OPS WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER - 42903050 1

Florida; McCaln (FL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State insurance

457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan

401(a) Retirement Plan

Job summary

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service, seeks an OPS Wildland Fire Dispatcher to coordinate emergency response and fire suppression activities from the Central Communications Center. The role requires quick decision-making, radio operations, and collaboration with local agencies.

Responsibilities include dispatching crews, monitoring status, and maintaining records; the position involves shifting hours and travel as needed, with a focus on safeguarding

Qualifications

• High school diploma and 1 year of experience in radio-teletype operations or related public contact work.
• College education can substitute at 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours for the required experience.
• Valid class E driver license.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Dispatch fire crews and law enforcement personnel using radio and telephone to respond to wildfires and incidents.
• Monitor locations and status of personnel and equipment and coordinate with other agencies.
• Prepare reports, maintain SOPs, and manage administrative tasks in the communications center.
• Provide weather forecasts and fire weather information to field personnel.

Skills

Radio dispatch

Public safety dispatch

Forestry operations

Emergency response coordination

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

FMIS

ArcGIS

Spider Tracks

MapQuest

Job description

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OPS WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER - 42903050 1

Date: Oct 2, 2026

The State Personnel System is an E-Verify employer. For more information click on our E-Verify Website .

Requisition No:884887

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: OPS WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER - 42903050 1

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

CONTACT:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A high school diploma or its equivalent and one (1) year of experience in radio-teletype operations, sworn law enforcement, dispatching, forestry, firefighting or other public contact work.

College education from an accredited institution can substitute at the rate of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours for the required experience.

Requires possession of a valid class E driver license.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities.Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Occasional to moderate travel required.

Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed.

The incumbent must live within 30 miles of the headquarters, which is located at 865 Geddie Road Tallahassee, Florida, throughout employment in this position.

NOTES:

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate’s use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

Work shift on a rotating basis.

JOB DUTIES:

T he Wildland Fire Dispatcher works in direct support of fire suppression and other emergency response operations. The incumbent coordinates emergency response of firefighters, supervisors, pilots and law enforcement personnel through the use of a communications center. The Wildland Fire Dispatcher deals with critical situations requiring independent and sound judgment. The incumbent has both operational fire control and other support duties. Work may be scheduled over a variety of shifts and may frequently remain or be called to duty beyond the assigned work schedule.

Dispatch Crews to Wildfires, Smoke Complaints and other Incidents – Operates a computer, radio and telephone for the purpose of transmitting, receiving and storing information used to dispatch fire crews, supervisory personnel, aircraft and law enforcement personnel to wildfires and other incidents. Follows protocol on ‘Smoke on the Highway’ issues. Keeps up to the minute knowledge of the locations and status of all personnel and equipment used in fire suppression activities and investigations. Triggers 209s as needed and enters information available. Requests and coordinates assistance with other state, federal and local agencies as well as area cooperators with wildfire suppression and other emergency situations. Keeps supervisors, Center Manager, Center Officer in Charge (OIC) and State OIC abreast of wildfire status as necessary. Reads and uses county maps as well as various websites and/or software programs (FMIS, County Property Appraiser, ArcGIS, Spider Tracks, Mapquest, etc.) to provide incident locations to responding emergency personnel. Has a good general knowledge of the lay of the land (landmarks, highways, major roads, rivers, lakes, power lines).

Burn Authorizations, On-site Inspections, Compliance Checks, and Landowner Assistance – Operates a computer, radio and telephone for the purpose of transmitting, receiving and storing information used to approve or deny issuance of burn authorizations throughout five counties. Continually updates map with new burning authorizations. Maintains landowner and certified burner contact information. Notates landowner accounts regarding any special burning restrictions. Advises landowners of burning laws and predicted weather. Also gathers information to relay to forest rangers, senior forest rangers and supervisory personnel that is needed to conduct on-site inspections and compliance checks. Tracks landowner assists.

Administrative Functions – Maintains paper and electronic files, records and reports relating to the Communication Center’s responsibilities. Uses a variety of computer programs, software, copiers, scanners and fax machines to carry out administrative functions. Receives and responds to electronic mail as required. Prepares reports and assists supervisor and other personnel. Also orders uniforms, cleaning and office supplies. Reconciles vehicle logs. Maintains Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

Active member of the Communications Center – Receives and handles or transfers incoming telephone calls. Regularly gathers and relays a variety of information to and from supervisors, crews, other governmental agencies, cooperators, news media personnel and the general public. Maintains up to date contact information for fire departments, other governmental agencies, cooperators, etc.

Fire Weather Forecasts – Gathers and relays daily fire weather information and fire weather predictions to crews, supervisory personnel, certified burners and landowners. Acts as a weather observer and reports any unusual weather activity to all personnel.

Performs other related work as assigned, which may include the handling of revenue. Successfully completes all training requirements for the Wildland Fire Dispatcher position, within the time period designated by the supervisor and in accordance with the established training performance standards.

The Following Special Benefits for this Position Include

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida as an OPS employee is more than just a paycheck.

• Participation in state group insurance (must meet eligibility requirements*);
• Participation in the Florida Deferred Compensation Plan (457b). For additional details and online enrollment visit MyFloridaDeferredComp.com ;
• State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan (tax deferred Retirement Savings Plan). For more information visit Social Security Alternative Plan (aigrs.com) and read OPS Social Security Alternative Plan (Does not apply to previous FRS Retirees);

*Seasonal and part-time OPS employees (less than 30 hours average per week) refer to People First at 877-562-7287 or go to:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Location:
TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32301 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32399 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32311 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32312 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32308 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32305 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32317 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32304 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32310 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32316 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32309 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32303 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32302 TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32307

For assistance, call the People First Service Center at [phone] Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Eastern time. Pursuant to Florida Law, 110.211 F. S., the State of Florida is an EEO employer.