Animal Packer (Fire Support)

Summary This position is assigned to the Region 5 Inyo National Forest. This position is responsible for packing supplies and equipment to backcountry locations by horse or mule. This position is also responsible for the complete care of the stock and ranch and pasture management. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Grabowski at [email protected] or Deirde Cherry at [email protected]. Learn more about this agency Duties Packs on horses or mules; trail crews and equipment such as food, tents, and various tools such as crosscut saws, chainsaws, rock drills, rock bars, explosives, grip hoists, wheelbarrows and sleds. Packs construction materials such as poles, cables, lumber, sand, gravel and bridge materials. Arranges animals and pack loads in the proper order when putting a string of animals together. Builds balanced loads using pack bags, slings, boxes, manty loads with sling ropes, pack racks, etc. Ties multiple types of hitches using sawbuck, decker, and Salmon River saddles. Properly fits all types of riding saddles, pack saddles, and work harnesses to mules and horses. Pulls up to 24 foot gooseneck stock trailer and bumper-pull stock trailers to safely haul up to 8 head of stock on rugged mountain roads. Acts as “Wilderness First Responder” for the animals, providing first aid as needed including administering shots and wound care. Must be able to dispatch a horse or mule if necessary; safe use of restraints for doctoring, shoeing, training, or containment purposes. Responsible for ranch and pasture management including the design, building, maintenance, and safety inspections of stock facilities. Trains firefighters, trail crews, wilderness rangers, and volunteer groups how to work safely around pack stock. Requirements Conditions of employment Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information. Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify. Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license to operate motor vehicles before entry on duty. Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's Federal Wage System Qualifications Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note on Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position. Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to perform the duties of the position rather than length of experience. Eligibility will be determined by relevance, scope, and quality of overall experience and training, regardless of where or how acquired. Applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified below: Screen-out Job Element: Applicants must show the Ability to do the Work of the Position Without More than Normal Supervision. Applicants who do not meet the screen-out job elements will not be further evaluated. In addition to the above requirements, applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified below: Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic) Use of Measuring Instruments Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (other than blueprints) Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Knowledge of Materials Dexterity and Safety To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Education This job does not have an education qualification requirement. Additional information The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered. Physical Effort: May be required to push, lift, and carry up to 125 pounds. Requires the ability to ride mules or horses up to 10 hours daily. Requires long-distance driving pulling trailers for regional packing assignments. Work Environment: The majority of the time is spent outdoors where there is exposure to all types of weather conditions from rain to snow to extreme heat. May be required to travel on trails in poor conditions due to severe weather and poor maintenance. Trails are located in rocky, uneven, mountainous terrain. May be exposed to extreme dirt, dust, and manure. May be camping for several days up to a week in remote locations. Work Schedule: This announcement may be used to fill positions with a seasonal work schedule where full-time work is guaranteed for 13 or 18 pay periods and when not working, you will be placed in non-pay/non-duty status. May be required to work longer than normal hours due to travel time and care of the animals. This position is not eligible for telework. This is a bargaining unit position and is represented by either NFFE, AFGE, or NAGE. Government housing and federal day care facilities may be available. Availability as it relates to this be position may not be determined until time of selection. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.