Wildland Fire and Forest Health Specialist, Wildland Fire Management Supervisor (WFMS)

Wildland Fire and Forest Health Specialist, Wildland Fire Management Supervisor (WFMS)
Recruitment #2024-3-7835
Full-time, Permanent, Represented position
Location flexibility may be available and considered: Northwest Region- Sedro Woolley, WA Flexible Work Hours and Partial Telework flexibility may be available and considered
Relocation Compensation may be available and considered
Salary: $3,700.00 – $4,968.00 Monthly 

Responsibilities:

Fire Suppression: Serve as a critical member of DNR’s Wildland Fire Suppression Team.
Work as a wildland firefighting engine boss supervising up to four wildland firefighters.

• This position directs the use, safety, operation, and maintenance of a four-wheel drive wildland fire engine complete with a 400-gallon water tank, various pumps, chainsaws, communication equipment, and hand tools.
• Uses electronics such as GPS, smartphone, tablet, computer, kestrel, etc.
• Develop and implement a daily routine for the engine and crew. Routine shall include discussion and practical skills training in the following areas: Proper care, maintenance and use of personal protective equipment, safety, fire suppression, document completion, work projects, tool/equipment maintenance, driver training, radio use, and leadership development.
• Oversees and participates in the interviewing process for fire staff and makes recommendations on the hiring of new exempt firefighters. Responsible for training, scheduling work projects, reviewing time and activity reports, equipment mileage and maintenance logs, preparing performance evaluations, and recommending disciplinary actions.
• Responsible for assigning and directing firefighter positions in their work activities. Participates in statewide fire suppression activities. Protects life, property, infrastructure, and natural resources from wildland and urban interface fires to minimize resource loss and fire costs while ensuring firefighter and public safety. Often required to work long, irregular hours on workdays, weekends, days, or nights. These duties involve fieldwork that may include an occasional demand for extraordinary strenuous activities in emergencies under adverse environmental conditions and over extended periods. Maintains all equipment in a state of fire-readiness. Adjusts schedule to meet agency 2-to-1 work-rest-ratio and compliance with 16-hour work-day policy and adheres to DNR work/rest driving policy.
• On type four and five fires may serve as incident commander, fire investigator, engine operator, firefighter, timekeeper, or public relations contact. Occasionally coordinates work with other fire protection agencies and writes mutual aid contracts between firefighting personnel and equipment.

Forest Health: Conducts priority activities related to forest health treatments and objectives across all lands, with specific priority given to private, community, federal, and other state (non-DNR Trust) lands.

Prescribed Fire Implementation and Support:

• Conduct site fuels and fire effects data collection, unit preparation, assist with burn plan writing, community outreach, and Rx burn implementation support to include firing, holding, and Burn Boss.
• Assist partners with prescribed fire planning and implementation.
• Serve as Prescribed Fire lead for burn activities on and off DNR state trust lands.
• Write and/or review Prescribed Fire Burn Plans
• Conduct and contribute to prescribed fire field monitoring.

Fuels Mitigation/Forest Health:

• Conduct non-commercial thinning, slash abatement, and commercial and non-commercial project layout in coordination with Landowner Assistance, Federal Lands, or State Lands staff.
• Conduct piling and pile burning on all lands, under the approval of the landowner and an approved Prescribed Fire Burn Plan.
• Under the direction of the Forest Resilience program; conducts forest health and fuels assessments and HIZ inspections on small private forest landowners, including tribal, state, and county lands as requested.
• Assists with the field preparation of cost-share projects under the direction of the NRS3.
• Attends outreach events as directed for both wildfire mitigation and forest health.
• Ability to identify common western Washington tree and brush species.
• Ability to work for extended periods in inclement weather on uneven terrain.
• Responsible for collecting data with a tablet, GPS, and other standard forestry tools.
• Able to use GIS software such as ArcPro, and field maps to create maps for field projects.

Required Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution in a Fire Science, Natural Resource, Forestry, or related field
  OR An equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fully qualified to the NWCG “Red Card” qualification or the ability to attain one or more of the following NWCG qualifications:
  • Engine Boss (ENGB)
  • Fire Effects Monitoring (FEMO);
  • Firing Boss (FIRB)
  • Prescribed Fire Burn Boss 3 (RXB3); and/or
  • Prescribed Fire Burn Boss 2 (RXB2)
• Experience supervising or leading wildland firefighting personnel.
• Knowledge and/or experience of:
  • GIS
  • Fire Effects and Fuel Load Monitoring
  • Prescribed Fire Operations
  • Fire Prevention Programs
  • Fire Suppression
  • Fuels mitigation and silvicultural practices
• Good writing and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability in computer applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Global Positioning Systems.
• Ability to work with the public, sometimes under stressful conditions.
• Ability to act promptly and use good judgment in emergencies.
• Ability to operate a manual transmission in a fire truck.