AVADS: FORESTRY TECHNICIAN (FIREFIGHTER), ST. MARKS, FL (GS-05)
AVADS Jobs listing at DOI
DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
**CAREER SEASONAL** **CAREER SEASONAL**
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
This position will be filled using our delegated examining authority. This
means that this recruitment is open to ALL QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, including
the general public.
The Defense Authorization Act of November 18, 1997, extended veterans'
preference to persons who served on active duty during the Gulf War from
August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992. The law grants preference to
persons otherwise eligible and who served on active duty during this period
regardless of where the person served or for how long. The law also
authorizes the Secretary of each military department to award the Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal for service in Bosnia during the period
November 20, 1995 to a date to be determined. The award of the Medal is
qualifying for veterans' preference. More information on veterans'
preference is available on the OPM web site at www.opm.gov.
If a status applicant is selected, he/she must serve another probationary
period.
Candidates claiming veterans' preference who are still on active duty will
be granted 5 points tentative preference if their applications shows that
they have the required service (i.e., served in a war, campaign, or
expedition). Candidates claiming 10 point preference on the basis of a
disability must include appropriate documentation from the service or VA.
At the time of appointment, all candidates must produce a DD Form 214
showing that their service was honorable.
POSITION: FORESTRY TECHNICIAN ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: DEU4-98-101
(FIREFIGHTER) GS-0462-05
SALARY RANGE: $021051 - $033893
OPENING DATE: SEPTEMBER 17, 1998 FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL: GS-0462-07
CLOSING DATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 AREA OF CONSIDERATION: ALL QUALIFIED PERSONS
LOCATION: ST. MARKS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
ST. MARKS, FLORIDA
CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER: (404) 679-4025 (TTY) 679-4051
(404) 679-4022 (404) 679-4023
ADDRESS OF PERSONNEL OFFICE: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
DELEGATED EXAMINING UNIT, SUITE 370
1875 CENTURY BOULEVARD
ATLANTA, GA 30345
** APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION AND
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN OUR APPLICATION GUIDELINES DOCUMENT. **
Our office does not accept applications by facsimile machine or by
electronic mail.
**** QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ****
GS-462-5 FORESTRY TECHNICIAN: NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education
& experience are qualifying at the GS-5 grade level. EXPERIENCE - 1 year
specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 that equipped the
applicant with the particular knowledge, skills & abilities necessary to
perform successfully the duties of the position & that is typically in or
related to the work of the position to be filled. - OR - EDUCATION -
Successful completion of a 4-year course of study above high school leading
to a bachelor's degree with a major study in forestry, range management,
agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position or
that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such
as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or con-
servation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural
resources (except marine fisheries or oceanography), outdoor recreation
management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more
than 6 semester hours in mathematics is creditable.
**** SPECIAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING CTAP PROCEDURES ****
Department of the Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
procedures apply in filling this vacancy. 5 CFR 330, Career Transition
Assistance for Surplus and Displaced Federal Employees, requires the
following order of selection for this position:
a) Personnel actions listed in 5 CFR 330.606(d);
b) The selection of an employee from within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) and the same local commuting area after eligible SSP
applicants within the Service and local commuting area have been given
selection priority;
c) Any well-qualified SSP candidate who applies within the local commuting
area (surplus and displaced employees will be given equal consideration);
d) At the Service's option, personnel actions not subject to RPL;
e) Qualified RPL candidates in the local commuting area;
f) At the Service's discretion, any other former displaced well-qualified
DOI employee;
g) Well-qualified ICTAP applicants in the local commuting area;
h) Other outside applicants (other agencies, nonstatus - only if the area
of consideration is "All Qualified Applicants".)
AN ELIGIBLE CTAP APPLICANT IS DETERMINED TO BE WELL-QUALIFIED IF HE/SHE
MEETS THE FOLLOWING: OPM QUALIFICATION STANDARDS FOR THE POSITION; ALL
SELECTIVE FACTORS, WHERE APPLICABLE; SPECIAL QUALIFYING CONDITIONS THAT OPM
HAS APPROVED FOR THE POSITION; IS PHYSICALLY QUALIFIED WITH REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATION, WHERE APPROPRIATE, TO SATISFACTORILY PERFORM THE DUTIES OF
THE POSITION UPON ENTRY; AND IS RATED BY THE ORGANIZATION AT AT LEAST THE
MIDDLE LEVEL OF A 3-LEVEL RATING SYSTEM ON ALL QUALITY RANKING FACTORS.
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE, WELL-QUALIFIED ALSO GENERALLY MEANS THOSE APPLI-
CANTS WHOSE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES CLEARLY EXCEED THE MINIMUM
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AS IDENTIFIED IN THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT BUT
WHO WOULD NOT NECESSARILY MEET THE DEFINITION OF HIGHLY OR BEST QUALIFIED.
The incumbent will be required to obtain and wear an official U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service uniform.
Incumbent must be able to operate a government-owned or leased motor
vehicle. A valid state driver's license is required.
As a condition of employment, you must pass a strenuous physical
performance test. Failure to pass will result in your disqualification for
this position.
The person selected for this position will be required to submit an SF-78,
Certificate of Medical Examination, if the form is not already on file.
