Position Title : Assistant District Fire Management Officer

Opportunity Type: Vacancy Announcement

Organizational Unit : R1 – Bitterroot National Forest
Series : 0462 – Supervisory Forestry Technician
Grade : 08/09
Tour of Duty: Permanent Full Time
Duty Station: Sula RD
Duty Location State : Sula, Montana
Primary Contact : Melissa Wegner/R1/USDAFS (406) 821-2325 (Sula RD)

OUTREACH NOTICE

The Bitterroot National Forest is advertising to fill (1) PFT

Assistant District Fire Management Officer GS-0462-8/9
Sula Ranger District
Sula, Montana

This position is being advertised under an AVUE Open Continuous Roster (OCR)
Announcement Number:

PERM-OCR-462-8/9-AFMO-G
and
PERM-OCR-462-8/9-AFMO-DP

Applicants are encouraged to apply to this OCR now. Since this is an Open Continuous Roster
Announcement, there won’t be a specific announcement for the Sula location. Applicants will
need to apply to the vacancy and select Sula, MT as the duty location.

We anticipate requesting a Referral List on November 23, 2010.

This vacancy announcement is posted and may be accessed through www.avuecentral.com or

www.usajobs.opm.gov/.

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Position and Workload

The Sula Ranger District is planning to fill a GS-462-8/9 Supervisory Forestry Technician
position. The incumbent will serve as the Assistant District Fire Management Officer. The
AFMO supervises operations for Sula’s fire crew which includes 2 direct reports, a GS-7
Supervisory Fire Engine Operator and one GS-7 Supervisory IA Crew Foreman. The Sula Fire
crew includes a 10 person IA crew with a permanent IA Crew Assistant Foreman and a
permanent Assistant engine crew foreman. The engine crew is typically balanced out with 3
seasonal employees.

FS-FPM

This position has been identified as a Sub-Unit WFOS position, Wildland Fire Operations
Specialist, in the Forest Service Fire Program Management Standard (FS-FPM), and is subject to
minimum qualification standards (MQS) requirements. The MQS for this position is TFLD &
ICT3 or RxB2 (currency required). Applicants may be hired into the position prior to the FS-
FPM implementation deadline with less than the required minimum qualification standard;
however, the incumbent must attain these standards by Oct 1, 2013. For additional information
on FS-FPM: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/management/ifpm/crosswalk.pdf

Position Number: AFM030A, FS1550 AFM030, FS0278

Introductory Statement: This is a standard wildland fire management position description
intended for use in the US Forest Service. The incumbent serves in a key fire management
position in a field fire management organization as a Wildland Fire Operations Specialist
(ADFMO). The primary purpose of this position is to provide operational oversight and planning
of wildland fire suppression activities, and specialized expertise in assigned area. The incumbent
is also responsible for preparedness, prevention, prescribed burning, monitoring, hazardous fuel
reduction, and facilities within assigned area. The incumbent also assists in writing and
executing wildland fire management plans, prescribed burn plans, and preparedness plans. This
is an arduous position.
Supervision & Safety Duties 30%:
 Provides technical and administrative supervision to the unit.
 Plans and directs overall work to be accomplished by subordinate supervisors, sets and
adjusts priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work.
 Assigns work to subordinate supervisors based on priorities, selective consideration of
the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of the employees.
 Finds ways to improve production and/or increase the quality of work directed.
Negotiates and coordinates work projects with other unit managers and supervisors.
 Develops performance standards and evaluates work performance of subordinates.
 Hears and resolves minor complaints from employees. Selects subordinate supervisor(s)
and other unit employees for appointments, promotions, and reassignments.

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  Identifies and provides for routine training needs and makes decisions on special,
controversial, or costly training for subordinate employees.
 Responsible for the on-the-job safety and health of all employees supervised.

