The psychologist job occupation (GS-0180) is the final article in the VA series. This group is involved with performing psychological assessments and provides mental health care for patients.  We will be interviewing a psychologist from the Fargo VA Health Care System.

The Fargo VA Health Care System

The Fargo VA Health Care System provides medical care and services through the Veterans Health Administration to veterans residing in North Dakota, western Minnesota, and northern South Dakota. The health care system is a general medical/surgical/psychiatric facility with 42 acute beds and an attached 38-bed Community Living Center (CLC) providing extended care. Veterans are referred to the Minneapolis VA Health Care System for tertiary care.

The health care system also supports nine community-based outpatient clinics (CBOC), located in Bismarck, Dickinson, Grafton, Jamestown, Grand Forks, Minot, and Williston, N.D., as well as Fergus Falls and Bemidji, Minn.  The health care system had over 2,000 admissions into the hospital each year over the last two years.

Q&A with Sandra M. Mills, Ph.D

 Sandra M. Mills, Ph.D is a physiologist working at the Fargo VA Health Care System.

 

What is your specialty as a Psychologist?

Mills specializes as a PTSD/SUD psychologist.

Why did you become a Psychologist?

I developed an interest in psychology with my first General Psychology course in college. I was fascinated with how the mind works, with the neuroscience involved in how people think, feel, and behave, and I had an empathic desire to help people. It seemed like a natural fit for someone that had an interest in both biology and emotions and each course only confirmed that helping people in need was the right career path.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Psychologist?

I think that it is an honor to be allowed into another person’s life in such an intimate way. People come to us at the most vulnerable points in their lives. It takes such a tremendous amount of courage to engage in therapy and be willing to open up to someone that at first is a relative stranger. Watching someone navigate that process, gain insight, experience symptom relief, change dysfunctional behavior, and develop a better quality of life is a wonderful feeling. Every now and then someone will say “Thanks Doc,” and it makes my job the best one in the world.

What is the most demanding or challenging part of being a Psychologist?

The population I work with is not without challenges in regards to resistance to change, severe levels of mental illness that is not likely to improve, or relapse into drug and alcohol addiction. Many days I wish that I could trade in my diploma for a magic wand to help people and alleviate their suffering in a speedy manner. Coming to terms with the fact that some people will not recover is a truth that is hard for a professional that wants to see change and growth.

Would you recommend being a Psychologist as a good career path?

Psychology is a field with so many possibilities. Although I am primarily a clinician, there are opportunities for assessment, research, consultation, and academia. It is a career that can marry science and practice. My best endorsement is that when I get up in the morning, I look forward to going to work. No two days are the same, having flexibility and a sense of humor goes a long way, but the rewards always outweigh any of the challenges. I would recommend the career to anyone!

Psychologist are involved with professional work relating to the behavior, capacities, traits, interests and activities of human and animal organisms. This work may involve any one or a combination of the following functions: (1) experimenting with or systematically observing organisms to develop scientific principles or laws concerning the relationship of behavior to factors of environment, experience or physiology, or to develop practical applications of findings, (2) applying professional knowledges of psychological principles, theories, methods or data to practical situations and problems, and (3) providing consultative services or training in psychological principles, theories, methods, and techniques to advance knowledge of them and their appropriate use.

The field of psychology relates closely to many other fields. For instance, the statistical and mathematical methodology employed by psychologists is common to other disciplines. To illustrate: psychologists may construct mathematical models of the behavioral characteristics being studied. These mathematical models represent various units of behavior. They are modified by the addition or deletion of variables until the model provides an adequate (though highly simplified) representation of the behaviors being studied. Once established, the mathematical model may then be used for analyzing past behavior, or for understanding and interpreting patterns of behavior. Psychologists also employ established statistical methods in collecting data regarding the specific characteristics of a population under study.

Psychologists are trained in and concerned with (1) describing how an organism behaves in an environment in response to internal and external stimuli, (2) determining the reasons for the behavior (e.g., heredity, present environment, past history and learning), and (3) predicting and, as appropriate, modifying behavior.

The behavior of organisms-in-environment includes sensing (seeing, hearing, etc.), perceiving (interpreting the environment), moving (walking, manipulating objects), learning and remembering, feeling and emoting, thinking, and problem solving, and socializing. Psychologists study these activities in organisms of any age, as individuals, as individuals in a group, or as a group of individuals. They may be concerned with “normal” behavior, or with aberrations of behavior, varying from slight to definitely abnormal deviations.

Psychologists describe behavior in terms of such motivating factors as external and internal stimuli, drives, motives, attitudes, interests, etc., and in terms of the neuropsychological or biochemical correlates of behavior. They view these motivating factors and behavior as the result of the interaction of hereditary and environmental factors.

Psychologists develop and use methods for accurately measuring behavior and the factors associated with it and for predicting and modifying behavior based on these measurements. They may try to modify or change the behavior of an individual in order to enable him to adjust better to his environment, or they may attempt to modify the environment to enable an individual or a group to adjust better to it.

All psychologists share a broad base of professional training which includes the concepts and use of experimental, observational and quantitative methods in the study of behavior. However, the breadth and diversity of the field are such that subject-matter or functional specialization (or both) is typical.

The federal government employs 8,603 psychologists of which 128 work overseas. The Veterans Administration is the largest employer with 5,933 followed by the Department of the Army with 849 and the Department of Justice employs 550. All but one cabinet level agency employs a number of psychologists including several large independent agencies such as NASA and OPM.

Further, many of the problems studied by psychologists are also studied by psychiatrists, physiologists, neurologists, biochemists or zoologists, or by educators, social workers, lawyers, administrators, or engineers. The nature of this cross-discipline relationship is described further in that portion of the standard which discusses interdisciplinary positions

Requirements of a physiologist job (GS-0180) occupation

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• License, Registration, Certification Requirements (as applicable).
• Doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).
• Successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program accredited by the APA.
• Conducts psychological assessments and provides mental health care for Veteran patients requiring services to include but not limited to evidence-based group and individual psychotherapy.
• Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions for Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and other psychological disorders.
• Consults with medical staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos were provided by the Fargo VA Health Care System

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• Psychologists GS-0180
• Overseas Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In the first part of this series we featured the USGS history, programs, and the economist (GS-0110) career path. In part 2 the ecologist (GS-0408) and chemist (GS-1320) career paths are featured.

Ecologist (GS-0408) Career Path

This series covers positions that manage, supervise, lead, or perform professional, research, or scientific work involving the study of the relationships of organisms with each other, with their physical and chemical environments, and with society.

The federal government employs 1,351 in this occupation. Review the ecologist job series definition for additional occupational information and to discover the largest employers of this group with links to ecologist job vacancies.

 

Kristen Marie Hart is a GS-0408-14, Ecologist, stationed at the Southeast Ecological Science Center in Gainesville, FL.

Hart is a research ecologist and leads a large reptile research program. She designs, plans and leads in the sampling of turtles (both marine and brackish water), crocodilians, and Burmese pythons. Hart deals with rare, threatened, endangered, and invasive species of animals. Hart indicates, “this work is important because we’re often dealing with trying to plan and execute studies to determine vital rates (survival, growth, abundance) for either imperiled populations (such as sea turtles and crocodiles) or invasive species (such as Burmese pythons). This data is critical for assessing population trends and trajectories.”

Hart has to educate the public about the importance of her work and the findings. Hart comments, “I really enjoy the field work, but the discovery of what the data means is very exhilarating!”

Hart relates that you have to “do well in math and science, and learn how to write and know how to do accounting. We have to keep track of our funds, budgeting of projects, and deliverables. There are many scientific papers so writing that is both concise and clear is very important. Finally, take courses in statistics that is used to show the importance or significance of our findings.”

Ecologists may study the distribution and density of organisms that live in ecosystems. Studying changes in the distribution and density before and after specific human activities enables ecologists to model the ecosystem impacts of human activities. Factors in ecology studies including:

• Quantitative attributes of population, such as population density, birth rate, spatial distribution, age structure, and resource demands;
• The structure and interactions of populations of species in a community:
• Environment factors, such as tide pools, salt marshes, grasslands, deciduous forests, rangelands, deserts, vernal pools, and fens, and the interactions between them;
• Pesticide testing and control;
• Energy sources; and
• Air and water quality and flows in urban areas.