THIS IS A DRUG-TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION. Applicant(s) tentatively
selected for this position will be required prior to appointment to submit
to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use. As a condition of continued
employment in this position, incumbent(s) will be subject to random testing
for illegal drug use.
This is a permanent seasonal position. The incumbent will be in work/pay
status for a specified time period each year, and will be placed in non-
work/non-pay status for the remainder of the year.
Position may qualify selectee for FERS and CSRS Firefighter retirement
coverage.
If you have concerns about your application arriving, we suggest you use
certified mail "Return Receipt Requested."
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Examples of qualifying specialized experience
include: forestry aid or technician work; engineering, range, or soil
conservation technician work that involved the application of
cultural,resource conservation, or land management practices on nonforest
or ranch lands when combined with knowledge of forestry operations and
equipment; farming or ranching work that involved application of cultural
and soil and water conservation practices, including safety and use of
equipment, and that provided a basic understanding of land use; forest or
range fire control, prevention, or suppression work. This is a career or
career-conditional appointment and is subject to a one year probationary
period. Federal employees do not have to meet the time-in-grade
requirement to be promoted into this position. NOTE: Applicants for this
position must not have reached their 35th birthday upon appointment to this
position. An exception is allowed if there is prior Federal service in a
covered firefighter position, and the prior service is sufficient to permit
retirement on, or before, the mandatory retirement age for this type of
position. You must indicate your date of birth on your application due to
the age requirement of the position.
STATEMENT OF DUTIES:
Incumbent serves as an experienced crewperson involved with a wide variety
of complex wildfire suppression, presuppression, and prescribed burning
duties; uses and maintains related and specialized tools and equipment;
directs activities of others in a complex fire environment both wildfire
and prescribed fire, and trains other participants in these activities;
assess complex field situations, including initial attacks, related to
wildfire and prescribed burning and communicate to others using radio
equipment.
KNOWLEDGES, ABILITIES, SKILLS AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS (KASOCS):
1. Skill in using and maintaining motorized vehicles, fire engine/swamp
buggy, portable pump, chainsaw, fire hand tools, and related equipment in
relation to wildfires, prescribed fires, and presuppression activities.
2. Knowledge of meteorology, fire behavior, fuels, and tactics, and their
influence on wildland fire suppression and prescribed burning.
3. Ability to direct and train others.
4. Ability to meet and deal with the public and other staff.
5. Knowledge of various fuel types in order to determine how prescribed and
wildfires will react.
All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to
submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
** DISPLACED EMPLOYEES REQUESTING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION UNDER THE ICTAP **
If you are a displaced Federal employee you may be entitled to receive
special selection priority under the ICTAP. To receive this priority con-
sideration you must:
1. Be a displaced Federal employee. You MUST submit a copy of the appro-
priate documentation showing your priority consideration status with your
application package. The following categories of candidates are con-
sidered displaced employees:
A. Current or former career or career-conditional (tenure group I or II)
competitive service employees who: (1) received a specific RIF separation
notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment
or transfer of function outside of the local commuting area (you must
provide appropriate supporting documentation); (2) were separated because
of a compensable injury, whose compensation has been terminated, and whose
former agency certifies that it is unable to place you; (3) retired with a
disability and whose disability annuity has been or is being terminated; or
(4) upon receipt of a RIF separation notice retired on the effective date
of the RIF; or (5) retired under the discontinued service option; or (6)
were separated because you declined a transfer of function or directed
reassignment to another commuting area OR
B. A former Military Reserve or National Guard Technician who is receiving
a special Office of Personnel Management (OPM) disability retirement
annuity under section 8337(h) or 8456 of title 5 United States Code.
Include a copy of your eligibility letter from the National Guard or
Military Reserve. OR
C. A current Executive Branch employee in the excepted service, on a non-
temporary appointment, who has been given noncompetitive appointment eli-
gibility and selection priority by statute for positions in the competitive
service, and who has received a separation notice or notice of proposed
removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment out-
side the local commuting area; OR
D. A former Executive Branch agency employee in the excepted service, who
has been given noncompetitive appointment eligibility and selection
priority by statute for positions in the competitive service, and who has
been separated through RIF or removed for declining a transfer of function
or directed reassignment outside the local commuting area.
2. Be applying for a position at or below the grade level of the position
from which you have been separated. The position must not have greater
promotion potential than the position from which you were separated.
3. Have a current (or last) performance rating of record of at least
fully successful, results achieved, or equivalent. A copy of this
performance rating MUST be submitted with your application package (this
requirement does not apply to candidates who are eligible due to compen-
sable injury or disability retirement).
4. Occupy or be displaced from a position in the same local commuting area
as the position for which you are requested priority consideration.
5. File your application by the vacancy announcement closing date and meet
all the application criteria (eg., submit all required documentation, etc.)
6. Be rated well-qualified for the position. An eligible ICTAP applicant
is determined to be well-qualified if he/she meets the following: OPM
qualification standards for the position; is phyically qualified with
reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the
duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at at
least the middle level of a 3-level rating system on all quality ranking
factors. In addition to the above, well-qualified also generally means
those applicants whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the
the minimum qualification requirements as identified in this vacancy
announcement, but who would not necessarily meet the definition of highly
or best qualified.