Forestry technician (fire prevention technician)

(100 vacancies)

Duties

- Serves on crews performing duties in fire prevention and suppression.
- Performs prescribed burning crew duties in order to reduce fuel hazards.
- Assists with fire dispatch through operation of radios, telephones, and other necessary equipment to exchange information for fire weather and other fire suppression activities.
- Lays or directs hose in the use of water.
- Moves dirt, chops brush, and fells small trees to build fireline using various hand tools such as axes, shovels, Pulaskis, and McLeods to control spreading wildland fire and/or to prepare lines prior to controlled burning.
- Chops, carries, and piles logging slash. Searches out and extinguishes burning materials by moving dirt, applying water by hose or backpack pump. Patrols fireline to locate and extinguish sparks, flare-ups, and hot spots that may threaten loss of control of the fire.
- Cleans, reconditions, and stores simple fire tools and equipment.
- While on patrol or assigned to a station, establishes contact with Forest users, visitors, and local residents.
- Provides information to them regarding fire danger levels and advises them of precautions they can take to prevent the occurrence of destructive fires.
- Also explains pertinent laws and regulations.
- Distributes and explains fire prevention literature; posts signs; and issues permits for allowed uses requiring permits. Inspects permitted use areas.
- Detects and suppresses fires while patrolling the Forest.
- Determines the need for assistance and requests resources.

Qualifications and Evaluations

- As a selective factor, applicants must have 90 days of on the line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire.

Minimum federal qualifications requirements

• Grade 05: Qualifying experience for the GS-5 level includes one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4. Specialized experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

- Substitution of education for experience: Experience requirements may be met by successful completion of a four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelors' degree or the equivalent. Education must include at least 24 semester/36 quarter hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester/9 quarter hours in mathematics is creditable.

- Combination odf education and experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.

• Grade 06: Qualifying experience for the GS-6 level includes one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-5. Specialized experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

- Substitution of education for experience: The experience requirements for the GS-6 level may be met by completion of 6 months of graduate level education in a position-related field of forestry or natural resources management.

- Combination odf education and experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.

• Grade 07: Qualifying experience for the GS-7 level includes one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6. Specialized experience is experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

- Substitution of education for experience: The experience requirements for the GS-7 level may be met by completion of one (1) year of graduate level education in a position-related field of forestry or natural resources management.

- Combination odf education and experience: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.