Forestry Technician (Lookout)

U.S. Forest Service; Deutschland; On-site; EUR 38,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Forest Service seeks a lookout to provide fire detection services within a National Forest. You will observe and report smoke, weather, and fire behavior, and support district fire suppression personnel.

You will use fire finders, maps, and radio to communicate locations and conditions. This role involves patrols, maintaining equipment, and promoting fire prevention to visitors during the fire season.

Responsibilities

• Locate observed smoke using standard fire finders, compass, binoculars, protractors, and geographic maps.
• Estimate distance to smoke and probable size and characteristics of fires.
• Plot location of fires using specialized equipment.
• Report azimuth, distance, location, volume, color, behavior of smoke, and other pertinent information by radio.
• Observe area and report significant changes to dispatch.
• Evaluate changing weather conditions with weather instruments and advise Fire Suppression personnel.
• Use radio communications to warn personnel of changes that may affect them.
• Observe ground lightning strikes, report resultant fires, and record storm path to assist holdover fire observation.
• Record and report daily weather observations and maintain logs and weather records.
• Maintain lookout equipment and keep station and grounds neat and orderly.
• Operate radio communications center connecting to other lookouts and dispatch centers.
• Receive and relay messages related to weather forecasts, fire hazards, emergencies, and personnel locations.
• Communicate the location of known down strikes and fires to aircraft during recon activities.
• Promote the fire prevention program by explaining laws, policies, regulations, and fire prevention methods.
• Patrol district weekly; maintain prevention signs; issue campfire permits; inform visitors about laws.
• Review documents and enter pertinent information into automated tracking systems; conduct database searches.

Job description

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The purpose of the position is to provide fire detection services to district fire suppression personnel.

Major Duties

• Uses standard fire finders, compass, binoculars, protractors, and geographic maps to locate observed smoke.
• Estimates distance to smokes and probable size and characteristics of fires.
• Plots location of fires using specialized equipment.
• Reports azimuth, distance, location, volume, color, behavior of smoke, and other pertinent information by radio.
• Continues to observe the area and reports significant changes such as increased smoke, wind conditions, changes in color or volume of smoke, etc. to dispatch.
• Evaluates changing conditions with the use of weather instruments to interpret fire weather data, then advises Fire Suppression personnel of those changes.
• Uses radio communications to warn personnel involved in the response to fires of changes that may affect them.
• Observes ground lightning strikes, reports resultant fires, and records storm path to assist in the observation for hold over fires.
• Records and reports daily weather observations and records.
• Maintains photo records and log books identifying the source and duration of smoke plumes.
• Makes minor adjustments to and maintains lookout equipment.
• Maintains station and grounds in a neat and orderly condition.
• Operates a radio communications center which connects to other lookout stations, lookouts, agencies, and two interagency dispatch centers.
• Receives and relays messages and information received relating to weather forecasts, fire hazard conditions, fire emergencies, accidents, and location of work crews and personnel.
• Communicates the location of known down strikes and fires to aircraft during recon activities.
• Serves as key contact at a lookout station visited by large numbers of people during the fire season.
• Promotes the fire prevention program by explaining State and Federal laws, policies, and regulations, as well as fire prevention methods and procedures and fire hazard conditions.
• Patrols district one day per week; Maintains prevention signs; Changes out prevention signs as needed; Issues campfire permits; Explains state and federal laws to visitors during patrol.
• Reviews documents and reports for completeness and enters pertinent information into an automated tracking system; Independently conducts the full range of database searches.
• Reviews and processes documents and reports in accordance with established procedures.

Requirements

You must be a US Citizen or US National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Direct Deposit Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing. Must be 18 years of age. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.gov. Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).

Evaluations

A Direct-Hire Authority under the USDA Demonstration Project will be used to fill this position. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, including any applicable selective placement factor(s), will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the application documents are reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be referred to the selecting official. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect whether you are considered. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

Required Documents

• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty.
• Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards.
• There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Other Information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2027 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between April 18, 2027 to June 13, 2027.

By selecting the "Location Negotiable" option during the application process, implies your willingness to be considered for any official duty location listed on this announcement and/or those duty locations not listed for this Regional announcement. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates. This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates. The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section of this announcement to be considered. If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay. This position is not eligible for telework. Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location. Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.