Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Engine Captain) (Direct Hire Authority)

Full Job Description

A Wildland Firefighter at this level is an experienced leader and member of a Wildland Fire Engine Crew, exercising leadership for and executing fire management activities in fire preparedness, fuels management and prevention, and fire suppression, monitoring, and post-fire.

In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected.

Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected Requirements Continued As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 03/16/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

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.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience.

Your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time).

If an applicant's resume is incomplete a rating of "ineligible" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.

In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents) which contain documented proof of the certification or attainment of the IFPM Selective Placement Factor for this position MUST be attached to your application.

Red cards are not acceptable documentation. Currency Requirement: Required to maintain currency once hired into the position. Currency of NWCG qualifications is not required for selection.

If not currently qualified, the applicant must provide documented evidence that they have been fully qualified in the past and are able to regain currency within one year of being hired.

Failure to provide this documentation will result in disqualification. **NOTE - Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted.

You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes.

In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time).

If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience.

SELECTIVE FACTORS: For this Wildland Firefighter position you must also meet the following selective placement factors: Single Resource Boss - Engine (ENGB) (CURRENCY REQUIRED) -AND- Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) (CURRENCY REQUIRED) -AND- Completion of S-211 "Portable Pumps and Water Use" Course (CURRENCY REQUIRED) -AND- Primary firefighter positions include the following age requirements: Under age 37 -OR- Less than age 37 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service worked in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position -OR- A veteran preference eligible, older than age 37 and is requesting a waiver to the maximum age requirement.

-AND- To Qualify for GW-07 One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS/GW-06 level in the Federal service.

Examples of qualifying specialized for this position 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 include: (1) personally leading a crew in Wildland Fire Operations, and at least one of the following wildland fire-fighting functions: Initial attack and Fire-line Suppression Operations; Prescribed Fire Operations; Helitack Operations; and (2) personally leading or supervising others in any two of the following functions: initial attack and suppression hand-crew operations; prescribed fire operations; wildland fire engine crew operations; helitack fire crew operations; providing on-the-job training and conducting daily crew briefings, safety sessions, and/or other basic wildland fire training.

NOTE: If your firefighting experience includes both structural and wildland, it is essential that your application materials clearly separate and document your wildland experience.

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. Major Duties:

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area.

Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Major Duties: This position serves as primary fire engine operator which is responsible for the safe operation, maintenance and upkeep of a wildland fire engine.

This position will carry out engine captain responsibilities while performing duties in the absence of the engine captain.

Directs the operation and use of special tools and equipment such as, but not limited to power saws, portable pumps, firing devices, and communication equipment (e.g., programming radio frequencies), and makes decisions as to when, where, and how equipment can be utilized to the greatest advantage.

Directs and ensures proper assembly of equipment and supplies needed for fire assignments or daily work assignments.

May serve as a subject matter expert on regional, state, and/or National interagency committees.

Direct assigned suppression operations and recommend and implement tactical strategy on attacking, controlling, or mopping up fires, building or patrolling firelines, cleaning up burned areas within firelines, suppressing spot fires, felling snags or trees, and cutting brush.

Ensures assigned crew members and equipment for the specific fire assignments or daily work assignments are in a state of readiness for the assignment or initial attack.

Participates in or leads physical fitness programs. Provides leadership as an Assistant Engine Captain in wildland fire suppression efforts while considering safety of crew and equipment.

Accomplish fire management objectives in highly complex, wildland urban interface environments.

Perform wildland fire suppression, through preparedness, prevention, monitoring, hazardous fuel reduction, training, and prescribed fire.

Directs moderately complex fuels management projects or participates in more complex hazard fuel reduction projects by conducting project assessments and gathering data (e.g., fuel quantity and conditions), planning (e.g., drafting or reviewing fuels management plans, assessing and recommending fuel treatment alternatives), preparing (e.g., ensuring proper training, placement, and instruction of crews), and implementing (e.g., ignition, holding, mop-up, and rehabilitation) treatments.

Fuels management projects include prescribed fire, and mechanical and biological treatments; inventorying fuel beds; and piling vegetation debris.

May be required to use/operate specialized firing equipment.