USDA FOREST SERVICE, SOUTHERN REGION, R8
National Forests in Florida, Apalachicola National Forest
Apalachicola Ranger District
Forestry Technician (District Fuels Technician), GS-0462-06/07
The Apalachicola National Forest will be announcing a Forestry Technician (District Fuels
Technician) position for the Apalachicola Ranger District based out of Bristol, Florida.
This notification is being circulated to inform prospective applicants of the upcoming
opportunity.
How to Apply
The vacancy announcement for this position will be posted on the U.S. Government's official
website for employment opportunities at www.usajobs.gov under an Open Continuous
Recruitment vacancy announcement OCR14-462-DFUEL-6/7G & DP. Insure you select
Bristol, Florida as the desired duty location. This is an Open Continuous vacancy
announcement with no closing date.
Those that wish to be considered for this position must apply to the vacancy announcement by
November 16, 2013. The Referral List for this position will be issued to the selecting official on
November 22, 2013. All applicants who have applied to the announcement on or before the
closing date and are found to be qualified and in the quality group will be referred for
consideration.
Outreach Response
Interested applicants, or those desiring further information, contact or submit the below response
to Steve Parrish at (850) 926-3561 extension 6523, fax (850) 926-1904, or email at
sgparrish@fs.fed.us.
About the Position
This is a standard wildland fire management position description intended for use in the USDA
Forest Service. The incumbent serves in a key fire management position in a field fire
management organization as a Prescribed Fire/Fuels Technician.
Primary responsibilities of the position are preparing and implementing prescribed fire plans, fire
effects monitoring plans, manual and mechanical hazardous fuels treatments, and smoke and
wildland fire use monitoring plans. The incumbent integrates prescribed fire/fuels management,
smoke management, fuels modification principles and procedures, fire effects knowledge, and
knowledge of scientific data collection and analysis principles into a comprehensive prescribed
fire/fuels management program for a unit(s).
This position is categorized as a District or Zone Fuels Technician (DFTEC) position in the
Forest Service Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) Standard and Guide as designated by the
W.O. Fire and Aviation Management. The FS-FPM minimum qualification standards (MQS) for
this position must be attained by Oct 1, 2013, and thereafter must be met prior to entrance into
the position as a condition of hire. Refer to the Forest Service FS-FPM Standard Position
Description Crosswalk for a full description of the selective placement factors.
Prior wildland firefighting experience on the fireline is a mandatory requirement.
GS-07
Operations and Safety 60%
Serves on prescribed fire and fuels projects in positions for which qualified. Provides routine
technical guidance on fire protection and prevention issues. Technically administers routine
aspects of the prescribed fire/fuels plan, ensuring that preparation, ignition, holding, mop-up, and
rehabilitation are completed to the standards specified.
During the implementation of prescribed fire plans, fuels projects, and wildland fire use plans,
assists in monitoring fire behavior, evaluating fire effects, identifying potential problems and
making basic recommendations by reviewing fuel treatment alternatives and designing a
prescribed fire to achieve the objective.
Assists in conducting field reconnaissance of prescribed fire/fuels treatment units, summarizes
field findings and makes basic recommendations on appropriate prescriptive criteria for meeting
program objectives.
Provides for training needs to support prescribed fire and fuels management programs.
Participates in wildland fire and safety training in the techniques, practices, and methods of fire
suppression and in the safe, efficient operation and use of tools, equipment, and vehicles used in
fire suppression activities, with emphasis on those used for the particular function assigned.
Participates in preparedness reviews, proficiency checks and drills, safety sessions, and after
action reviews. Ensures own and other's welfare and safety in all aspects of the assignment.
Supports wildland fire suppression activities.
Operates a variety of motor vehicles to transport equipment, supplies, crew members, etc.
Uses specialized firing equipment.
Planning 40%
Assists in resolving problem situations encountered when performing a wide variety of
nonstandard fire planning assignments. Conducts routine project assessments which determine
the presence or absence of hazardous wildland fuels. Information on fuel conditions and
predictions of fire behavior are collected through a variety of methods, including field surveys,
computer modeling, and specific literature searches. Results are reported to the Prescribed
Fire/Fuels Specialist and used in the determination and prioritization of prescribed fire and
mechanical treatment projects.
Reviews project plans and makes recommendations on appropriate levels of monitoring. Applies
the processes, methods, and procedures associated with forestry studies to resolve the full range
of irregular or problems situations when performing a wide variety of nonstandard assignments.
