Wildland Firefighter (Fire Engine Operation)

Forest Service • Butte Falls, OR

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This temporary position is on a wildland fire engine crew within a National Forest fire management organization. The primary purpose is to perform wildland firefighting work. The firefighter serves as an experienced crew member and may serve as the senior firefighter on an engine, independently operating the engine during wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire assignments. The work may also include service on hand crews or other related suppression crews under adverse climate, fuel, and terrain conditions.

The position involves safely driving and operating fire engines and pumps, deploying hose and nozzles, using water and additives, and maintaining specialized equipment. The incumbent assesses weather, topography, fuel types, fire behavior, and values at risk to help select tactics and position personnel and equipment. Other assignments may include fuels management and prescribed fire, hazard fuel reduction, forestry or range projects, road and trail maintenance, and equipment or facilities maintenance. The position is temporary, may last up to six months or up to one year, and may end early due to lack of work or funding. The expected start date is between April 18, 2027 and June 13, 2027. Duty locations are among those listed in the announcement; the position is not eligible for telework.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship or U.S. national status.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Successfully pass employment verification through E-Verify.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements, if applicable.
• Pass background investigation and/or fingerprint adjudication.
• Successfully complete the primary NWCG core requirement of Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1).
• Successfully complete the secondary NWCG core requirement of Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior (S-290).
• Meet the GW-05 qualification requirement through one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, a qualifying four-year college course of study in a related field, or a combination of education and experience.
• Provide an IQCS Master Record or equivalent training documents showing proof of the required selective placement factor; red cards are not accepted as documentation.
• Pass and maintain the Work Capacity Test at the arduous level: a three-mile hike within 45 minutes while carrying a 45-pound pack.
• Meet Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous-duty wildland firefighting and pass required medical screening.
• Submit to pre-employment and random drug testing; appointment is contingent on a negative pre-employment result.
• Be willing to live or work in remote, volatile or unpredictable locations.
• Some positions may require a valid state driver's license, a commercial driver's license, or a physical or medical examination.
• Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or related assignments.
• Specialized experience examples include operating an engine and pump under close supervision, adjusting controls, maintaining and making minor repairs to a fire engine, and serving on an organized crew during prescribed burns while monitoring or controlling fire and collecting weather or fire-behavior data.

Responsibilities

• Operate a wildland fire engine during wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire assignments.
• Drive the engine to fire locations while considering crew and equipment safety and the effective use of equipment in control and mop-up operations.
• Start and operate pump engines; prime pumps; adjust engine speed and pump valves; lay hose; and use and adjust nozzles to apply water and additives effectively.
• Perform specialized duties, which may include water handling, qualified chainsaw operation, or operating and maintaining equipment for wildland-urban interface and intermix incidents.
• Gather and consider weather, topography, fuel, and fire-behavior information when responding to incidents.
• Recommend approaches and practices for positioning and deploying personnel and equipment to protect values at risk.
• Maintain specialized fire equipment and make emergency repairs as needed to keep equipment in service.
• Take other actions to control a fire when the apparatus cannot be used effectively.
• Participate in wildland fire and safety training, crew proficiency checks, drills, safety sessions, and fire critiques.
• Use tools, equipment, and vehicles safely and efficiently in fire-line activities, and protect the welfare and safety of self and others.
• Inventory fuel beds; prepare related reports; conduct hazard-fuel reduction work; monitor burning conditions; pile vegetation debris; and serve in assigned positions during prescribed-fire fuel-reduction efforts.
• Perform other duties assigned on an Incident Qualification Card.
• Perform project work such as road and trail maintenance, habitat manipulation, equipment and facilities maintenance, and other resource work.
• Assist with forestry or range research, resource marketing, scientific management and protection, monitoring, or development efforts.
• Fill in for other work leaders on established crews as needed.
• Serve as an experienced firefighter on a hand crew or other related suppression crew performing suppression or fuels-management duties.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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