Forestry Technician (Fire Dispatch)

Forest Service•Lancaster, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located within a National Forest on a fire crew in the fire management organization. The primary purpose is to serve as a fire dispatcher supporting fire suppression activities. The dispatcher receives, fills, and tracks resource requests for fire and other emergency incidents; coordinates personnel, equipment, aircraft, and supplies under established plans or field resource orders; and requests additional resources from higher organizational levels as needed. The role maintains resource status and tracking systems, operates telecommunications systems, and records and maintains communications logs. The position collects, processes, collates, and submits incident information, including fire reports, smoke permits, spot weather forecasts, and prescribed-fire burn requests. It reviews records of orders and actions for adherence to operating procedures; interprets weather and fire-related information to support burning-index, preparedness-level, and staffing decisions; enters data in fire-related computer applications and assesses outputs; and provides logistical information and resource-use recommendations to a supervisor. The dispatcher may coordinate or assist with fire and aviation training, simulations, orientation, and dispatch training, develops and maintains dispatch guides, and shares information with cooperators and other interested entities. This is a temporary federal position for the FY2027 hiring season, expected to start between April 18, 2027, and June 13, 2027. The appointment may last up to six months or up to one year, may be extended without further competition, and may end early due to lack of work or funds. The position is not eligible for telework. Duty location is one of the locations listed in the announcement; willingness to be considered for any listed or other regional duty location may be indicated during application. The role may require remote work, occasional overnight travel, medical screening, drug testing, and successful completion of the applicable wildland firefighter work capacity test.

Requirements

Be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Be at least 18 years of age.
Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
Pass background investigation and/or fingerprint check, E-Verify, and pre-employment drug testing; incumbents are subject to random drug testing.
Prior wildland firefighting experience is required.
Meet Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for arduous-duty wildland firefighting and pass the appropriate level of the Work Capacity Test for Wildland Firefighters.
Meet the GW-05 qualification requirement through one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-4; qualifying education; or a combination of education and experience.
Qualifying specialized experience may include filing and retrieving documents in a dispatch office, assisting with maps, plans, guides, analyses, or special reports for dispatch use, or receiving and processing requests for equipment, personnel, and supplies for wildland-fire and emergency incidents.
For the education qualification, have a bachelor's degree or four years of successfully completed post-high-school education (120 semester or 180 quarter hours) with an appropriate major, or qualifying coursework including at least 24 semester hours in specified natural-resource-related fields; qualifying education must be from an accredited college or university.
Provide transcripts when qualifying based on education and course descriptions as necessary.
Be willing to live and work in remote, volatile or unpredictable locations.
Some fire positions may require a valid state driver's license, commercial driver's license, and/or physical or medical examination.
Provide direct deposit for federal payments.
Meet all qualification requirements and submit required documents by the announcement closing date.

Responsibilities

Receive, fill, and track resource requests for fire and other emergency incidents.
Dispatch personnel, equipment, aircraft, and supplies according to established plans or field resource orders.
Request additional resources from higher organizational levels when needed.
Maintain resource status and tracking systems and operate telecommunications systems.
Collect, process, collate, and submit incident information, including fire reports, smoke permits, spot weather forecasts, and prescribed-fire burn requests.
Organize and review records of orders and actions to ensure compliance with operating procedures.
Process and interpret weather information to support burning-index, preparedness-level, and suppression and aviation staffing decisions.
Enter data into fire-related computer applications and make initial assessments of system outputs.
Provide logistical support information to the supervisor and recommend efficient use of available resources.
Record and maintain communications logs.
Coordinate or assist with fire and aviation operational training, simulations, orientation, initial-attack dispatch training, and aviation dispatch training.
Gather information for dispatch mobilization and internal dispatch operating guides.
Share information with cooperators and other interested entities.