Forestry Technician (Fire Dispatch)

Summary Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. We expect to fill many vacancies at this time for the following locations: Bishop, CA San Bernardino, CA This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/#url=Fact-Sheet Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship is required. Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections. You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands. Direct Deposit Required. Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination. Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume. This position requires regular and recurring overtime and shift work. This position requires you to wear an officially-approved uniform while in a duty status. An applicant appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position. May require a one year probationary period. Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. This is a Bargaining Unit position. Qualifications In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. For the GS-04: You must possess 6 months of general work experience, which can be any work experience AND 6 months of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-03 level duties. Examples of specialized work experience include: organized and accurate handling of multiple tasks at one time, where tasks are completed quickly and efficiently and require precise verbal and electronic communication, such as on the phone and entering data into a database; - OR - 2 years of education above the high school level which included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours of mathematics is creditable toward this requirement; - OR - a combination of the education and experience described above. For the GS-05: You must possess 12 months of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-04. Examples of specialized work experience include experience in dispatch and dispatch office functions related to law enforcement and wildland fire suppression activities; -OR- 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science; -OR- a combination of education and experience as described above. For the GS-06: You must possess 12 months of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-05. Examples of specialized work experience include experience in dispatch and dispatch office functions related to law enforcement and wildland fire suppression activities; guidance and direction to subordinate dispatchers; -OR- one full year (18 semester hours) of graduate level education directly related to this position such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science; -OR- a combination of experience and education. For the GS-07:To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the GS-06 grade level. Examples of specialized work experience include: performing and directing others in dispatch and dispatch office functions related to law enforcement and wildland fire suppression activities, providing logistical support information and making recommendations for efficient use of available resources;- OR- one full year (18 semester hours) of graduate education directly related to this position such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science; -OR- a combination of experience and education. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You must meet all qualification requirements by the date of application. Retirement: This is a SECONDARY/Administrative fire position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). While secondary positions are not subject to the maximum entry age (MEA) policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position and meet the transfer requirement for movement from a primary to secondary position to be eligible for special retirement coverage. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits(normally through submission of your SF-50). YOU MUST LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN A PRIMARY POSITION. Physical Demands: The work involves long hours of sitting, intense concentration, and working at peak proficiency/intensity levels with irregular breaks and mealtimes. Must be able to cope with the pressure of meeting timeframes and changing priorities. Mental concentration and accuracy are required. Vehicle and aircraft travel associated with field visits and other administrative travel may be required. Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in an office setting. During peak activity, long hours, increased radio traffic, numerous ringing phones, and conversations result in high noise levels, which require a high level of concentration to perform duties. The duties of this position create a highly stressful environment during peak activity, requiring the ability to keep calm in emergency situations. Education If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information. Additional information Consistent with the recent passage of legislation for permanent pay reform, salaries contained within this vacancy announcement are reflective of the new Special Base Rate (SBR) Salary Table for Federal wildland firefighters, on the General Wildland Firefighter (GW) pay plan effective March 23, 2025. IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS OPEN CONTINUOUS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: This is an open continuous announcement until November 4, 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee. This position is not eligible for Telework. Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment. This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-07. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied. Read more Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.