Wildland Fire & Resource Technician 5 - Assistant Fire Management Officer

State of Alaska; Fairbanks (AK); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection in Fairbanks is recruiting for a Wildland Forestry Technician 5.

The role serves as Assistant Fire Management Officer and leads wildland fire preparedness, mitigation, prevention, and suppression at the area level.

Qualifications

• Red Card qualification under the National Incident Qualification System.
• Twelve months of advanced level wildland firefighting experience in the fire management program (or equivalent with another employer).
• Twenty-four months of journey level experience in the fire program (fire suppression or support) or logistics dispatch experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct initial attack response and ensure resources are trained, equipped, and ready.
• Provide oversight of over 40 full-time employees, including hiring, training, assigning work, and evaluating performance.
• Attend planning meetings and coordinate with agency personnel, cooperators, and the public.

Skills

Fire Management

Interpersonal Skills

Adaptability

Teamwork

Physical Fitness

Job description

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, is recruiting for a Wildland Forestry Technician 5 in Fairbanks.

What You Will Be Doing:

This position serves as the Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Fairbanks office of the AK Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. The incumbent will direct wildland fire preparedness, mitigation, prevention, and suppression activities at the area level and will provide oversight of the fuels, training, and Emergency Firefighter (EFF) programs in accordance with Alaska statutes and the Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management Plan.

Daily, the incumbent will:

• Ensure that initial attack resources are trained, equipped, and ready to respond to new wildland fire incidents. Direct initial attack response. Serve as safety officer and duty officer for the local area.
• Provide ongoing supervision to more than 40 full-time regular employees, with authority and responsibility to hire, train, assign work, and evaluate performance.
• Attend planning meetings and coordinate with agency personnel, cooperators, and the public.

Benefits of Joining Our Team:

Selected candidates will join a high-performing, community-oriented organization that responds to wildfires threatening Alaska's residents, communities, and infrastructure. Safety-minded, team-oriented individuals who thrive in a learning environment will have ample opportunities for upward mobility and training.

This position is especially attractive to those who enjoy working outdoors, travel across Alaska and the lower-48, are interested in a dynamic, challenge-filled first responder career path, and are committed to public service.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

Fairbanks Area Forestry resides along the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. The organization is comprised of Type-6 & 7 engines, Helitack, Prevention, the White Mountain Type-2IA hand crew, EFF Type-2 hand crews, and dozer operations. Personnel staff engines, helicopters, and hand crews daily, and are ready to respond to wildfires not only within FAF's protection area, but across Alaska.

When not on fires, fire staff are regularly engaged in training and fuels mitigation projects that enhance strategic and tactical fire suppression options and strengthen community wildland fire protection.

A high level of physical fitness is required, and all initial attack personnel are expected to participate in daily physical training and to complete annually required fitness testing.

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies.

• Fire Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.

• Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.
• Adaptability: Adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.
• Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.
• Physical Strength and Agility: Ability to bend, lift, climb, stand, and walk for long periods of time; ability to perform moderately heavy laboring work.

Red Card qualification under the National Incident Qualification System (see required job qualifications special note). And Either Twelve months of advanced level wildland fire fighting experience in the fire management program. This required experience includes work as a Wildland Fire and Resource Technician 4 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer. Or Twenty-four months of journey level experience in the fire program in fire suppression or in a support capacity. This required experience includes work as a Wildland Fire and Resource Technician 3 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer. Or Twenty-four months of journey level logistics dispatch experience. This required experience includes such work as Wildland Fire Dispatcher 2 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer.

Special Note:

Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age.

Most positions require National Incident Qualification System certifications. Because there are different specialty areas in this field, recruitment and selection will be made from among those candidates who meet the experience and the basic National Incident Qualification System training requirements specifically listed in the recruitment bulletin. The specialty areas are within one of the following functions: fire operations, wildland fire prevention, and aviation support.

For positions assigned work in the field, applicants must be able to pass the Work Capacity Test at the \