Notes: Dates are subject to change; please review the job announcement in USAJOBS for Open and Close Date.

Please review Outreach Notices posted in Forest Service Outreach Database; Single Vacancy Positions at a lower grade may be filled outside of the centralized hiring event as need arises.

Centralized Hiring Event includes backfilling of currently encumbered positions. Please refer to the Centralized Fire Hire link for more information on specific vacancy announcements filled during this event.

Northern Region 1 Fire Hire 2024
Outreach Notice — Wildland Firefighter Permanent Positions

GS-0462-03 through GS-0462-09
August 15, 2023

The US Forest Service Northern Region is outreaching for the yearly hiring event known as “Fire Hire”.
Announcements will be opening soon in USAJOBS for many permanent wildland firefighter positions for the 2024 fire year.
Application Period: August 31st, 2023 – September 29th, 2023

The Northern Region fills 200+ permanent wildland firefighter positions across 10 National Forests and Grasslands in Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota. Specialized positions include dispatch, engine crews, fire and fuels management, hotshot crews, hand crews, helitack, smokejumpers, and prevention.  All positions could engage in a spectrum of fire management activities including, contributing to fire suppression efforts, performing project work such as fuel inventories, preparing associated reports, and hazardous fuels reduction projects.  Region 1 will be filling permanent full time and permanent seasonal fire and fuels positions ranging from GS-03 to GS-09.

The Fire Hire process is used to standardize hiring of permanent wildland firefighter positions to provide consistent practices around the Region and throughout the agency.  Fire Hire is currently utilizing a Direct Hire Authority, which has been granted by OPM for the Forest Service to fill critical positions in an accelerated manner.  The announcements are open to the public, but many require NWCG qualifications.  Each announcement will define what the requirements are.

The vacancy announcements for these positions will be posted on the US Government's official website for employment opportunities at USAJOBS.

Applicants are encouraged to apply to any position and duty station you may be interested in, as those positions may become vacant throughout the Fire Hire process.

The announcements listed in this outreach will be part of national and multi-regional announcements, pay close attention to duty location selections. Announcements will not be available in USAJOBS until the opening date of August 31, 2023.

2024 R1 Fire Hire positions and Vacancy Announcement numbers

Application Period: August 31st, 2023 – September 29th, 2023

Aviation / Helitack / Smokejumper

Dispatch

Engine

Fuels

Handcrew / Hotshot / Fire Use Module

Wildland Firefighter – Entry Level / Apprentice

District/Zone Assistant Fire Management Officer

Job Corps

The Process and Timeline

• August 1, 2023 – Outreach.  In addition to this outreach, units may outreach for currently vacant permanent fire positions utilizing the same vacancy announcement numbers.
• August 31, 2023 ─ Vacancy Announcements OPEN in USAJOBS.
• Applicants are encouraged to apply for multiple locations (where they would accept a position if offered), even if positions for certain locations in which you are interested are not listed as vacant. Vacancies may occur during the hiring process and could be filled during Selection Week.
• September 29, 2023 ─ Vacancy Announcements CLOSE.
• To be considered for these announcements during the centralized fire hire event, applicants must complete the application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date.
• October 3, 2023 – HR Qualification Review period begins.  Applicants may receive qualification review notices from USAJOBS / HR in this timeframe.
• November 13, 2023 – Hiring Managers will begin the hiring process.
  All applicants who have applied to the announcements on or before the listed closing date and are found to be qualified will be referred for consideration. Applicants should check the status of their application during this time in USAJOBS.
• November 13 – 17, 2023 ─ Reference checks and possible interviews (this timeframe is an estimate).  Monitor your email for an automated request to provide references and notify your supervisors they will be getting reference check requests.
• November 13 – December 8, 2023 ─ Selections.  Representatives from each unit will make recommendations for hiring.  It is critical to be available via phone and email during this time.
• December 2023 – March 2024 – HRM Processing.  Selected applicants will be processed through onboarding including personnel security, background checks, drug testing, etc. as required.
• March 2024 ─ Anticipated effective date (report to duty).

Direct Hire Authority

These Wildland Firefighter positions are filled utilizing a Direct-Hire Authority.  All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official.
Preference Eligibility (Veterans Preference), Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA), and traditional rating and ranking of applicants is not applicable within Direct Hire Authority.

Who May Apply

Applications can be submitted from any U.S. citizen. Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) and Forest Service - Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) qualifications must be met by the time of selection. Most recent IQCS master record and/or signed Agency Certified task book must be attached to your application.

Applicants may still be referred even if they do not meet IFPM qualifications at the time of application submission, but they will be required to submit an updated IQCS master record and/or signed Agency Certified task book at time of selection to show they do meet the qualification requirements.

Transfer of Station and Incentives

Transfer of Station expenses will most likely not be offered for selected candidates in Region 1.  Selected applicants may qualify for incentives in accordance with agency policy.

How to Apply

Thoroughly read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin.  Address specialized experience in your resume as denoted in “how you will be evaluated”.

Create a USAJOBS account

(If you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov. As part of your profile, set up automatic email notification to be informed of status of your application as it changes.  Without automatic notification, you must log into your USAJOBS account to check on the status of your application.

Create a Resume with USAJOBS or upload a Resume into your USAJOBS account.

Customize your resume to ensure it documents duties and accomplishments you have that directly relate to the position to verify qualifications are met.  Your resume must directly support your responses to the online questionnaire.  Preview the questionnaire at the link at the end of the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section.

Apply Online

Within the vacancy announcement for which you are applying, click “Apply Online”.  Follow the prompts to complete the Questionnaire, to attach documentation, and to submit. Your application and attached documents can be edited anytime while the announcement is open by selecting “Update Application” under "Application Status".
The following documents are examples of what may be required and/or attached to constitute a complete application package.  It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents are current copies, correctly attached, within the required timeframe, and legible. Read the entire announcement for requirements.

• Resume that includes the following information: 1) job information for which you are applying; 2) personal information; 3) education; 4) work experience, including start/stop dates and hours worked per week; and, 5) other qualifications (including IQCS/IQS Master Record). Check supervisor emails to ensure they are updated and correct.
  • Applicants should include a COVER LETTER outlining their current situation, desired/acceptable location(s), current home and work address, and any additional information to assist the hiring managers in making decisions.  Resumes should include document headers with the applicant name.
  • If a document is resubmitted, it replaces the previous submission, which means the previous document is no longer available to the Human Resources Office. If you are adding to, rather than replacing a previous submission, you must upload both the old document and the new document.
• IQCS Master Record showing your current training and qualifications.
• College Transcripts if education is required for meeting basic qualifications and/or you are substituting education for specialized experience.

Human Resources Office Contact Information

HRM Contact Center
Phone: 877-372-7248 Option 2
TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: HRM_Contact_Center@usda.gov

Things to keep in mind when applying

• Vacancy Announcements in USAJOBS will give examples of specialized experience for each position. Ensure your resume matches the listed specialized experience requirement in plain language. This should be listed under a work experience that shows title, series, grade, and time period (include dates and hours/week) performed so HR can properly credit.  If you possess specialized experience outside your current series and grade, identify that separately for credit.
• Ensure all required documents are attached to your application.  Review them for accuracy and currency.  Ensure you have a current IQCS Master Record.
• Allow adequate time to apply for positions.  The USAJOBS application process takes time and detailed attention to requirements.

Other places to get further information

• FS Videos: Welcome to the Forest Service: Applying for a Job
• USAJOBS YouTube Videos: How to Apply for Federal Jobs