Supervisory Wildland Firefighter; Engine Captain

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at:
Direct Hire Authority

This Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Engine Captain) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-8 working in the following location(s):

• Las Cruces, New Mexico
• Safford, Arizona
• Sierra Vista, Arizona
• Tucson, Arizona

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.

2.) This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Supervisory Fire Engine Operator (SEOP), and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found here:
Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM). To meet IFPM requirements, you must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position (currency not required at time of referral, but may be required to obtain and maintain currency if selected):

A) Engine Boss (ENGB),
AND;B) Incident Commander, Type 5 (ICT5),
AND;C) Portable Pumps and Water Use (S-211)

Only experience and education obtained by 08/31/2026 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.

For the GW-08 level:

At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-07 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes all of the following:
Examples of specialized experience include: on-the-line wildland fire experience as a lead firefighter or supervisor managing resources, equipment, and tools directly related to the suppression of wildfires; leading an engine module in response to wildland fire incidents; and/or determining suppression method to use including hose lay types, deployment of crew, point of initial attack, types of tools to use, and application of water and handline location and standards.

This position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. These positions are covered by the special enhanced annuity retirement provisions for Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57.

Two exceptions are allowed:
1) an applicant has prior Federal service in documented special retirement covered position(s) sufficient to count toward 20 years of covered service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or
2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement…