Forestry Technician (Lookout)

Forest Service • Elk City, ID

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This temporary position is located within a National Forest and provides fire detection services to district fire suppression personnel. The technician observes and locates smoke and fires, monitors fire and weather conditions, communicates information to dispatch and response personnel, and maintains lookout records, equipment, station, and grounds. The role also supports fire prevention and visitor education, conducts district patrols, issues campfire permits, and reviews and processes documents and reports using an automated tracking system.

The position is for the FY2027 temporary employment hiring season, with an expected start date between April 18, 2027 and June 13, 2027. It will last up to six months or, in some cases, up to one year, and may end early because of lack of work or funding. The position is not eligible for telework and requires willingness to live and work in remote, volatile or unpredictable locations. Duty location and pay vary; the listed salary range is based on Rest of the U.S. locality pay.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Must pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must be willing to live and work in remote, volatile or unpredictable locations.
• Must provide required application documents and meet qualification requirements by the announcement closing date; the application and resume must clearly demonstrate qualifying experience, and transcripts are required when qualifying based on education.
• For GS-05, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-04, or qualifying education, or an allowed combination of education and experience.
• Qualifying education may include a bachelor's degree or four years of post-high-school education in a directly related field, or at least 24 semester hours in specified natural-resource and related subjects, subject to the stated mathematics limitation.
• Specialized experience may include maintaining records, log books, lookout equipment, and station grounds; receiving and relaying fire and administrative information; keeping dispatchers or fire officials informed of conditions; and explaining fire-prevention laws and policies to visitors.
• Must be subject to satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Must receive federal payments by direct deposit.

Responsibilities

• Use fire finders, compasses, binoculars, protractors, geographic maps, and specialized equipment to locate and plot observed smoke and fires.
• Estimate smoke distance and probable fire size and characteristics; report fire and smoke details by radio.
• Continue observing the area and report significant changes in smoke, wind, and other conditions to dispatch.
• Use weather instruments to interpret fire weather data and advise fire suppression personnel about changing conditions.
• Warn personnel responding to fires of conditions that may affect them.
• Observe ground lightning strikes, report resulting fires, and record storm paths to support observation for holdover fires.
• Record and report daily weather observations and maintain photo records and log books identifying smoke plume sources and duration.
• Make minor adjustments to and maintain lookout equipment; keep the station and grounds neat and orderly.
• Operate a radio communications center connecting lookout stations, agencies, and interagency dispatch centers; receive and relay information about weather, fire hazards, emergencies, accidents, and personnel locations.
• Communicate known lightning strikes and fires to aircraft during reconnaissance activities.
• Serve as a key contact at a lookout station visited by members of the public during fire season.
• Promote fire prevention by explaining applicable laws, policies, regulations, prevention methods, procedures, and fire hazard conditions.
• Patrol the district one day per week, maintain and replace prevention signs as needed, issue campfire permits, and explain state and federal laws to visitors.
• Review documents and reports for completeness, enter pertinent information into an automated tracking system, conduct database searches, and process documents and reports according to established procedures.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; eligibility depends on position type and the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level