Fire Protection Specialist
What you'd do
This position is a Fire Protection Specialist that will serve as the Park Fire Chief, located in Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, in the Visitor and Resources Protection Division. For more information please contact: Joni Seay, Acting Superintendent, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve @ [email protected]
Major duties
Major Duties: Executes a structural fire program to ensure life safety of park personnel, concessionaire employees, a large ongoing population of public visitors, and physical protection of park facilities, structures, and cultural and natural resources. Audit park structural fire programs, conduct risk assessments on existing park facilities, including historic structures, and provide risk mitigation solutions. Manages the structural fire program for the assigned area. Prepares fire budget requirements for projects, equipment acquisition, travel and training, and service contracts. Prepares reports on fire losses/trends and recommends steps to alleviate unfavorable conditions. Ensures fire suppression, detection, fire alarm systems, model building codes and standards are in accordance with International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards, and National Park Service (NPS) manuals. Coordinates with Fire Code Officials to review plans and monitor phases of construction throughout the park to ensure that on-site inspection of new construction and alteration/maintenance projects are conducted for compliance Assumes command of firefighting and emergency activities while on duty. Directs emergency services equipment and personnel to respond to all type of emergencies. Determines protection requirements and schedules subordinates/equipment for standby and special responses or public Physical Demands: Most work is accomplished in an office setting, such as sitting for long periods, requiring intense concentration, attention to detail, and short deadlines. Presenting and instructing others or participating in large and small groups, task forces, committees, training sessions or workshops. Fire inspections or program reviews may entail hiking or climbing. The incumbent is expected to maintain incident qualifications, they may undergo periods of high intensity arduous work in an outdoor and often hazardous setting. The incumbent is expected to maintain a fitness level and meet the NFPA medical standard appropriate to the incident qualifications requirement for positions certified. All Risk Emergency Incident Management Team assignments and other field assignments may require an extensive amount of walking, bending, and climbing, and subject the incumbent to hazardous environmental conditions. The incumbent is required to operate large structural firefighting apparatus as well as drive and operate light duty command vehicles while responding emergencies as well as normal operations in non-emergency events. Working Conditions: Much of the work is performed in an office setting; however, the incumbent is expected to be able to teach components of any one of the NPS training classes. As an instructor for fire suppression classes the incumbent is exposed to hazardous conditions inherent with fire suppression classes which includes instruction to students inside a structure under live fire conditions. Travel may be required (3-5 days/month) to the Washington office, regional offices, and field areas for meetings, training, on-site inspections, and policy implementation.
What you need to qualify
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/25/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Time In Grade Requirements: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Selective Factors: This position performs critical fire inspection and safety compliance required for all federal facilities and buildings. As a result, the following selective placement factors are required: You must possess and maintain IFSAC or ProBoard Certification Requirements of: Fire Officer III Certification Fire Instructor II certification Fire Inspector II (or the new 2024 Fire Inspector) Driver Operator Pumper Hazmat Awareness and Operations ALL certifications must be obtained by 08/25/2026. A copy of your certification must be submitted with this application. If not submitted, you will be found ineligible. Candidates who do not meet these requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. You must submit the certification documentation for each selective factor with your application package to be considered. - AND - To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualification by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes applying comprehensive knowledge of fire management principles, policies, and procedures to plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate one or more fire management program areas. Experience analyzing program performance, interpreting policy, coordinating with partners, and providing technical guidance to support organizational objectives. You must include hours per week worked. Candidates must possess prior structural firefighting experience. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered. If your firefighting experience includes both structural and wildland, it is essential that your resume clearly documents your structural experience. This is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. FERS TRANSITION REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary coverage position. Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance consistent with your SF-50s. Volunteer Experience: 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.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.