Forestry Technician (Dispatch)

Forest Service • Dillon, MT

6d • Onsite

About The Position

This temporary Forestry Technician position is located at a Geographic Area Coordination Center within a National Forest fire management organization. As a member of a fire crew, the incumbent supports the Operations Section of the Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC), coordinating the mobilization, reassignment, and demobilization of firefighting resources for wildland fire and all-hazard emergency response. The role involves coordinating with Federal, State, local, and other land management agencies, as well as higher-level and adjoining units.

The technician maintains resource availability records and dispatch plans, tracks equipment and supply transactions, monitors shared-resource availability and geographic placement, and reports current and anticipated resource drawdown to support decisions during critical wildfire situations. The incumbent helps ensure that personnel, equipment, and aircraft movements are planned and conducted safely and within requested time frames. Duties also include arranging transport flights, supporting communications and operational facilities, monitoring compliance with mobilization and readiness requirements, reviewing contracted services, and assisting with aviation operations, mission planning, operational guidance, and updates to the Geographic Area Mobilization Guide.

The position is temporary, with an appointment of up to six months or, in some cases, up to a not-to-exceed one year; an extension may be possible. The expected start date is between April 18, 2027, and June 13, 2027. The position is not eligible for telework. Employees must be willing to live or work in remote, volatile, or unpredictable locations, and occasional overnight travel may be required. Incumbents must meet Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous-duty firefighting and pass the appropriate Work Capacity Test.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• For males born after December 31, 1959, be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Pass background investigation and/or fingerprint-check adjudication and E-Verify employment verification.
• Submit to pre-employment and random drug testing; appointment requires a negative pre-employment result.
• Meet Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous-duty wildland firefighting and pass the appropriate Work Capacity Test for Wildland Firefighters.
• Have prior wildland firefighting experience.
• For the GW-07 grade, meet one of the following: one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-6; one full year (18 semester or 27 quarter hours) of directly related graduate coursework; or a combination of qualifying graduate education and specialized experience.
• Specialized experience may include assisting with mobilization and demobilization of personnel, equipment, and aircraft; coordinating ground and air transportation and identifying needed resources; monitoring daily fire situations and shared resources; or assisting with operational policies, guidance, handbooks, guides, and plans.
• Provide transcripts for qualifications based on education; provide course descriptions if necessary.
• Be willing to live or work in remote, volatile, or unpredictable locations.
• Be available for occasional overnight travel for fire suppression or fire-related assignments.
• Meet any applicable position conditions, which may include a valid state driver's license, commercial driver's license, or additional physical or medical examination.
• For this secondary firefighter position, meet applicable appointment conditions; the posting states there is no age limit for entry into secondary positions.

Responsibilities

• Implement procedures and guidelines for mobilizing, reassigning, and demobilizing firefighting resources according to incident priorities within the Geographic Area.
• Coordinate the movement and utilization of personnel, equipment, supplies, aircraft, and fire retardant for wildland fire and all-hazard emergency response.
• Assist in maintaining Geographic Area mobilization plans, dispatch operating plans, and guides.
• Support execution of the GACC Operations Section, including movement of resources within and between geographic areas and coordination with Federal, State, local, and other land management agencies.
• Maintain records of the availability of unit, geographic-area, and national wildland fire resources for planned and unplanned events.
• Coordinate information, resource utilization, and accountability with higher-level and adjoining units, agencies, and cooperating entities.
• Track acquisition, issuance, and return of equipment and supplies from central facilities.
• Monitor shared-resource availability and recommend geographic placement of resources such as air tankers, lead planes, smokejumpers, rappellers, and aircraft used to deliver firefighters.
• Monitor the daily fire situation and keep superiors informed about current and anticipated resource drawdown.
• Plan and conduct mobilization and demobilization actions with safety as a priority while meeting incident-support time frames.
• Assist in arranging transport flights for crews, personnel, and cargo using government-owned or contracted aircraft, and assist with use of infrared aircraft in accordance with operating procedures.
• Assist superiors in mobilizing resources and supporting communications capabilities and operational facilities.
• Gather and compile information about available resources and recommend acquisitions or adjustments for immediate fire-management and emergency-services needs.
• Monitor compliance with regulations and instructions for mobilization and readiness of fire equipment and personnel.
• Perform administrative work supporting mobilization of equipment, vehicles, communications capabilities, and operational facilities.
• Review contracted, call-when-needed, and negotiated services for compliance with specifications and contract or agreement scopes.
• Apply technical methods and procedures related to aviation operations and agency programs to resolve irregular or nonstandard problems and assignments.
• Assist with aviation operations projects and development of office policy and technical guidance, including handbooks, guides, and operational plans.
• Assist with development, annual updates, printing, and online posting of the Geographic Area Mobilization Guide.
• Apply technical methods, practices, and procedures for day-to-day fire and aviation operations.
• Ensure administrative flights meet applicable OMB, federal, departmental, and agency requirements.
• Assist DOI, Forest Service, and other applicable units in developing mission or project plans.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive range of federal benefits; specific eligibility depends on position type and the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed