Wildfire Dispatch Supervisor

Government of Alberta; Peace River; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alberta Public Service in Peace River is seeking a Wildfire Dispatch Supervisor for a temporary one-year appointment. The role involves managing emergency call taking and wildfire dispatch, developing processes, and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure safe, efficient operations.

Candidates should have a one-year certificate in Emergency Management or related field and at least two years of wildfire operations experience, with strong MS Office skills.

Qualifications

• One-year certificate in Emergency Management or a related field is required.
• Experience in wildfire operations of at least two years is preferred.
• Direct equivalency of education to experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Provide safe and effective emergency call taking and dispatching for wildfire.
• Recruit, schedule, train and supervise up to 5 seasonal dispatchers.
• Monitor aviation and fire activities and maintain related logs and reports.
• Ensure data entry into FIREs and Dispatch complies with SOPs and business rules.

Skills

English proficiency

Communication

Time management

Adaptability

Education

One-year certificate in Emergency Management or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

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

Job Information
Job Title:Wildfire Dispatch Supervisor
Job Requisition ID:87350
Ministry:Forestry and Parks
Location:Peace River
Full or Part-Time:Full Time
Hours of Work:36.25hours per week
Permanent/Temporary/Wage: Temporary 1 year
Scope:Open Competition
Closing Date: September 17, 2026
Classification: Administration 1
Salary: $2,316.22 to $3,015.06 bi-weekly ($60,453 - $78,693 /year)

The Alberta Public Service works to build a stronger province for current and future generations. We make a difference in the lives of Albertans through rewarding and diverse career opportunities.

The Ministry of Forestry and Parks invest in the environmentally responsible growth of Alberta's wood products and forestry sector. We are committed to protecting Alberta's forests from wildfires and preserving our provincial parks for the recreation and enjoyment of Albertans. For more information on the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/forestry-and-parks.aspx .

Alberta Wildfire inspires public confidence in wildfire and forest management, sustaining operations and preventative practices, and leading collaboration that enables safe and resilient communities. For more information, visit:https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-wildfire .

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Wildfire Operations Officer, the Wildfire Dispatcher Supervisor is accountable for providing safe and effective emergency call taking and dispatching for wildfire through established guidelines, evaluating and processing emergency and non-emergency calls, responsible for assisting in relaying key decisions and contributing to the wildfire dispatch process and strategies. This will include planning and development of processes and systems as well as the facilitation of working relationships with others internally as well as externally.

As the Wildfire Dispatcher Supervisor, you will be responsible for:

• Recruiting, scheduling, training and supervising up to 5 seasonal dispatchers.
• Providing training and support for out of area resources and supporting Incident Management Teams working in the Forest Area.
• Receiving and reporting 310-Fire calls or smoke detections transmitted on the radio.
• Monitoring all aircraft and fire activities to ensure related regulations, policy and procedural guidelines are followed and maintaining an aircraft position log, manifests, daily flight log and daily flight reports.
• Multitasking, problem solving, organizing, and managing workplace priorities in changing conditions.
• Utilizing and trouble-shooting radio equipment, computer equipment, and other applications.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, any others are an asset.
• Utilizing maps, including GPS coordinates, as well as the Alberta Third System of Survey to determine locations of wildfires, detections, permits, aircraft, personnel, site locations.
• Processing aircraft requests for all agencies within the department and auditing aircraft flight reports.
• Ensuring timely and accurate data entry into FIREs and Dispatch, through regular auditing and live evaluations to ensure Standard Operating Procedures and Business Rule requirements are met.
• Developing course material including power points, binders, exams, activities, simulations, and assignments for the Wildfire Dispatch Orientation course and the Wildfire Dispatcher Refresher Workshop.
• Support Wildfire Apps Lead and Emergency Services Business Analyst lead with information gathering, meetings, providing feedback and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) for future development.

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.

• Creative Problem Solving: Anticipates, assess, and readily adapts to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• Drive for Results: Strives to exceed objectives and maximize resources to achieve results aligned with the goals of the department, considerate to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Build Collaborative Environments: Takes a collaborative approach with your work to foster open communication and leverage team skills.
• Agility: Identifies alternative approaches in uncertain, complex situations, supporting others in determining and assessing strategy.
• Systems Thinking: Considers the changing environment, recognizing the work impacting a vast network of stakeholders.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement:
One-year certificate in a related field such as Emergency Management, Aviation or air traffic control, Emergency Medical Dispatch, Radio Operator or Train Alberta Dispatching plus two (2) years related experience in wildfire operations and prevention; or equivalent as described.

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

Assets:

• Preference given to Candidates with 3+ years experience as a Wildfire Dispatcher, IC 200, and Radio Operator 2 Level Certification.
• Must be very well versed in the English language.
• Natural Resource, Emergency Management or Forestry Education is preferred.
• Supervisory or coaching experience will be considered as an asset.
• Experience of Alberta Wildfire specific programs i.e. FIREs, Dispatch, AWARE etc.

Additional requirements:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Word, PDF, Outlook and Excel is required.
• Effective time management skills, including organized, effective time/task management; ensuring critical tasks accomplished within requested time frames; the ability to set priorities and be adaptable to change; the ability to meet stringent deadlines; ability to multi-task.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills are required along with strong technical and analytical skills.
• Excellent production and reporting database knowledge is required.
• Be willing to work on wildfire incidents as radio operator.

This position is a one-year temporary, full-time role, with the standard weekly work hours of 36.25, Monday to Friday. The incumbent may be requested to work overtime, evening and weekends due to the emergency nature of wildfires.

Travel within the area and throughout the province will be required as part of your responsibilities to coordinate with Ministry staff and colleagues, other government departments, clients, and other external stakeholders.

Candidates may be asked to complete a written assignment as part of the interview process.

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 in.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.

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. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

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] .