Forestry Technician (Dispatcher)

U.S. Forest Service; United States; On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Forest Service seeks a crewmember on a fire crew within the fire management organization, stationed at a Geographic Area Coordination Center. The role involves mobilizing and dispatching firefighting resources and assisting in maintaining mobilization plans and incident support operations.

The position requires prior wildland firefighting experience and the ability to coordinate with Federal, State, and local agencies to respond to wildland fires and all-hazard emergencies.

Qualifications

• Prior wildland firefighting experience may be required.
• Ability to coordinate with multiple agencies and crews.

Responsibilities

• Implements standard procedures for mobilization, reassignment and demobilization of firefighting resources according to incident priorities.
• Coordinates information, resource utilization and accountability with higher level and adjoining units to support wildfire management.

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.

Major Duties

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 (e.g. air tankers, lead planes, aerial delivered firefighters, 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 the necessary 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.

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. 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. Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable). Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment. 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.

Evaluations

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is 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, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. 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

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. 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. 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.