Wildland Firefighter

Forest Service • Bayfield, CO

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This temporary position is located within a National Forest fire management organization and serves as a senior firefighter on a hand crew, fire engine, or helitack crew. The firefighter suppresses, manages, and controls wildland fires, and may perform specialized duties such as qualified falling, saw repair, long-line operations, water handling, rappelling, short-haul work, and maintenance of specialized equipment. The role may also include driving a crew carrier, subject to applicable licensing and testing requirements.

On the fireline, the firefighter builds fireline and suppresses fires by moving dirt, chopping brush, and felling trees, using hand tools and power saws. Helitack duties may include loading helicopter cargo, preparing manifests, constructing helispots, and attacking small fires and hotspots. The firefighter may also support aviation and ground operations, conduct urban-interface or point-protection work, and lead a squad of three to five firefighters or fill in for other work leaders.

Additional assignments may include prescribed-fire fuel-reduction work, fuel-bed inventories and reports, recreational-facility and grounds maintenance, trail and building maintenance, and other project work. The role requires arduous physical fitness, medical screening, and the ability to work in remote, volatile, or unpredictable locations. The appointment is temporary, for up to six months or up to one year, and may end earlier due to lack of work or funds.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Must pass background adjudication and/or fingerprint checks and the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous-duty firefighting and pass the arduous-level Work Capacity Test.
• Must maintain the physical fitness required for the position; the arduous pack test requires hiking three miles within 45 minutes while carrying a 45-pound pack.
• Must have successfully completed the NWCG Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) Primary Core Requirement and Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (S-290) Secondary Core Requirement.
• For the GW-05 qualification, must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to GW-04, a four-year course of study in a related field such as Fire Science, Fire Training, or Fire Technology, or a combination of education and experience.
• Specialized experience may include patrolling controlled fires to extinguish remaining burning material, serving on a specialty crew to suppress difficult and complex fires, or operating specialized suppression equipment such as portable pumps or drip torches.
• Must provide IQCS Master Record or equivalent training documents verifying the required selective placement factor; red cards are not accepted.
• Must use direct deposit for federal payments.
• Must be willing to live and work in remote, volatile, or unpredictable locations and undertake occasional overnight travel for fire assignments.
• Subject to pre-employment and random drug testing; appointment depends on a negative pre-employment test result.
• A valid state driver's license, commercial driver's license, or other physical or medical examination may be required for some fire positions.

Responsibilities

• Suppress wildland fires as a senior firefighter on a hand crew, fire engine, or helitack crew.
• Perform specialized duties such as qualified falling, saw repair, long-line operations, water handling, rappelling, short-haul work, or specialized equipment maintenance.
• Drive a crew carrier when assigned, subject to applicable state licensing requirements.
• Assist with fire-engine operations, including starting and priming pumps, adjusting engine speed and valves, laying hose, and using nozzles and water additives.
• Load helicopter cargo, account for weight distribution and securement, and complete manifests for personnel and equipment.
• Construct helispots and attack small fires, hotspots, and spot fires in remote areas when assigned.
• Build fireline and suppress fires using hand tools and power saws by moving dirt, chopping brush, and felling trees.
• Perform aviation and ground support activities involving batch mixers, tanks, pumps, valves, and hoses.
• Conduct urban-interface operations and point protection in remote settings as directed.
• Lead a squad of three to five firefighters and provide on-the-job instruction, support work goals, ensure tools and equipment are available, and promote safe work practices.
• Inventory fuel beds, prepare reports, monitor burning conditions, pile logging debris, and serve in assigned roles during prescribed-fire fuel-reduction efforts.
• Perform project work such as outdoor recreation facility cleaning, mowing, shrub trimming, trail maintenance, building maintenance, tree marking, and seedling survival checks.
• Fill in for absent work leaders on established crews.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; specific eligibility depends on the position type and work schedule.
• Government housing and federal day care facilities may be available depending on location.

What This Job Offers

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