Wildland Firefighter

Office of the Secretary of the Interior • Grand Canyon, AZ

1d

About The Position

The Wildland Firefighter position is with the US Wildland Fire Service at the GW-0456-3/4/5 grade levels. Positions may be assigned to Wildland Fire Module, Engine, Hotshot, Helitack, Handcrew, or Fuels crews. The full performance level is GW-05; positions selected at a lower grade may be eligible for discretionary, noncompetitive promotion, subject to requirements and availability of higher-level work. This is a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter position covered by special retirement provisions and subject to age requirements.

The work involves wildland fire suppression and management, fireline operations, fuels projects, prescribed fires, and operation and maintenance of specialized equipment. Work takes place in forest, range, and desert environments, often in steep and uneven terrain, smoke, and extreme temperatures. The position may require extended stays in backcountry camps and overnight travel away from home up to 50% of the time per month. Depending on the location, employees may work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and shift work. Career-seasonal employees work a tour of duty of at least six months and no more than eleven and a half months each year, with the remaining period in non-pay status; specific tour information is provided by location during hiring.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Must be suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
• Must enroll in direct deposit and pass a pre-employment drug test; the position is subject to random drug testing.
• Must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to confirm fitness standards are maintained.
• Must pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• Must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license may be required depending on location.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period, with continued employment subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
• Must be at least 18 years old for assignment to a hazardous position and meet the maximum entry age requirement. Generally, applicants must not have reached age 37 by the applicable deadline unless an exception applies for qualifying prior Federal service or veterans' preference eligibility.
• Must meet the applicable grade-level minimum qualifications: GW-03 requires six months of general work experience, qualifying firefighter training, one year of post-high-school education or training related to the work, or an equivalent combination; GW-04 requires six months of general experience plus six months of specialized experience equivalent to GW-03, two years of relevant post-high-school study, or an equivalent combination; GW-05 requires one year of specialized experience equivalent to GW-04, a completed four-year bachelor's degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination.
• For education-based qualification, applicants must provide transcripts. Applicants using foreign education must provide an evaluation demonstrating U.S. equivalency.
• For experience credit, resumes must state full-time or part-time status and hours worked per week; only experience and education obtained by October 30, 2026, will be considered.
• Must submit proof of prior or current service in a covered Federal firefighter or law-enforcement retirement system when claiming an applicable age or retirement exception.
• May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and shift work.
• May be required to travel overnight away from home up to 50% of the time per month.
• Must obtain a government charge card for travel; training and maintaining a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority may be required.
• Must work a career-seasonal tour of duty of at least six months and no more than eleven and a half months annually if hired into a career-seasonal position.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an experienced wildland firefighter on a fuels, handcrew, hotshot, engine, helitack, or wildland fire module crew.
• Perform fireline activities, including line construction, hose layout, pump and accessory operation, and mop-up operations.
• Gather information on weather, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior when responding to wildland fire incidents.
• Participate in fuels management projects and prescribed fires.
• Perform wildland fire suppression, management, and control functions.
• Operate and maintain specialized equipment used for wildland and prescribed fire situations.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for eligible employees and their families.
• Basic moving expenses may be authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station, depending on location and applicable distance requirements; moving expenses are taxable.
• A recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered to eligible and qualified applicants on a case-by-case basis; incentives are not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed