Fire Protection Specialist

Requirements Continued... Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/05/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience.

For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: (Screen-Out) Successful completion and have currency in the following from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) or National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (NPQS/Pro Board): IFSAC or Proboard Fire Instructor I AND IFSAC or Proboard HAZMAT Awareness and Operations AND IFSAC or Proboard Fire Inspector II (or the new 2024 Fire Inspector) Must be able to obtain: Fire Investigator within 1 year of employment Candidates must possess prior structural firefighting experience.

Experience that may be credited: volunteer firefighter, paid call firefighter, and/or structural firefighter with the Federal government or in an equivalent position outside the Federal government; suppressing fires that occur within buildings, ships, vehicles, airstrips and aircrafts, and other non-wildland firefighting. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered.

Structural Fire: The Department of the Interior defines structural firefighting experience as any firefighting experience except wildland firefighting. Structural experience may be gained though work in suppressing fires such as those in buildings, ships, vehicles, airstrips and aircraft, and other non-wildland firefighting. This experience may be gained by serving in a structural firefighting position within the federal government or in an equivalent position outside the Federal government.

Periods of structural firefighting gained as a volunteer or paid call firefighter can also be credited. In some instances, candidates may be hired in a dual wildland and structural firefighting role. Candidates must meet the qualifications required for either the wildland or structural fire function. - AND - EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-08 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

Examples of specialized experience may include: (1) performing structure fire prevention inspections, (2) leading an all-hazard response team, (3) applying practical knowledge of National Fire Protection Standards (NFPA) and the International Fire Code (IFC) in assessing buildings or facilities for fire protection and prevention; (4) Utilizing emergency management methods such as first aid; (5) writing accurate reports of performed fire protection inspections to include discovered violations; controlling and extinguishing fires and operating hose lines; and (6) conducting advanced structural fire and emergency medical trainings or lectures.

You must include hours per week worked. Volunteer Experience: 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period -OR- 2-year trial period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary or trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Responsible for the fire and life safety inspection of all park facilities. Provides technical support on all aspects of fire operations including structural fire prevention, suppression operations, and firefighter training program. Maintains training logs for each team member in structural fire and all hazard disciplines, to track compliance with existing annual and biennial requirements.

Assist in the investigation of the origin and cause of fires and prepares fire incident reports as well as supplemental technical investigation reports in coordination with safety and law enforcement. Represents the park at meetings to coordinate system integration to the Emergency Communication Center and response computer system. Maintains records of work in National Park Service identified Record Management Systems.

Physical Demands: The work of this position is mostly sedentary but requires periods of regular and recurring physical exertion while in the field. All Risk Emergency Incident Management Team assignments, fire inspections, program audits, fire suppression classes, and other field assignments require considerable walking, bending, hiking, carrying, and climbing.

The incumbent is required to maintain incident qualifications to participate in program activities that require high intensity arduous work and exposure to live fire conditions in a hazardous setting. Work requires travel throughout the United States via commercial or government transportation approximately 3-5 days per month, including operation of a motor vehicle to perform inspections at various locations throughout the park.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in an office environment and in the field. The incumbent instructs components of any one of the NPS training classes for structural fire. However, the work also involves regular and recurrent exposure to hazards, discomforts, and potentially dangerous situations while in the field. While on a training or fire location, the work environment may involve hazardous environmental conditions such as exposure to fire, heat, chemicals, and loud noise for extended periods of time.

Protective equipment or clothing may be needed, including the use of a self-contained breathing apparatus.