Duties

The duties of an ecologist can include:

• Gather, organize, and interpret ecological, biological, physical, public use or other information pertinent to research studies and/or investigations.
• Plan the approach and data collection. Lead field crews of 1-3 people to carry out complex ecological studies.
• Utilize established ecological simulation models to evaluate scenarios of potential future climatic and vegetation conditions.
• Use GIS to assemble layers, run spatial models, and analyze patterns.
• Write reports or scientific papers including, conducting literature reviews, reporting results, and preparing graphs and tables.
• Perform data analysis including data summarization and complex statistical analyses of large datasets.

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job. A GS-09 needs to have at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest level. For example, a GS-09 can earn from $48,403.00 to $62,920.00 per year or more depending on the locality salary rate for the area where they work.

Kevin Lafferty is a GS-0408 Ecologist at the Western Ecological Research Center.

Lafferty reveals the best part of the job is “making a discovery that changes the way people think about the natural world.” He suggests that “you need to have very strong quantitative skills. If you are analytical, understand graphs, and have a skeptical attitude, you can develop the scientific skills to excel in Ecology. You also need strong skill areas such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, GIS, computer programming, and good writing skills.”

Chemist (GS-1320) Career Path

This series includes all positions involving work that requires full professional education and training in the field of chemistry. This work includes the investigation, analysis, and interpretation of the composition, molecular structure, and properties of substances, the transformations which they undergo, and the amounts of matter and energy included in these transformations.

There are 5,493 chemists employed in the federal government with 61 working overseas. Review the chemist job series definition for additional occupational information and to discover the largest employers of this group with links to nationwide and overseas chemist job listings.

 

Dr. Keith A. Loftin is a GS-1320-13, Research Chemist, located at the USGS KS Water Science Center, Lawrence, KS.

Loftin works on interdisciplinary research teams, and conducts research independently to provide solutions and expanded understanding on understudied environmental issues of public and ecological health concern.

Loftin is a research chemist, this gives him the opportunity to identify and work on solutions to environmental problems with human and ecological health relevance. He relates, “chemistry is used to understand, make, or enhance the quality of agriculture, clothing, building materials, clean drinking water, manufacturing of a full range of luxury items, as well as medications.”

Loftin explains, “chemistry allows a person to breakdown complex systems and processes at a fundamental level that can be used to solve problems.”

Experience and Education

For all grades in this series, you will need at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest grade. The salary range for a GS-12 is$75,333 (Step 01) to $97,938 (Step 10). You have to be U.S. citizen to apply for this career path. Review the qualification standards to determine the requirements for each grade level. Also review the job announcement for the specific education and experience required for each grade level.

Geographers (GS-0150) and Cartographers (GS-1370) will be featured in Part 3.

Credits

• Diane Noserale, USGS Public Affairs Officer, Reston, VA
• Photos are from the USGS website and career brochures
• USGS Web Site: http://www.usgs.gov

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) tracks earthquakes, geological phenomenon, provides civilian mapping, and many other important functions. Part one of this three part series explores their history, programs, and the economist (GS-0110) job series. Three economists were interviewed for this article.

About the USGS

 

The USGS agency is a science organization that provides,” impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and useable information.”

The mission of the USGS is to serve “the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.”

The USGS has over 10,000 scientists, technicians, and other support staff that work in over 400 locations nationwide.

The USGS is the largest water, earth, biological science, and civilian mapping agency. They collect, monitor, analyze, and provide scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems. This agency provides diverse scientific expertise and can carry out large-scale, multi-disciplinary investigations, and provides impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners and other customers.

History

The USGS was formed on March 3, 1879 and President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill appropriating money for sundry civil expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1879.

The sundry civil expenses bill included the establishing of the USGS, and charging it with a unique combination of responsibilities: “classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain.”

The USGS is 110 years old and this agency stills fulfills its original mission in the classification of public lands, the examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and the produces of the national domain. The USGS conducts research on the cutting edge of science that effects on the economy, and helps to develop and apply innovative means in solving problems in resource management.

USGS Programs

The USGS has many varied programs that focus on science, climate ecosystem among others. Here is a sampling of 2 of their more prominent programs.

Core Science System

The Core Science System is a new mission for the USGS. The role of this program is the understanding of the Earth’s complex ecosystems. Ecosystems exist all over the world. By using an ecosystem-based approach, the USGS can use all science themes that will provide specific data and other information that can be utilized by the USGS and its partners. “The vision for Core Science Systems builds on core strengths of the USGS in characterizing and understanding complex Earth and biological systems through research, modeling, mapping, and the production of high quality data on the Nation’s natural resource infrastructure.”

