Forestry Technician (Fire Dispatch)

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/06/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. 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. This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program management (IFPM) Standard.

This position has been categorized as a Forestry Technician (Fire Dispatch) GW-0462-09 and requires the selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to moving into the position. For more information on IFPM, click here.

Selective Factors: The applicant must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position: Expanded Dispatch Support Dispatcher (EDSD) -AND- This is an administrative position in an organization having a firefighting mission, and is clearly in an established career path.

Prior firefighting experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE. Candidates must possess Primary/Rigorous wildland firefighting experience, gained through fire line work in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days, and hours per week at which the work was performed to be considered.

Applicants must have documented prior primary firefighting experience, with substantial service defined as either: At least one full fire season working in a primary wildland firefighting role (e.g., Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumper, Wildland Fire Modules or Fire Suppression Crews, etc.) with a federal, state, tribal, local, or private-sector organization; - OR - At least 14 days of on-the-ground fireline experience (cumulative or consecutive).

Prior primary wildland fire experience must be clearly documented in your resume. Note: an IQCS Master Record or equivalent document will not be used to determine or calculate prior primary wildland fire experience eligibility for this requirement. -AND- Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications for the GW-09 level: Experience: At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-07 level.

Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience in the following: performing wildland fire dispatch operations; processing resource orders; mobilizing and demobilizing personnel, equipment, supplies, and aviation resources; maintaining incident information and resource status; collecting and disseminating weather and intelligence information; providing support to wildland fire, prescribed fire, aviation, and all-hazard incidents; using dispatch and incident management systems; assisting with workforce scheduling and staffing coordination; and troubleshooting routine computer, telecommunications, software, and network connectivity issues affecting dispatch center operations. -OR- Education: Two (2) full years of graduate-level college education or a master's degree in a field directly related to the work of the position. -OR- Combination of Education and Experience: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and education as described above to qualify for this position.

You must provide a copy of your college transcripts. 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. 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.

Ability to remain calm under urgent and frequently changing conditions. Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in an office setting. During peak activity, 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.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Establishes priorities, allocates resources and supervises the mobilization, demobilization, and reassignment of wildland fire suppression resources within the local, geographic, and national area. Manages fuels, weather, and intelligence data. Coordinates aircraft flight following and ensures safe and efficient practices are followed. Develops, implements, and updates Dispatch Operations Guide, Expanded Dispatch Plans, etc.

Provides day-to-day operations technical direction. Plans work, assigns work, provides employee performance input.