Wildfire Comm Tech

Government of Alberta; Town of Slave Lake; On-site; CAD 66,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Government of Alberta is seeking a Wildfire Communications Technician to maintain and operate radio, voice, and data systems that support wildfire response, emergency management, and public safety across Alberta.

The role requires a two-year technical diploma or journeyman certificate with at least two years in wireless/telecom environments. Overtime and field work may be required, with a permanent, full-time schedule based on a 36.25-hour work week.

Qualifications

• Two-year technical diploma or journeyman certificate in a related field.
• Minimum of two years of experience in wireless technology, telecommunications, instrumentation, or related environments.
• Equivalency: 1 year education=1 year experience or vice versa.

Responsibilities

• Responding to wildfires and emergencies by designing, deploying, operating, and maintaining radio, voice, and data systems.
• Performing operation testing, system measurements, and frequency management for reliable communications.
• Scaling resources to support incidents of varying size and complexity.
• Managing preventive maintenance programs across telecom sites and public safety radio sites.
• Conducting site inspections, testing, repairs, and documentation to maintain network availability.
• Troubleshooting outages and system degradations with a methodical approach.
• Maintaining towers, buildings, power systems, and related infrastructure.
• Providing technical guidance and training to regional staff and stakeholders.
• Supporting provincial systems including SCADA, weather stations, and remote cameras.

Skills

Radio communications

Telemetry networks

SCADA systems

Public safety radio systems

Tower safety / field work

Education

Two-year technical diploma

Journeyman certificate

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Job Title: Wildfire Comm Tech

Job Requisition ID: 86515

Ministry: Forestry and Parks

Location: Slave Lake

Full or Part-Time: Full Time

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week

Permanent/Temporary/Wage: Permanent

Scope: Open competition

Closing Date: Open until suitable candidate found

Classification: Technologies 4

Salary: $2,516.23 to $ 3,295.45 bi-weekly ($65,673 - $86,011 /year)

As the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, we are responsible for fostering environmentally responsible forest management practices across Alberta, including wildfire management. We preserve Alberta's provincial parks for the recreation and enjoyment of residents and visitors. We also enable access to public lands for recreational and commercial purposes while prioritizing conservation and environmental stewardship. In addition, Forestry and Parks manages public lands and supports sustainable rangeland management and grazing lease programs for Alberta producers. The Forestry Division, within the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, works to enhance the economic, environmental, and social contributions of our forests and forested lands to Albertans. For more information about the Ministry of Forestry and Parks please visit our website at: https://www.alberta.ca/forestry-and-parks

Role Responsibilities

Are you a skilled telecommunications professional who thrives in dynamic environments and wants to make a real difference? As a Communications Technician (Comms Tech), you will play a critical role in maintaining the communication systems that support wildfire response, emergency management, public safety, and daily operations across Alberta. Join a highly skilled and dedicated technical team responsible for ensuring dependable communications when communities, first responders, and government staff need them most.

• Responding to wildfires and emergency incidents by designing, deploying, operating, and maintaining radio, voice, and data communication systems.
• Performing operational testing, system measurements, and frequency management to ensure reliable communications during incidents.
• Scaling communication resources and infrastructure to support incidents of varying size and complexity.
• Managing comprehensive preventative maintenance programs across telecommunications, dispatch, fixed detection, and public safety radio sites throughout Alberta.
• Conducting site inspections, testing, repairs, upgrades, and documentation to maintain network availability and reliability.
• Troubleshooting outages, performance issues, and system degradations using a methodical and prioritized approach.
• Maintaining communication towers, buildings, power systems, and related civil infrastructure.
• Performing tower rigging, tower construction support, and structural modifications while adhering to safety standards.
• Providing technical expertise, recommendations, and communication support to regional staff and stakeholders.
• Maintaining communication cache equipment to ensure operational readiness for emergency deployment.
• Supporting and maintaining provincial systems including SCADA, remote camera networks, weather stations, lightning detection systems, and data networks.
• Implementing hardware and software upgrades, system enhancements, and standardized installations.
• Delivering first-line technical support, troubleshooting, end-user assistance, and technical training.
• Participating in standby rotations and emergency response activities to support critical communication networks province wide.

This is a unique opportunity to support the communication systems that help protect Alberta's communities, natural resources, and first responders. If you are passionate about technology, public service, and making an impact when it matters most, we encourage you to apply.

The Job Description is provided for Further details on this position.

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

Systems Thinking: Uses systems thinking to assess relationships, emerging trends, and long-term impacts when making decisions.

Creative Problem Solving: Seeking opportunities to improve outcomes through curiosity, innovation, learning, and informed decision-making.

Agility: Proactively adapts to change by improving processes, adjusting approaches, and maintaining effectiveness in dynamic and demanding environments.

Drive for Results: Prioritizes goals, pursues improvement, and seeks guidance to deliver results aligned with APS values.

Develop Networks: Invests in personal and team development through continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: A two-year technical diploma or journeyman certificate in a related field (e.g., Land Mobile Radio or a similar discipline), combined with a minimum of two years of experience in wireless technology, telecommunications, instrumentation, or related technical environments.

Experience working with critical telecommunications infrastructure, telemetry networks, electronic systems, and other technical communication systems is required.

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of: 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Assets:

• Experience supporting emergency management, wildfire operations, public safety communications, or incident command environments.
• Knowledge and experience with radio frequency (RF) communications systems, dispatch systems, telemetry networks, and public safety radio systems.
• Experience with SCADA systems, remote camera systems, weather monitoring networks, and related technologies.
• Tower climbing, rigging, fall protection, and tower rescue certifications.
• Experience maintaining AC/DC power systems, backup power infrastructure, and remote telecommunications sites.
• Knowledge of network infrastructure, hardware and software upgrades, and system integration projects.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

This permanent full-time position is based on a 36.25-hour work week, Monday to Friday. However, the nature of wildfire operations requires flexibility, and overtime, travel outside the home area, and extended work hours may be required with little or no notice in response to operational needs and wildfire activity.

• Final candidates will be required to undergo a criminal records check (CRC).

• Must be able to obtain a federal security clearance at a minimum of RCMP Enhanced Reliability Status (the “Security Clearance”) with the RCMP within 10 months of employment. This federal security clearance is initiated by the employer.
• 55th to 57th parallels retention allowance

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance. in.

Closing Statement This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level. We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Rashi Vaktania at [e-mail].