Lead Wildland Fire Dispatcher

State of Utah Office of the Governor • Salt Lake City, UT

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The primary purpose of this permanent position is to serve as a Lead Wildland Fire Dispatcher in an interagency fire center. The dispatch center provides incident support for state, federal, tribal, and private lands within its designated boundaries. As an experienced staff member of the fire management organization, the incumbent will conduct advanced operations to support the center's primary responsibility of wildland fire preparedness and suppression support activities but may also assist with agency requests to support all-risk incidents. Working as part of an interagency team, the incumbent must be able to operate in a very fast-paced, high stress environment, with rapidly changing conditions and situation priorities.

Requirements

• EDRC qualification required.
• Knowledge of wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire strategies, tactics, methods and procedures, fire behavior, and weather conditions to effectively dispatch fire management resources, propose and update guidelines, issue internal instructions to other dispatchers, and resolve dispatch problems.
• Knowledge of fire operations and safety precautions sufficient to (1) determine appropriate fire management response and resource allocation (2) perform dispatch coordination functions with varying internal procedures, (3) develop information for special reports and briefings, (4) work with supervisor to develop alternative strategies when competing units are requesting resources in short supply, (5) update and revise internal dispatch guidelines and procedures, and (6) locate additional sources for resources.
• Knowledge of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft relating to fire and administrative operations in terms of capabilities, duty Limitations, scheduling, flight following, incident or accident notification, and economics.
• Knowledge of wildland fire management computer programs and data output to solve data entry/retrieval problems and develop operating guidelines and procedures.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license in order to drive a state vehicle.
• Must be able to interact with others of varying levels of authority and report directly to off-site supervisor.

Nice To Haves

• EDRC, EDSD, IADP, while a lead dispatcher only needs EDRC to qualify as a Lead IA dispatcher.
• Will have experience with wildland fire suppression.
• Will have Aircraft Dispatcher experience and qualifications.
• Aircraft dispatcher experience and qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Independently or through collaboration, plan and carry out the procedural and technical tasks involved in the dispatching of personnel, equipment, and/or supplies to suppress wildland fires.
• Log and maintain records of dispatching activities and communications.
• Utilize prior dispatch experience and training to anticipate fire suppression needs and determine resource allocation options based upon current wildland fire suppression activity.
• Follow established procedures to dispatch resources to wildland fires and work with center manager to redistribute resources as needed to address emerging needs, such as in cases of multiple wildland or in prescribed fires.
• Process and interpret weather information (e.g. spot weather forecasts, weather station observations, current and forecasted weather, lightning detection, and fuel moisture levels). This information is used to determine burning indices, preparedness levels and dispatch levels for suppression and aviation resources.
• Coordinate aviation dispatch operations (if qualified); e.g., aircraft capabilities and Limitations, flight following, aviation safety.
• Complete annual training as required by position and agency directives.
• Complete all required agency and interagency documentation for all activities.
• Multi-tasking with several radio transmission, multiple incidents, phones, and requests for information.

Benefits

• Job Stability: Enjoy the security and reliability of employment within a well-established organization.
• Career Growth: Develop valuable skills and gain opportunities for leadership within a large organization.
• Meaningful Work: Contribute to an important service that benefits the community and supports organizational goals.
• Supportive Work Environment: Be part of a team that values cooperation, strong work ethics, and mutual support.

What This Job Offers

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