Non-Suppression Operations Duties 40%:

 Performs and supervises employees in fire prevention, preparedness, detection, resource
rehabilitation, mobilization, prescribed fire, aviation operations, and training programs.
 Ensures preparedness of wildland fire suppression equipment and personnel.
 Serves on preparedness review teams.
 Organizes fire caches, maintains inventory and property.
 Evaluates equipment and personnel needs, then develops and prioritizes equipment and
personnel funding requests.
 Assists in developing and revising interagency annual operating plans, annual budget
requests, the fire management plan and operating procedures pertaining to wildland fire
suppression and prescribed fire.
 Coordinates wildland fire and aviation related training courses and identifies wildland
fire training needs for unit personnel and submits training nominations.

Wildland Fire Suppression Duties 30%:

 Provides oversight during initial and extended attack fires, directs fireline activities and
tactics of dispersed firefighters, resources, equipment, and aircraft.
 Provides for follow-up actions to safely, and manage wildland fires in accordance with
the identified appropriate management response. Utilizes wildland fire behavior
knowledge and firefighting experience and assigns missions to ground and aviation
wildland fire suppression resources.
 Provides protection for life, property and resources, makes efficient and effective use of
multiple types of wildland fire suppression resources.
 Monitors weather and fire behavior and communicates changes to strategy and tactics to
ensure safe operations for assigned resources.
 Coordinates with dispatch regarding current fire conditions, release of resources, and
other logistical considerations.
 Actively participates in an analysis of incident objectives, strategies and tactics, safety,
cost effectiveness/efficiency, After Action Reviews and offers suggestions for
improvement, and is responsible for ensuring that required documentation is completed
and submitted.
FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary firefighter position under
5 USC 8336(c) (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required.
Bargaining Unit Status: Not Eligible

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This position is subject to medical monitoring program. WORK CAPACITY TEST (WCT)
for Wildland Firefighters: This position participates in wildland firefighting activities. Based on
the type of work performed, taking and passing the WCT at the ARDUOUS level is a condition
of employment.
Must possess a valid state driver’s license.

Location
The Sula Ranger District is the third largest district on the Bitterroot National Forest and consists
of 260,000 acres. It is home to the premier ski hill, Lost Trail Powder Mountain, and large elk
populations beautiful rivers fantastic scenery and a portion of the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness.
Sula is on the south eastern corner of the Bitterroot NF has the Continental Divide as an eastern
boundary and is on the border of Idaho in the south west corner of Montana. Sula is
approximately 40 miles south of Hamilton, MT. The nearest community is Darby, Montana.
Darby is a full service community including; public schools K-12, medical facilities, grocery and
convenience stores, and a full selection of churches. There are active civic and community
groups and community clubhouse facilities. Darby hosts several community festivals throughout
the year including the popular ‘Darby Logger Days’ held each year in July. While it has many
amenities to offer, the town has managed to retain the character of its rural, agricultural origin
with an ‘Old West’ town atmosphere. For a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home in town one might
expect to pay $165,000+. There are a number of homes on the market; many include acreage.
Rental property is available in Darby as well as a few along the West Fork from $700 to $1,000
per month. It is about an 80 mile commute north to Missoula, MT. Missoula is home to the
Forest Service's Northern Region Office, University of Montana, and the amenities and services
of a large urban area. Government housing may be available.

The Forest
The Bitterroot National Forest is located in western Montana and the central mountains of
eastern Idaho. The Bitterroot National Forest is in a dry east side Ponderosa Pine type that can
experience on average 150 lightning caused fires per year. The eastern side of the Forest runs
from the Bitterroot Valley floor to the crest of the Sapphire Mountains where the Forest borders
the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest along a portion of the Continental Divide. The
western portion of the Forest is dominated by the rugged Bitterroot Mountain Range, and borders
the Nez Perce/ Clearwater National Forest of Region 1, and the Salmon/Challis National Forest
of Region 4 in Idaho.
The Forest contains portions of the Anaconda Pintler, Frank Church-River of No Return, and
Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness areas. These areas encompass nearly half of the 1.6 million acres
of land within the boundaries of the Forest and are easily accessible from numerous portal entries
along the valley. The Forest contains a variety of vegetation types ranging from dry site
ponderosa pine in the lower elevations to whitebark pine, alpine larch and fir at the higher
elevations along both sides of the Forest.