Through research, activities will provide a foundation for ecosystem-based approaches from geologic mapping, topographic mapping, and biodiversity mapping. The framework is designed to improve the efficiency of scientific work. This will enable a way to preserve and recall data for future applications, organizing existing scientific knowledge and data to facilitate new use of older information. This will help with the integration of new data, applications, and other science products to make interdisciplinary research easier and more efficient within the USGS.

Ecosystem Science

The Ecosystem Science program is about how to make well-informed decisions about how to use our national resources wisely and to help sustain our Nation’s economic and environmental well-being.

This program utilizes basic and applied science criterion. From the local, regional and national levels there are issues that affect our Nation. Resource managers and other policymakers face a variety of issues that include renewable and nonrenewable energy development, agriculture, forestry, water supply, and resource allocations in both the urban and rural environments.

Ecosystem science is the study of systems of organisms interacting with their environment and the consequences of natural and human-induced change on these systems. The USGS helps to develop policies that enable decision makers, to better adapt to the changes that occur in these ecosystems.

The USGS provides the necessary information to help decision makers on the matters involving our environment. The USGS uses science to provide managers with options and decision-support tools in resources sustainability.

Here are is great USGS links to their other programs and science topics: Our Programs and Science Topics

Economist (GS-0110) Career Path

This series includes positions that require application of a professional knowledge of economics in the performance of duties that include: research into economic phenomena, analysis of economic data, and the preparation of interpretive reports; advice and consultation on economic matters to governmental officials and private organizations or citizens; and the performance of other professional work in economics including supervision and the direction of economists engaged in the various economics programs of the Federal Government

The federal government employs 4,411 economists including a number that work overseas. All cabinet level agencies and many large independent agencies employ economists.

Grecia R. Matos, is a GS-0110-13 economist and works in Reston, Virginia, in the National Minerals Information Center.

Matos always wanted to make a difference and her economics background helped her succeed in the job.  She suggests that you need a “systems approach not just mathematical, but adding a human/social dimension to a holistic vision a country and the world.” Matos states, “her job as economist provides insights into many challenging and relevant issues, such as to know the dollar value of resources we produce and the physical quantity needed to keep up with our standard of living.”

Matos has many responsibilities as an economist. One of these is to provide information to the public, and policy makers regarding the current use and flow of minerals and materials in the United States and the world. Additionally, she helps to identify areas where there are adverse impacts of using materials, and identifies efficiencies in reuse, recycling and in waste management.

Matos indicates, “working in a science agency such as USGS, economists provide science to decision makers for environmental policy, study the effects of global climate change, the green economy, provide science to help protect public health, the environment, and to restore ecosystems.”

Duties

This specialization includes (1) positions which analyze and interpret relationships incorporating economic factors which cut across all sectors of the economy, (2) positions which specialize in methodology, (3) positions which are not appropriately classifiable to any other specialization in this series, and (4) all positions at the GS-5 and GS-7 levels. Positions in this specialization may be characterized by a variety of assignment patterns.

At all grade levels there are economists who analyze, interpret, synthesize, and project the movements and relationships among the many forces playing upon the economy. Typically, such economists use secondary sources and depend on their colleagues in the various branches of economics to collect and distill primary data. Frequently (though not necessarily), their work results in publication, sometimes in the “learned paper” tradition, but more typically in regular periodic publications of the Government.

Education and Experience

For all grade levels you need at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest grade. Additionally, a bachelor’s degree is required that includes at least 21 semester hours in economics and 3 semesters hours in statistics, accounting, or calculus.

The GS-05 to GS-09 grade levels, you not only need a bachelor’s degree and the experience may include:

1. Developing detailed plans for economic studies in accordance with established specifications and other requirements.
2. The collecting and compiling of economic data from primary or secondary sources following detailed and exact procedures and regulations.
3. The preparation of preliminary interpretive reports, or portions of such reports following precise instructions.

The GS-11 to GS-14 grade levels, in addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must have 1 year of appropriate professional experience in economics that is equivalent to at least the next lowest grade level  The additional experience may include:

1. The performance of collecting data from primary sources necessary for a project, such as employment statistics or marketing data. The procedures are exact and well defined and adjusted as necessary.
2. The planning and preparing an interpretive report on the productivity capacity of a particular industry, and use the data for a comprehensive industry analysis.
3. Assignments include the full scope of the research process, from the initiation of investigations and planning of methods, through the interpretation of finding and the preparation of final reports.
4. Other experience can include initiating, planning, formulating, and executing major special studies or continuing projects.

The salary range for a GS-12 is $76,378 (Step 01) to $99,296 (Step 10). A

GS-13 salary range is $90,823 (Step 01) to $118,069 (Step 10). You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.

Carl Shapiro, is a GS-0110 Economist. Shapiro works in the USGS Science and Decisions Center, Reston, VA.

Shapiro was looking for a field that provided structure to complex societal issues. He cites, “economic concepts provide an objective and structured way of considering the issues to form many types of decisions.”

Shapiro does studies in ecosystem services, which are beneficial to nature. He states, “economists work with biological and physical scientists to understand how ecosystem services are produced and with natural resource managers to understand how ecosystem services in making informed decisions.”

Shapiro recommends a career in economics because, “it has a clear and analytical methodology and addresses issues ranging from natural resources, to labor productivity, to policies relating to the money supply.  Economists are needed in a wide range of diverse fields.”

Shapiro suggests, “you should narrow your field to a specialty. Economics provides an analytical framework for considering the consequences of scarcity, alternative decisions, and tradeoffs, but it is not always a stand-alone discipline. Its value can be enhanced by connecting its approach with a broad set of societal challenges.”

Stephen R. Gillespie, is a GS-0110-14 economist. He works in the Director’s Office in Reston, VA.

Gillespie states the most exciting part of my job is getting to work with scientists in all sorts of different fields. He suggests that you take math courses in high school. As an economist you will spend a lot of time working with numbers.”

Credits

• Diane Noserale, USGS Public Affairs Officer, Reston, VA
• History of the USGS

Economist Career Path

• Economist GS-0110 (Job Listings)
  • Job Series Definition

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The logistics management specialist’s job focus is being able to perform analysis and coordination of an organization’s supply chain. Additionally, you will manage the entire life cycle of a product, to include the acquisition, distribution, allocation, and delivery. They should have the ability to understand the different functions of planning, implementation, and integration. The most important ability is to be able to integrate the separate functions in planning or implementation in a logistics management program.

The logistics management specialist does not need to be an expert in these activities. They must understand the functional fields in logistical planning (requirements, capabilities, lead times, and costs) with enough depth, to enable proper analysis of the information that is obtained. Furthermore, the specialist must also have a broad knowledge of supply systems, procedures, and programs.

The logistics management specialist can perform the necessary work in variety of organizational structures, at various levels within the agency or department. In the military the work is in support of many different kinds of missions, defense related programs and weapon systems. There can be a wide range of logistics programs and their individual requirements will be unique to that agency or department.

The salary range for a GS-0346 (05-15) is from $31,628.00 to $149,333.00 / Per Year. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position and they are typically full time permanent positions. The education requirements are a bachelor’s degree, along with a minimum of at least 1 year of experience at the next lowest grade level or a combination of experience and education.

Charles Siebott is a retired GS-0346-11, logistic management specialist (logistics program coordinator) who worked for the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Siebott states he choose this career path because “previous military testing indicated an aptitude for an administrative, career path vice engineering or mechanical.” The most exciting parts of being in logistics according to Siebott is the wide areas of involvement; i.e. acquisition, contracting, construction, real estate leasing, services (maintenance of elevators, grounds maintenance, etc.) transportation, government shipments (Government Bills of Lading), Inventory Control of property and equipment and more.” Siebott indicates, “A logistic management specialist is absolutely a great career, and my previous twenty year military logistical experience prepared me for a very successful twenty five year government career”. Siebott states, “Discover your aptitude and pursue it! Being a logistics management specialist exposes you to all facets of the business world.”

Ivy Scott is a current GS-0346-13 at Communications Electronics Command (CECOM). Scott cites, “I did not choose this career field it chose me. When I made the decision to return to the Government in July 2003 after a 10-year absence, the only option available with my experience and education was the Army Material Command (AMC) Fellows 5 year program. I applied, interviewed, and got accepted into the program. The program consisted of various career programs ranging from supply to comptroller with the generic grade series GS-0301 after I completed the program; I was assigned officially to the GS-0346 series. During the five year training period, fellows advance from GS-07 to GS-13, while obtaining their Master Degrees and rotational developmental assignments.”

Scott elaborates further, “When a solider signs up for active duty he/she has chosen to put their lives on the line for their country. Their lives are now in your hands when you ensure that the systems they are using to protect themselves are fully mission capable. My most exciting and challenging part of this job is working with the various teams and outside organizations (our counter partners) in procuring the necessary parts to keep these systems fully functional without encountering any downtime. As a logistics management specialist, you are part of an ongoing team that has the opportunity to see a program from inception to grave.”

Scott states, “Knowing that you were responsible for the safety of the war fighters and any other personnel in harms way allows you to appreciate what you are doing for your country stateside.”

The typical duties of logistics management specialists are:

• Direct, develop or perform logistics management operations that involve planning, coordinating, or evaluating logistical actions that support a specified mission, weapons system or designated program.
• Perform periodic independent systems evaluations and develop recommendations for system improvements after performing thorough studies and analysis.
• Schedule and monitor funding milestone to include adequacy and timeliness.
• Monitor both organizational and contractor compliance relevant to milestone and system performance criteria.
• Collaborate and plan with various appropriate personnel to coordinate and/or integrate operations and interests of other organizations.
• Responsible for planning, managing and the coordination of the total cradle-to-grave life cycle logistics for an assigned system or subsystems, integrating separate functions of supply, maintenance, procurement and quality assurance of logistics activities needed to sustain system fielding.
• Gather facts and develop appropriate solutions to problems that require command attention due to their critical nature and are of high visibility.
• Use conflict resolution leadership to obtain agreement on required actions, schedules concerning program or policy matters.

The employment prospects for logistics related jobs are expected to grow 22 percent from 2012 to 2022. The expected jobs, based on 2012 figures are 125,900 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is due to the important role logistics has in the transportation of goods in our global economy.

The federal government employs 70,917 logistic management specialists including 968 overseas and they work in all cabinet level and large agencies in fairly large numbers. The Department of the Navy hires the most with 9,516 followed by the Department of the Air Force with 7,720. The VA employs 5,546 and the DOD 4,648.

Logistic management specialists are employed throughout the federal government. They provide an important role in making sure that our logistical needs are met in peacetime and when our country is at war.

For more information about GS-0346 job series:

• GS-0346- Logistics Management (Job Listings)
• Job Series Definition

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In this final installment about the National Park Service (NPS), we will discuss the different types of fire fighter job opportunities. These can range from dispatchers, fire managers, safety specialists, and fire fighters in the Fire and Aviation Management Program. In the NPS fire program, there are 400 permanent and 600 seasonal employees. The fire prevention occupations that appear in this article are unique to the NPS.

Fire fighter jobs are not just limited to the NPS. Many other fire fighters are hired under the GS-0081 job series.  There are 9,005 total fire fighters employed nationwide in the GS-0081 series. The Department of Navy is the largest employer with 3,131, the Department of the Army (2,808), and the Air Force employs 2437. There are 224 fire fighters working overseas. The VA also employs 293, DOD 157, Homeland Security 95, HHS 31 and a few work for other agencies.

Wildland Fire Fighter (GS-0401/0455/0462)

Firefighter (GS-0455/0462)

 

 

There are various types of wildland fire fighter categories.

1. GS-02 trainee an entry level position. They receive training and perform simple tasks as part of the crew.

2. GS-03 level trainee and they perform tasks such developing a working knowledge of fire suppression, fuel management techniques, assist in backfire and burnout, and others.

3. GS-04 is considered a skilled wildland fire fighter. Their assignments are more specialized such as tree falling, backfire, and burnout operations. They must also be able to utilize a variety of specialized tools, equipment, and techniques while managing wildfires.

4. GS-05 is a senior wildland fire fighter that performs all aspects of wildland and prescribed fire operations. This will include preparation, ignition, monitoring, holding, and mop-up. Gathering of information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior when responding to wildland fire incidents.

Different qualifications apply for GS grade level 2-5.

1. GS-02 requires 3 months of general work experience and graduated from high school or its equivalent.

2. GS-03 needs 6 months of general work experience, and at least 1 year of education above high school and should include at least 6 semester hours of a combination of the following courses, range management, agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, biology, and other natural or physical sciences.

3. GS-04 must have 6 months work experience, and specialized work experience at the GS-03 level. The employee must have 2 years of education beyond high school and at least 12 semester hours in a combination of courses that include forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management, soil science or wildland fire science. They must also have 90 days of wildland fire experience.

4. GS-05 must have 12 months of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-04. They should have a bachelor’s degree that should include 24 semester hours in any combination of some the following courses, forestry, agriculture, range management, wildlife management, watershed management and civil or forest engineering. The GS-05 must also posses a National Wildlife Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualification and training.Fire Fighter Type (FFT1) and successful completion of S-290 “Intermediate Wildland Fire Behavior”.

There are also physical requirements and testing. All must be able to pass an initial pre-employment examination. Pass a work capacity fitness test (must carry a 45 lb pack for 3 miles within 45 minutes).

The salary range for GS-02-05 is $20,419.00-$27,982.00 / per year. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for any fire fighter position. The mandatory retirement age for fire fighters is 57.

Andy Hall is a GS-0462-07, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Technician at Grand Teton National Park. Hall indicates, “I really like physical labor and the fact that the job combines physical and mental challenges while getting paid to hike. I have an interest in land management. It is rewarding to be able to do what is right for the landscape. The job has taken me all over the country and world including Australia. Working on a team to solve complex problems is also very rewarding.”

Hall also states, “The wildland fire service offers many different options. One can have a career in logistics, information, finance, planning, safety… not just the person putting water on the fire or digging hand line (fire suppression). Recently I have switched from a pure suppression job to a prescribed fire and fuels job. I like this job because it combines my degree in forestry with my fire experience. It is a good challenge to try to put fire back on the landscape while trying to reduce the threat of fire on places where its effects would be catastrophic. It is a good mix of being inside at a desk planning and being outside running a chainsaw and working on fires.”

Fire Management Officer (GS-0401)

The employee is responsible for directing all the phases of the fire management program to include planning, program direction, coordination, and evaluation.
Analyze the current fire management plans, makes appropriate changes according to guidelines. They make sure that the fire management program is compliant with all environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Coordinates program activities with all federal, state, tribal, and local government entities and agencies. Manages unit aviation programs, operations, and ensures that all phases of fire and aviation management planning are complete. Directs and supervises budgets as required. Monitors fire season severity predictions, fire behavior, fire activity level, and ensures appropriate actions for safe and efficient operations.

A bachelor’s degree in any of the biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources, chemistry, or other related studies. Additionally, you will need 1 year of specialized wildland fire management experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. For a GS-12, the salary range is $76,667.00 to $99,672.00 / Per Year. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

John Cataldo is a GS-0401-13, Wildland Fire and Aviation Management Officer, at Yellowstone National Park. Cataldo cites, “I’ve wanted to be a firefighter since I was seven years old growing up in New York, but I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as wildland firefighters until I moved out West when I was 17. After high school, I chose to study wildlife management at Humboldt State University and learned that wildlife management was really all about habitat management. Managing wildland fire allows me to participate in habitat management on a larger scale in a single fire season than few ever have the opportunity to during their entire career. This career is the perfect nexus of those aspirations – Firefighting and wildlife management.

Cataldo indicates he, “Flies in helicopters, using fire to fight fire, using fire to maintain ecological processes and for habitat restoration, getting paid to exercise and stay in great shape, and hiking into and camping out in remote places that few people ever get to see. I encourage all prospective firefighters to make sure that they complete a college education in a Natural Resources related major such as biology, wildlife management, or forestry before looking for permanent employment in wildland firefighting. You will need a college degree related to Natural Resources management later on down the road to promote into managerial fire positions when your body starts to wear down from all the abuse that this career hands out. There are plenty of seasonal fire fighting jobs available. However, do not be discouraged if you cannot get a seasonal fire fighting job the first several times that you apply. Fire fighting is starting to become a very popular and competitive career choice.”
The national parks are wonderful places to visit, and enjoy with family and friends. It is even a greater place to work, so check out the fantastic jobs the NPS has to offer.

Careers featured in this article: (Includes job listings)

• GS-0455 fire fighter
• GS-0462 fire fighter
• GS-0401 Fire Management Officer
• GS-0081 fire fighter
• National Park Service (Careers)

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