Forestry Technician (Lookout)

Forest Service•Cascade, ID

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located within a National Forest and provides fire detection services to district fire suppression personnel. The Forestry Technician observes and locates smoke and fires, communicates fire and weather information to suppression personnel and dispatch, maintains lookout equipment and station grounds, supports fire prevention, and performs related recordkeeping and database work. The role may involve living and working in remote locations that can be volatile or unpredictable. The position is temporary and may last up to six months or, if appointed under a not-to-exceed appointment, up to one year. The appointment may be extended, or may end early because of lack of work or funding. The expected start date is between April 18, 2027, and June 13, 2027. The position is not eligible for telework.

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 the Selective Service or exempt.
Must pass the required background investigation and/or fingerprint check and E-Verify employment verification.
Must use direct deposit for federal payments.
Must be willing to live and work in remote locations that may be volatile or unpredictable.
Meet the GS-05 qualification requirement through one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-04; or a qualifying bachelor's degree or four years of post-high-school education with an appropriate major or at least 24 semester hours in specified related subjects; or a qualifying combination of education and specialized experience.
Specialized experience may include maintaining records, logbooks, lookout equipment, and station grounds; receiving and relaying fire and administrative information and keeping dispatchers or fire officials informed of current conditions; or explaining fire-prevention laws, policies, and regulations to visitors.
Applications and resumes must clearly document experience requirements. Transcripts are required when qualifying based on education; course descriptions may also be required.
Meet all qualification requirements and provide required documents by the announcement closing date.

Responsibilities

Use fire finders, a compass, binoculars, protractors, and geographic maps to locate observed smoke; estimate its distance and the probable size and characteristics of fires; and plot fire locations using specialized equipment.
Report fire azimuth, distance, location, smoke volume, color, behavior, and other pertinent information by radio.
Continue observing fire areas and report significant changes, including increased smoke, wind conditions, and changes in smoke color or volume.
Use weather instruments to evaluate changing conditions and interpret fire-weather data, advising fire suppression personnel of relevant changes.
Use radio communications to warn personnel responding to fires about changes that may affect them.
Observe ground lightning strikes, report resulting fires, and record storm paths to assist in observing for holdover fires.
Record and report daily weather observations; maintain photo records and logbooks identifying the source and duration of smoke plumes.
Make minor adjustments to and maintain lookout equipment; keep the station and grounds neat and orderly.
Operate a radio communications center linking lookout stations, lookouts, agencies, and two interagency dispatch centers; receive and relay messages about forecasts, fire hazards, emergencies, accidents, and the locations of work crews and personnel.
Communicate the locations of known lightning strikes and fires to aircraft during reconnaissance activities.
Serve as a key contact at a lookout station visited by large numbers of people during fire season.
Promote fire prevention by explaining applicable state and federal 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 and enter pertinent information into an automated tracking system.
Independently conduct database searches and review and process documents and reports according to established procedures.