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USDA Forest Service
Approved Position Descriptionfor Firefighter Retirement
Series/ Grade: GS40113 / _ / Organization: Regional OfficeOfficial Title:Reg Fire Training & Safety Offcr / _ / Working Title:
Approval Information: / _ / Approval Information:
Retirement Plan:FERS / Position:Secondary / _ / Retirement Plan:CSRS / Position:Secondary
Approved by:USDA / On:May 22, 1997 / _ / Approved by:USDA / On:May 22, 1997
PD #:63299
Duties:
Introduction.
This position is located in the Pacific Northwest Region, 6, Regional office, Fire & Aviation Management, Operations Group. The incumbent is responsible for Regional programs involving the development and implementation of plans and programs in fire management training in presuppression, suppression, and fuels management, fire equipment developmentand standards, and fire safety Programs.
This is a secondary firefighter position covered under the provisions 5 USC 8336(c) CSRS, and 5 USC 8412(d) FERS. This position requires wildland firefighting experience. Coverage of the employee depends upon her/his individual work history.
Major Duties.
Fire Management Training. 50%
Participates with Assistant Director and other program specialists in the development and integration of the overall program of work and in the formulation of policies and guidelines, development of long and shortrange objectives, establishment of priorities, development of plans and programs, budgeting of allotments, and the integration of fire management activities with other resources.
Provides program leadership and direction in fire management training programs for the Region. Responsible for evaluating the Region's multiresource fire management training needs and coordinates with cooperating agencies to meetthese needs through the design and development of comprehensive fire management training curricula, courses, and materials. Assures integration and coordination among these programs to ensure that training programs and materials reflect fire management policy direction, objectives, and regulations. Evaluates interagency fire management training courses and assists in the modification and development of new national and regional courses to meet the skill requirement.
Monitors fire management training programs to ensure current training developments and technical accuracy. Evaluates effectiveness of technology transfer and adjusts training material/content to incorporate stateoftheart technology into the needs and objectives of all fire related activities.
Serves as an expert, consultant, and/or instructor at the national level at least two or more times annually in fire generalship, command, advanced safety management, and national coordination exercises.
Maintains liaison with research units to keep them informed of new requirements in fire management training and provides input on special problems which need research and study. Analyzes research efforts and design strategy for their effective implementation and incorporation into the training program.
Fire Equipment Development & Standards 25%
Provides leadership and program management for the Regional fire equipment program. Develops and recommends policy for improvement and standardization of fire equipment and supplies used by specialized firefighters, smokejumpers, rapplers, helitack personnel, interregional Hotshot crews, and other firefighters. Develops, tests, evaluates, and implements plans for the use of equipment, materials, supplies, and techniques needed to support suppression, management of wildfire, fuel management, fire prevention, and fire weather.
Evaluates the effectiveness and adequacy of the fire equipment program and develops or recommends changes in policy, plans, or programs to meet the needs of the Region.
Maintains continual contact with fire research, industry, and universities to keep current on new developments in equipment, material, capabilities and techniques that can be applied to fire activities.
Works closely with GSA in the specifications and technical requirements for fire equipment and supplies and/or new equipment development needs and recommends modification requirements to be made on equipment for purchase.
Coordinates with National Wildfire Contractor Association to develop training standards for private contractors performing suppression work.
Fire Safety, 20%
Serves as the Fire Safety Program Manager to the Region in the development and implementation of policies, programs, and guidelines for fire safety programs. Analyzes the programs to provide for equipment and procedures consistent with preventing accidents and lossof life in the entire fire management program.
Plans and coordinates safety studies to determine the degree of hazards and accidents caused by fire related activities to determine basic causes, critical situations, information needs and performance. Evaluates fire management working conditions and recommends appropriate health and safety standards, policies, and procedures.
Investigates and reviews regional and national accidents/fatalities reports, injuries, illness resulting from fire operations, other performance records and activity plans to identify possible weaknesses or needs. Formulates and develops training and/or safety programs designed for effective remedial action, eliminate or strengthen weak areas, and to meet future fire safety management requirements.
Supervision. 5%
Supervises one position. Assigns work, provides training, checks work in progress, recommends hiring decisions, promotions, evaluates performance, recommends awards or disciplinary actions, approves leave, etc. The incumbent is responsible for providing leadership, allocating resources, and implementing activities to accomplish Forest Service multicultural organization direction and Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights requirements, goals, policies, and objectives. Supports and participates in the Work Environment Continuous improvement Process. Ensures all communication written, oral, visual, signed is nondiscriminatory and sensitive to all employees and publics. Creates a work environment which respects, appreciates, and accepts the contributions and perspectives of all employees.
Factor 1 Knowledge Required by the Position.
Mastery of the principles, theories, practices and procedures of Natural Resource Land Management sufficient to serve as the technical authority for the full range duties involved in the development and review of fire management programs in fire training, fire equipment development and standards, and fire safety. This knowledge enables the incumbent to analyze and evaluate these programs; recommend and implement new techniques and methods; and to resolve critical problems that develop as a result of changing work processes, fire hazards, new program emphasis, etc.
Knowledge of training management principles and applications against a wide range of job performance requirements, instructional processes, and evaluations.
