Wildland Firefighter - Direct Hire Authority

Wildland Firefighter Position

This Wildland Firefighter position serves as a Senior Firefighter on a wildland fire hand crew with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Eastern Oklahoma Region, Division of Natural Resources, Branch of Fire Management, Duty Station in Muskogee, Oklahoma. This announcement will be used to fill vacancies 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.

Responsibilities include serving as an experienced leader within a wildland fire module or crew executing fire management activities in fire preparedness, fuels management, and prevention, and fire suppression, monitoring, and post-fire. The role involves applying an understanding of firefighter safety, fire behavior, topography of the area, weather, fuels, and training in fire management. Plans action and directs utilization of fire line resources. Directs assigned suppression operations and recommends and implements tactical strategies on fires. Manages fuels projects such as prescribed fire, mechanical and biological treatments, inventorying fuel beds, and piling vegetation debris. Gathers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents. Directs the operation and use of special tools and equipment; and ensures proper equipment and supplies needed for fire assignments. Directs the work of a small crew of firefighters in building firelines, burnout, mopping up, and patrolling firelines. Performs administrative lead duties such as timekeeping, travel, government credit card managements, maintaining records, and training firefighters.

Qualifications include experience and education requirements. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. 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 Senior Firefighter (SFF) and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position.

GW-07 : 1 year of specialized wildland fire work experience equivalent to the GW / GS-6 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to work in forest or range fire control, prevention or suppression work as a lead wildland firefighter directing others in the use of a variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment; directing and performing prescribed burning; leading the operation of a wildland fire engine or suppression efforts of a helicopter module.

GW-06 : 1 year of specialized wildland fire work experience equivalent to the GW / GS-5 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, on-the-line wildland fire experience as a senior wildland firefighter in forest or range fire control, prevention or suppression work, prescribed burning; operating and maintaining specialized wildland fire tools, equipment, vehicles, and may include leading the work of crew personnel.

Selective placement factors are mandatory qualification prerequisites to qualify for this position. The applicant must have possessed the following qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position : Primary Core Requirement : Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) or higher or higher Additional Required Training : S-290, Intermediate Fire Behavior.

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 this required qualification for this position when submitting your application. The duties of this position are so rigorous that employment is limited to physically vigorous individuals who must meet established maximum age and physical qualification requirements. Physical demands include arduous exertion for protracted periods of time such as extensive running, walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, pulling hoses, jumping and twisting, prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity. Work environment includes forest, range, and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. Employee must adjust and cope with exposure to weather elements, dust and smoke, poor bivouac and eating situations under an unpredictable set of circumstances. Firefighters may be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of time. The hazardous nature of the work requires that personal protective equipment be worn (e.g., boots, hard hat, gloves, flame resistant clothing).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 90 days from the closing date. Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC Section 472). The salaries listed in this announcement reflect the permanent pay increases for federal and tribal wildland firefighters, effective March 23, 2025. In addition to the listed base salary, firefighters are eligible for Incident Response Premium Pay when deployed to a qualifying incident, which may significantly increase overall compensation. All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See Wildland Firefighter here and select the duty station from Muskogee, Oklahoma to choose the appropriate pay chart. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." GW chart. The full performance level of this position is GW-7. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed. This position has been designated as an Incidental Operator under the Indian Affairs Motor Vehicle Safety Program and requires the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out his / her assigned duties but whose principal duties are not operating a motor vehicle and his / her position is not classified as a motor vehicle operator. The incumbent will be required initially and annually to acknowledge and certify possession of a valid state driver's license. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Programs provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. This is a Bargaining Unit position.