Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.

Direct Deposit Required.

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. To register or verify your registration, go to the Selective Service System website.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS: Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Failure to satisfy the background check will result in cancellation of offer of employment or may be grounds for termination.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/TESTING: You must pass an initial pre-employment physical examination and must be able to pass the work capacity fitness test (must carry a 45 lb pack for 3 miles within 45 minutes). Failure to meet any of the required medical qualifications will disqualify you for employment. Any condition, which would cause you to be a hazard to yourself or to others, will disqualify you for employment.

DRUG TESTING: Positions require a mandatory pre-employment drug test. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received. The drug test will be provided at Government direction and expense. Once hired, employees are also subject to random drug testing during employment. This is in accordance with Executive Order 12564 and under the Department’s Drug Free Workplace Program.

Applicants appointed to this position at the GW-03 and GW-04 levels may be required to possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license, depending on location. Some positions may require a CDL; information will be provided at job offer.

You must be 18 years of age or older at the time of appointment.

This position requires regular and recurring overtime and shift work.

Must be currently enrolled or accepted at least half-time in a degree seeking program in an accredited high school, technical or vocation school, 2-year or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school.

Must sign a Pathways Programs Participant Agreement.

The entire period served as a Career/Indefinite Intern counts as the appointee’s trial period. Prior Federal civilian service is credited toward the completion of the required trial period in the same manner as prescribed in 5 CFR 315.802.

The position is year-round. During the school year part-time or full-time hours may apply; however, during school breaks and the summer period, full-time hours may apply. The work schedule may be adjusted to fit the student’s schedule.

Qualifications
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• You must be 18 years of age or older, at the time of onboarding, to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• Be a student enrolled or accepted for enrollment and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying accredited educational institution (high school, technical or vocational school, 2- or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school) on a full- or half-time basis.
• Must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 2.5 or higher and be in good academic standing with the educational institution (PLEASE PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW CURRENT GPA).
• Must enter into a written agreement (Pathways Internship Participant Agreement).
• Provide an unofficial/official certified school transcript and/or proof of enrollment.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.

Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.

1.) This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another primary covered position, or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application may result in loss of consideration. Please refer to the Required Documents section for further guidance on what documentation is required to meet this requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.

Only experience and education obtained by 04/15/2026 will be considered.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

To qualify for a GW-03
You must meet at least one of the following:
1). Six (6) months of general work experience or six (6) months of Firefighter training obtained as part of a high school curriculum (any firefighter training at the high school level and above), may be substituted for experience on a month-for-month basis.
General Experience can include:
Any work experience or military service that demonstrates the ability to follow directions and to read, understand, and retain a variety of instructions, regulations, and procedures and that otherwise demonstrates the ability to perform, or learn to perform, the duties of the position.
-OR-
2). One (1) year of education or training above high school related to the work of the position.
-OR-
3). A combination of education and general work experience as described above.

To qualify for a GW-04
You must meet at least one of the following:
1). Six (6) months of general work experience, which can be any work experience AND six (6) months of specialized work experience equivalent to the GW/GS-03 level duties.
Examples of specialized work experience may include the following:

• controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade
• forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work
• rescue operations
• detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards
• operation of fire communications equipment when it requires specialized knowledge of firefighting techniques, equipment, and procedures to prevent and manage fires
• controlling hazardous materials incidents
• developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention

-OR-
2). Successful completion of a 2-year course of study above high school, from an accredited college or university, in Fire Training, Fire Science, Fire Technology or in other related fields.
-OR-
3). A combination of the education and work experience described above.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Conversion Qualifications: This is a career development, excepted service appointment under the Pathways Internship Program that is expected to last more than 1 year. The agency will require the selected applicant to complete a Participant Agreement in which the selectee must provide an anticipated date for completing all degree program requirements and show continual progression toward meeting the stated anticipated date.

The agency may non-competitively convert a Career/Indefinite Intern who is a U. S. citizen to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service, as long as the Intern meets all agency program requirements and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for the target occupational series at the time of completing all education requirements.

To be eligible for conversion, an Intern must:

• Be a United States citizen.
• Complete at least 480 hours of work experience acquired through the Program while enrolled as a half- or full-time degree- or certificate-seeking student.
• Complete a course of academic study, within the preceding 180-day period, at a qualifying educational institution conferring a diploma, certificate or degree. Meet the qualification standards for the position to which she or he will be converted.
• Receive a favorable recommendation by an official of the agency or agencies in which she or he served; and
• Meet agency-specific requirements, as specified in the Participant Agreement.

**The target position will be a Wildland Firefighter, GW-0456 with a full performance level (FPL) up to a GW-07; however, the target position and FPL may change based on the need of the organization at that time.**

Once converted, you must meet Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard training requirements for the appropriate grade level at the GW-06 and above as a condition of employment before being eligible for promotion. Physical Demands: Arduous exertion for protracted periods of time such as, but not limited to, extensive running, walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, pulling hoses, jumping and twisting, prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity.

Work Environment: Forest, range, and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material.

Education
PROOF OF EDUCATION:
All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution’s registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

PASS/FAIL COURSES:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION:
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION:
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).