Forestry Technician (Dispatch)

Forest Service (DOA); Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 34,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

USDA Forest Service seeks a Forestry Technician to join a fire crew as a crewmember within the fire management organization. The position is based at a Geographic Area Coordination Center and offers a temporary full-time appointment with occasional travel.

Responsibilities include mobilizing and coordinating firefighting resources, maintaining mobilization plans, and assisting with the execution of operations across geographic areas. Background checks and drug testing are required.

Qualifications

• GW-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) or one full year of graduate level coursework related to forestry/wildland fire.

Responsibilities

• Implements mobilization and demobilization procedures for firefighting resources according to incident priorities.
• Coordinates information, resources, and accountability with higher-level and adjoining units.
• Monitors availability and placement of shared resources (air tankers, aircraft, etc.) within the geographic area.
• Assists in arranging transport flights for crews and cargo using government or contracted aircraft.

Job description

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The position is located on a fire crew as a crewmember within the fire management organization. This position is located at one of the Geographic Area Coordination Centers.

Learn more about this agency

Overview

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Location
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Dillon, MT
Missoula, MT
No matching locations found.
Work site options

No

No

No

No

Salary

: $29.98 – $29.98 per hour Salary is reflective of the new Special Base Rate (SBR) Salary Table for the General Wildland Firefighter (GW) pay plan effective 3/23/2025.

GW 7

Promotion potential

None

Work schedule

Full-time

Travel required

Occasional travel – Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment.

Appointment type

Temporary

Occupations and job series

• 0462 Forestry Technician

Supervisory status

No

Federal service type

This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union

No

Drug test

Yes

Security clearance

Other

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type

• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure required

No

Announcement number

27-TEMPF3-R1-FS1780-7DH

Control number

890780800

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

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• Implements standard procedures and guidelines in the mobilization, reassignment and demobilization of firefighting resources to incidents according to incident priorities within the Geographic Area.
• By mobilizing and dispatching a wide variety of resources, resolves non-standard technical problems that require coordination with others to resolve.
• Assists in maintaining the Geographic Area mobilization plan and dispatch operating plans and guides. Implements plans governing the supply and use of resources such as personnel, equipment, supplies, aircraft and fire retardant.
• Assists with the overall execution of activities of the Operations Section of the GACC. This involves the intra- and inter-geographical area movement of aircraft, personnel and equipment for wildland fire and all-hazard emergency response activities.
• Cooperates with Federal, State and other land management agencies in this activity. Maintains records on the availability of unit, geographic area, and national wildland fire resources for planned and unplanned events.
• Coordinates information, resource utilization, and accountability with higher level and adjoining units, other adjoining state, local, and federal agencies, and other cooperating entities.
• Tracks acquisitions, issuance, and return of equipment and supplies from central facilities.
• Monitors and tracks the availability and recommends geographical placement of shared resources (air tankers, lead planes, aerial delivered firefighters (smokejumpers/rapellers), and aerial delivered firefighter aircraft) within the geographic area.
• Monitors daily fire situation in the geographical area, and keeps superiors apprised of current and anticipated resource drawdown in order to support decision making for critical wildfire situations.
• Insures that mobilization/demobilization actions (movements of personnel, equipment and aircraft) are planned and conducted in a manner which keeps safety considerations foremost while also meeting time frames of requests for incident support.
• Assists in arranging transport flights for crews, personnel and cargo utilizing large or light government-owned or contracted aircraft, as well as the use of infrared aircraft, in accordance with established operating procedures.
• Assists superiors in the mobilization of resources, and support of communication capabilities and operational facilities.
• Gathers and compiles factual information to assess the current state of available resources and recommends the necessary acquisitions/adjustments to accommodate the immediate requirements for wildland fire management and emergency services.
• Monitors adherence to regulations and instructions for the mobilization and readiness of fire equipment and personnel.
• Performs specialized administrative work in support of the mobilization of equipment, vehicles, communication capabilities, and operational facilities.
• Reviews contracted, call-when-needed, and/or negotiated services for compliance with specifications and work performed in accordance with scope of agreements and contracts for incident resources.
• Applies technical methods and procedures related to aviation operations and to managing agency programs to resolve the full range of irregular or problems situations when performing a wide variety of nonstandard assignments.
• Performs a wide variety of limited aviation operations projects incorporating diverse technical knowledge. Assists in development of office policy and technical guidance of the operational systems, including handbooks, guides, and operational plans.
• Assists with the development, annual updating, printing and on-line posting of the Geographic Area Mobilization Guide. Applies the technical methods, practices, and procedures of fire and aviation operations to perform day-to-day operations.
• Ensure that the requirements of OMB Circulars, federal, departmental and agency directives and policies are met for each administrative flight. Assist DOI, Forest Service, and other applicable units in the development of mission or project plans.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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.
• Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver’s license; a commercial driver’s license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
• This is a Test Designated Position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
• Incumbent is subject to medical screening and must meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous duty wildland firefighting.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
• Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment.
• Must pass the appropriate level of the Work Capacity Test for Wildland Firefighters.
• This is a secondary firefighter position under 5 USC 8336© (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

GW-07: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6); OR one full year (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level coursework that is directly related to the work of the position (such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources, outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire); OR combinations of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Examples of specialized experience include: Assisting in the mobilization and demobilization of resources such as personnel, equipment and aircraft. Coordinating ground and air transportation and determining the nature of the resources needed including personnel, equipment, and services. Assisting in monitoring the daily fire situation and shared resources. Assisting in developing office policy and technical guidance of the operational systems, including handbooks, guides, and operational plans.

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.

In accordance with USDA Department Regulation 4430-792-2, this position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the USDA Drug Free Workplace Program and subject to pre-employment drug testing. All applicants selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbents of this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis on an ongoing random basis, after appointment as directed.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional 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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required documents

Required Documents

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• 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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center

1-877-372-7248 X2

[e-mail]

USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center

Albuquerque, NM 87109

US

Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
Financial suitability New employee probationary period
Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy
Selective Service Signature and false statements
Social security number request