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The headwaters of the Bitterroot and Selway Rivers are located on the Forest as is a portion of
the wild and scenic Salmon River. High alpine lakes and quick running streams attract visitors
to the trail systems leading into the wilderness areas. Fishing and big game hunting enthusiasts
enjoy abundant fish and wildlife populations, and the remote nature of the Forest. For additional
information on the Bitterroot National Forest, visit our web page at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot.

The Bitterroot Valley

The Bitterroot Valley is located south of Missoula, Montana and runs approximately 90 miles to
the Idaho border at Lost Trail Pass. Ravalli County is the fastest growing county in Montana
with a current population of about 35,000 residents. The growth is due in large part to the mild
climate, rural setting, abundant recreational opportunities, picturesque skylines, and proximity to
Missoula. There are eight communities in the valley, ranging in size from those with a post
office and a small store, to those with a full complement of shopping, medical and school
systems.

The mild climate, with a relatively long growing season (for Montana), provides lots of
opportunity to garden, recreate, and get out-of-doors. The area has four distinct seasons and a
semi-arid climate with average precipitation ranging from 16 to 23 inches per year. Winters are
relatively mild with daytime temperatures in January averaging 30 degrees and rarely dropping
to 15 below zero or colder. Summers are typically warm and dry with daytime temperatures in
late July and August between 75 and 95 degrees. Additional information can be found on the
Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce web site at http://www.bvchamber.com (their e-mail
address is localinfo@bvchamber.com).

Outreach Response:
If you are interested in working as part of the Sula Fire Management Organization on the
Bitterroot National Forest, we encourage you to express your interest. In response to this
outreach, please specify your current series/grade. If you would like more information about the
position, please contact the following.

Melissa Wegner, Sula District FMO, 406-821-2325, mwegner@fs.fed.us

Ruth Wooding, District Ranger, 406-821-2329, rwooding@fs.fed.us

Please respond to this outreach by November 5, 2010.

We anticipate requesting a Referral List on November 23, 2010.

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 BITTERROOT NATIONAL FOREST
OUTREACH RESPONSE FORM
To complete form, use tab key to move between fields (gray blocks), or left click on any field. Entries in
check box fields are made by a single click to select or unselect. Type entries in other fields.

Position Identification
Position Title: Assistant District Fire Management Officer, Supervisory Forestry Technician.
Series/Grade: GS-462-8/9-PFT
Location: Sula Ranger District:
Applicant Information
Name:       E-Mail Address:      
Current Title, Series, Grade      
Current Organization/Location:      
Current Appointment: Permanent Temporary Term Not Current Employee
If you are NOT a current permanent (career or career conditional) employee, are you eligible to be hired under
any of the following authorities:
Reinstatement Person With Disabilities
Disabled Veteran with 30% Compensable Former Peace Corps Volunteer
Disability Demonstration Project (external
Veteran’s Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 recruitment from the general public)
Other      
Position Interest
I would like to be considered for this position in the series identified.
Series currently identified and classified
      Other appropriate series for which I am qualified
I would like to be considered for this position at the grade level identified.
Target grade level currently identified.
      Other grade level for which I am qualified (below target grade)
I would like to be considered for this position at the location identified (Identified location in RED)
Sula, MT (Sula R.D.)

I wish to be considered for this position(s) as:

Permanent Assignment (lateral/promotion/change to lower grade)
NTE 1 Year Detail or Promotion opportunity
Term Appointment

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Applicants May Use This Space to Identify Special Qualifications, Interests, Needs or Provide Other Information:

Thank you for applying to our Vacancy