Indepth knowledge of fire management, fire suppression, fuel management, fire ecology, fire behavior, fire hazard and risk analysis, and flammability assessment sufficient to critically review plans and operations, adjust and revise programs and procedures to facilitate fire management efforts.
Knowledge of fire planning principles, aerial operations, state & private fire programs, fire research and development projects, and large fire suppression operation based on training and actual firefighting experience.
Indepth knowledge of the latest research developments in forestry, fire research, equipment, and technology advances in fire management sufficient to evaluate their applicability to specific situations and incorporate them into standards and guidelines for application and implementation.
Comprehensive knowledge of Forest Service policies and procedures and of appropriate land management statues and regulations.
Working knowledge of the management of fire equipment caches which includes proper storage, maintenance, protective packaging, grouping in kits, procurement sources, refurbishing requirements and practices, mobility concept in support of other caches and how to gain support when needed.
Technical knowledge of the design, engineering, and specifications of specialized equipment required for accessories to equip helicopters and fixedwing aircraft for specialized missions such as smokejumping, cargo dropping, air freight, rappelling, helitack, and retardant dropping.
Knowledge of fire safety concepts, principles, and procedures, body of laws, and precedent decisions that enable the safety manager to develop and recommend to the Region critical safety programs that require modification of known safety techniques and are applicable to a wide range of fire safety activities.
Knowledge of accident investigations, reporting, analysis, inspection, protective equipment and physical fitness as related to fire management activities.
Experience as a firefighter is a basic qualification requirement for this position.
Factor 2 Supervisory Controls
Assignments are received from the supervisor in the form of program responsibilities and objectives. The incumbent independently plans own work, coordinates with other specialists, resolves technical and program problems and conflicts. The incumbent provides advice and guidance on technical problems or questions and interpretations of policies and guidelines in fire activities. The incumbent keeps the supervisor informed of progress an major or controversial issues but analyses, suggestions, and recommendations are relied on as technically authoritative. The review of work is primarily for conformance to overall policies and objectives.
Factor 3 Guidelines
The assignments are undertaken within the broad framework of agency policies, regulations, guides, manuals, handbooks, technical publications, and other applicable regulations pertaining to emergency management, particularly, fire presuppression and suppression. The guidelines cover a range of concepts and procedures which require or permit broad latitude for independent and innovative action due to the wide variety of geographical, biological, and socioeconomic conditions and issues. The incumbent must use a high degree of originality and creativity in developing new methods, policies, and procedures which ultimately create precedents and affect valuable forest resources and products and personnel safety.
Factor 4 Complexity
Assignments of this position involve a wide range of processes and information related to resource management activities in the areas of wildland fire/fuels training, equipment development, and firefighter safety. The incumbent is responsible for providing advice and guidance in presuppression, suppression, and fuels management training, equipment development, and fire safety programs. The incumbent analyzes resource fire management training needs and coordinates with cooperating agencies to meet these needs through the design and development of comprehensive fire management training curricula; develop plans for testing, coordination, adaptation of equipment, material supplies and techniques needed to support suppression of wildfire; evaluates fire management working conditions and recommends appropriate health and safety standards, policies, and procedures.
The incumbent must be versatile and innovative in approach and be able to adopt or extend standard or traditional techniques and, on occasion, improvise solutions for use on specific problem areas. The incumbent must be able to thoroughly analyze the applicability to program goals and objectives, and often times, develop plans to integrate new technologies within existing systems to ensure that technology transfer occurs in areas such as fire behavior, fire economics, air quality, fire ecology, and the integration of these fire programs into the land management planning process. The incumbent provides advice in fire situations whose solutions require an array of techniques or new combinations of approaches. The work requires resourcefulness and imagination to determine the validity and soundness of programs and projects originating at lower level; interpret technical principles and guidelines in the context of complex problems which embody numerous variables and combinations of fire conditions that must be considered concurrently; develop methods, standards, or techniques which involve significant departures from current practices and; to develop solutions to controversial and/or unique problems.
Factor 5 Scope and Effect
The purpose of the work is to provide advice and expertise in the development of programs and plans for training needs, development of and establishment of standards in equipment, and fire safety activities which will meet the basic requirements of law, regulation, and policy. The results of the work have a significant impact on meeting longrange resource management goals and protection of public and private property.
Factor 6 Personal Contacts
Contact are with individuals at the Forest, Regional and Washington office, research scientists, other resource professionals in other federal and state agencies, private industry and associations, and specialists in related disciplines within and outside the unit.
Factor 7 Purpose of Contacts
Purpose of contacts are for coordinating work efforts, assessing the adequacy of fire training, equipment, and safety activities, discussing proposed plans, providing advice, and resolving critical problems such as the adoption of technical techniques which may be new or in conflict with past practices. Contacts also include cooperation and coordination with other agencies for the purpose of persuading or encouraging these agencies in priorities of program development, design, and specific needs.
Factor 8 Physical Demands
The work is mostly sedentary; although some physical activity is required to walk over rough terrain on fire management activities and/or accident reviews.
Factor 9 Work Environment
Work is primarily performed in an office setting. Occasionally there is exposure to hazardous conditions when duties require working on controlled wildfires. Regularly takes new equipment to field units for testing under a variety of conditions that may be influenced by climate, elevation, slope aspect, or vegetative cover.
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