Provides basic assistance in establishing study plots to assess fire and fire suppression impacts on
the ecosystem. Participates in the development and refinement of plot characteristics, frequency
of visits, subjects to be measured, and data storage and analysis techniques.
Participates in drafting prescribed fire/fuels management plans following the interagency
template. This involves reviewing fuel treatment alternatives and may include preparing
segments of a plan to support objectives of the fire management program.
Updates and uses a database to model and analyze fire behavior and fire effects observation data.
Ensures data quality. Ensures proper data storage and archival procedures are followed.
GS-06
Planning 40%
Participates in resolving routine problems encountered when performing fire planning
assignments. Participates in conducting project assessments which determine the presence or
absence of hazardous wildland fuels. Information on fuel conditions and predictions of fire
behavior are collected through a variety of methods, including field surveys, computer modeling,
and specific literature searches. Results are reported to the Prescribed Fire/Fuels Specialist and
used in the determination and prioritization of prescribed fire and mechanical treatment projects.
Assists in reviewing project plans and making basic recommendations on appropriate levels of
monitoring. Provides basic assistance in establishing study plots to assess fire and fire
suppression impacts on the ecosystem. Provides basic support to assist others in the refinement of
plot characteristics, frequency of visits, subjects to be measured, and data storage and analysis
techniques.
Participates in drafting routine portions of prescribed fire/fuels management plans following the
interagency template. This involves reviewing fuel treatment alternatives.
Updates and uses a database to model and analyze fire behavior and fire effects observation data.
Ensures data quality. Ensures proper data storage and archival procedures are followed.
Operations and Safety 60%
Serves on prescribed fire and fuels projects in positions for which qualified. Provides general
input for fire prevention plans. Administers routine aspects of the prescribed fire/fuels plan,
ensuring that preparation, ignition, holding, mop-up, and rehabilitation are completed to the
standards specified.
During the implementation of prescribed fire plans, fuels projects, and wildland fire use plans,
works alongside higher-grade specialists in monitoring fire behavior, evaluating fire effects,
identifying potential problems and making recommendations.
Participates in field reconnaissance of prescribed fire/fuels treatment units, summarizes field
findings and makes recommendations on appropriate prescriptive criteria for meeting program
objectives.
Provides for training needs to support prescribed fire and fuels management programs.
Participates in routine aspects of wildland fire and safety training in the techniques, practices,
and methods of fire suppression and in the safe, efficient operation and use of tools, equipment,
and vehicles used in fire suppression activities, with emphasis on those used for the particular
function assigned. Participates in routine aspects of preparedness reviews, proficiency checks
and drills, safety sessions, and after action reviews. Ensures own and other's welfare and safety
in all aspects of the assignment.
Supports wildland fire suppression activities.
Operates a variety of motor vehicles to transport equipment, supplies, crew members, etc.
Uses specialized firing equipment.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTS:
WORK CAPACITY TEST (WCT) for Wildland Firefighters: This position participates in
wildland firefighting activities. Based on the type of work performed, TAKING and PASSING
the WCT at the MODERATE level is a ''condition of employment.'' The Moderate fitness (Field)
test consists of a two (2) mile hike, within thirty (30) minutes, while carrying a twenty-five (25)
pound pack.
Bargaining Unit Status: Eligible - Coverage is dependent upon unit location.
FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary firefighter position under 5
USC 8336(c) (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required.
Performs other duties as assigned.
District Information:
The Apalachicola National Forest consists of the Wakulla Ranger District in Crawfordville and
the Apalachicola Ranger District in Bristol. The duty station for the position is in Bristol. The
Supervisor’s Office is located in Tallahassee and is within an hour drive of both locations. For
more information about the forest and local communities click on the websites below:
National Forests in Florida, Apalachicola National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/
Wakulla Ranger District, Crawfordville http://www.crawfordvillecommunity.com/
Apalachicola Ranger District, Bristol http://www.city-data.com/city/Bristol-Florida.html
Supervisor’s Office, Tallahassee http://www.city-data.com/city/Tallahassee-Florida.html
Outreach Response Form
Forestry Technician (District Fuels Technician), GS-0462-06/07
Apalachicola National Forest, Apalachicola Ranger District
Bristol, Florida
NAME:________________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS:_______________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _________________________________________________
CURRENT POSITION: ___________________________________________________
CURRENT LOCATION: __________________________________________________
Thank you for your interest in our vacancy!
Please send responses to: sgparrish@fs.fed.us
Hard copies can be mailed to:
Steve Parrish, ZFMO
Wakulla Ranger District
57 Taff Drive
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Or Faxed to (850) 926-1904
“The USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer”