Fire Protection Specialist

Fire Protection Specialist

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Lakewood, Colorado, Homestead, Florida, Staten Island, New York, Seattle, Washington

Salary Range: $95326 - $137128 Per Year

Job Summary: These positions are based off a 40-hour work week. There are three vacancies available in various locations in support of Fire and Aviation Management. Salary Range for Lakewood, Colorado is: $99,800-$129,742 Salary Range for Staten Island, New York is: $105,481-$137,128 Salary Range for Homestead, Florida is: $95,326-$123,927 Salary Range for Seattle, Washington is: $100,602-$130,786

Major Duties:

• Major Duties: Perform technical review of contractor prepared designs and specifications for fire detection, suppression, alarm, and egress systems. Audit park structural fire programs, conduct risk assessments on existing park facilities, including historic structures, and provide risk mitigation solutions. Evaluate existing and proposed building modifications to help mitigate life safety hazards and property damage resulting from either a fire or fire suppression efforts. Work to ensure regional and park structural fire program activities are consistent with established fire and life safety protection policies, Director's Order (DO) 58, Reference Manual (RM) 58, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Code Council (ICC) and other model building codes and standards. Serve as the primary liaison on the national Structural Fire LEadership Council, helping to develop policies, training, education and audits for the entire service. Physical Demands: The work of this position is mostly sedentary but requires periods of regular and recurring physical exertion while in the field. All Risk Emergency Incident Management Team assignments, fire inspections, program audits, fire suppression classes, and other field assignments require considerable walking, bending, hiking, carrying, and climbing. The incumbent is required to maintain incident qualifications to participate in program activities that require high intensity arduous work and exposure to live fire conditions in a hazardous setting. Working Conditions: Work is performed in an office environment and in the field. The incumbent instructs components of any one of the NPS training classes for structural fire. However, the work also involves regular and recurrent exposure to hazards, discomforts, and potentially dangerous situations while in the field. While on a training or fire location, the work environment may involve hazardous environmental conditions such as exposure to fire, heat, chemicals, and loud noise for extended periods of time. Protective equipment or clothing may be needed, including the use of a self-contained breathing apparatus. Travel may be required to the Washington office, regional offices, and field areas for meetings, training, on-site inspections, and policy implementation.

Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/01/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Certification Requirements: You must possess and maintain IFSAC or ProBoard Fire Inspector III Certification by04/01/2026. A copy of your certification must be submitted with this application. If not submitted, you will be found ineligible. You must Possess and maintain IFSAC or ProBoard Fire Instructor I certification by 04/01/2026. A copy of your certification must be submitted with this application. If not submitted, you will be found ineligible. You must Possess and maintain IFSAC or ProBoard Hazmat Awareness certification by 04/01/2026. A copy of your certification must be submitted with this application. If not submitted, you will be found ineligible. 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: IFSAC or ProBoard Fire Inspector III Certification IFSAC or ProBoard Fire Instructor I Certification. IFSAC or ProBoard Hazmat Awareness Certification. 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 activities such as providing support for a structural fire program to ensure life safety of park personnel, employees, public visitors and physical protection of park facilities, structures and resources which includes Serving and overseeing a structural fire program; supporting staff in a fire prevention, suppression and fire fighter training; prevention and code enforcement; performing firefighting and emergency operations. Analyzed fire protection system inspection, testing, and maintenance reports and recommended appropriate correction action. 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.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Application Deadline: 2026-04-01