Wildland Firefighter (Fire Dispatching)

US Office of the Secretary of the Interior; Fairbanks (AK); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

US Office of the Secretary of the Interior is seeking a Wildland Fire Dispatch Specialist based in Alaska to support wildland fire suppression operations. The role requires documented primary dispatch experience in a fire environment and the ability to determine resource needs under dynamic conditions.

Applicants should possess a relevant bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of experience and education, with emphasis on dispatch operations, safety, and interagency coordination.

Qualifications

• Specialized experience in dispatch operations for wildland fire suppression.
• Experience documenting and processing fire incident reports and resource needs.

Responsibilities

• Perform dispatch duties for wildland fire suppression operations.
• Assess incident data and determine resource needs.
• Coordinate with agencies and teams for resource allocation.

Skills

Wildland fire dispatch

Dispatch office functions

Resource prioritization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Science or related field

Tools

Wildland dispatch software

Job description

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority

This Wildland Firefighter (Fire Dispatching) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-5/6/7 working in the listed locations.
In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.
To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Selective Placement Factor(s):

This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.
1. This is an administrative position in an organization having a firefighting mission, and is clearly in an established career path. Prior firefighting experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE.
Candidates must possess Primary/Rigorous wildland firefighting experience, gained through fire line work in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days, and hours per week at which the work was performed to be considered.

Applicants must have documented prior primary firefighting experience, with substantial service defined as either:

• At least one full fire season working in a primary wildland firefighting role (e.g., Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumper, Wildland Fire Modules or Fire Suppression Crews, etc.) with a federal, state, tribal, local, or private-sector organization;
  - OR -
• At least 14 days of on-the-ground fireline experience (cumulative or consecutive).

Prior primary wildland fire experience must be clearly documented in your resume.
Note: an IQCS Master Record or equivalent document will not be used to determine or calculate prior primary wildland fire experience eligibility for this requirement.

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.

Only experience and education obtained by 10/23/2026 will be considered.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Minimum Qualification

For the GW-05 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-04 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, is required. Examples of specialized experience include: performing dispatch or dispatch office functions related to wildland fire suppression activities such as determining priorities and selecting alternative resources while independently performing dispatch operations duties.

-OR- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with a major study in Fire Science, Fire Technology or other related fields of study (e.g.: Forestry, Range Management, Agriculture, Fire suppression and Prevention). Transcripts must be attached to application package if qualifying based on education.

-OR- An equivalent combination of experience and education. Transcripts must be attached to application package.

For the GW-06 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-05 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, is required. Examples of specialized experience include: performing wildland fire dispatch duties such as - receiving and reviewing fire incident reports; working with wildland fire dispatch computer programs; and determine fire resource needs.

For the GW-07 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-06 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, is required. Examples of specialized experience include: performing lead wildland fire dispatch duties such as - performing and directing others in wildland fire dispatch office functions; providing incident logistical support information, and making recommendations for efficient use of available resources; and determining appropriate resource responses to incidents.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

*Applicants must meet all selective placement factors and minimum qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement.

Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage - Applicants for this secondary administrative fire fighter position under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d), must possess knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of wildland firefighting as demonstrated by direct wildland firefighting experience. In order to receive credit, you must provide a written description of your experience in wildland firefighting. Education without hands-on wildland firefighting experience does not meet this requirement. Periods of wildland firefighting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fire line experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience.

Physical Demands: The work involves long hours of sitting, intense concentration, and working at peak proficiency/intensity levels with irregular breaks and mealtimes. Must be able to cope with the pressure of meeting timeframes and changing priorities. Mental concentration and accuracy are required. Ability to remain calm under urgent and frequently changing conditions.

Working Conditions: Work is performed primarily in an office setting. During peak activity, increased radio traffic, numerous ringing phones, and conversations result in high noise levels, which require a high level of concentration to perform duties. The duties of this position create a highly stressful environment during peak activity, requiring the ability to keep calm in emergency situations.