications:

NOTE: 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 Unit Fire Program Manager - Moderate Complexity, 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/.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0401: General Biological Science Series; and Interagency Fire Program Management Qualifications Standards and Guide for Unit Fire Program Manager)

BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR GS-0401:
A. Degree (bachelor's or higher) in 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 in biological sciences, agriculture or natural resources management, 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, PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE GS-0401 SERIES, APPLICANTS MUST ALSO HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

GS-11: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire management experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service; OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D degree (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or equivalent) or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, in a field of study that is directly related to this position.
Specialized Experience must include all of the following Fire Program Management elements as described below:

• Developing, reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness, or consistency with land management goals and/or potentially adverse impacts to cultural and natural resources;
• Conducting field inspections before and after prescribed or wildfires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; and
• Analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.

In addition to Fire Program Management elements listed above, appropriate experience must have included EITHER Prescribed Fire/Fuels Management -or- Fire Management Operations as described below:

• Prescribed Fire/Fuels Management - Examples of this type of experience may include:
  • Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercepts for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments);
  • Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods (i.e. prescribed fire, mechanical, chemical, or biological treatments);
  • Land use planning and envirnmental compliance;
  • Evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans ensure fire containment is possible and identification of appropriate suppression contingencies if fire containment is not obtained.
• Fire Management Operations - Experience in analyzing and/or applying fire management strategies in at least five of the following activities:
  • Mobilization and/or dispatch coordination
  • Fire prevention and education
  • Training
  • Logistics
  • Equipment develpment and deployment
  • Fire communication systems
  • Suppression and preparedness
  • Aviation

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 Unit Fire Program Manager (UFPM) - 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:
Moderate Pathway #1:

• Primary Core Requirement: Task Force Leader (TFLD), or higher.
• Secondary Core Requirement: Incident Commander Type 3 (ITC3) OR Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2), or higher.

-OR-
Moderate Pathway #2:

• Primary Core Requirement: Helibase Manager (HEBM), or higher.
• Secondary Core Requirement: Incident Commander Type 3 (ITC3), or higher.

-AND-
Prior Wildland Firefighting Experience: This position requires a minimum of 90 days previous wildland firefighting experience which provided knowledge of the techniques, policies, and practices of wildland fire management. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: 1) Wildfires - unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; 2) Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages.

Required Training: *Fire Program Management (M-581)
*This training requirement will be a condition of employment that must be completed within one year of entry on duty date.

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. Selectees for IFPM positions requiring currency will be required to obtain and maintain currency for the NWCG qualifications listed above.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This position is covered under the secondary/administrative firefighter special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c)(CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d)(FERS) when it is filled by an incumbent who transfers directly from a primary or another secondary law enforcement or firefighting position with no break in service to this position. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent will depend upon his or her individual work history. You may meet the qualification requirements, but not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If you are not eligible for special retirement coverage, you will be placed in the regular retirement system.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.