Safety Officer 1 - Safety and Training Specialist

State of Montana • Missoula, MT

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Fire Protection Program aims to protect lives, property, and natural resources from wildfire by providing safe and effective services. The Training and Safety Program within the DNRC is responsible for developing training, providing direction, policies, and procedures, and offering technical and fiscal support to the department and its cooperators. This program focuses on preventing accidents through risk management and organizational learning, ensuring firefighter safety, and advancing workforce development. The Safety & Training Specialist position is crucial for implementing wildland fire training and direction, overseeing risk management, hazard mitigation, safety operations, and accident investigations. This role also provides safety oversight during active fires, covering aspects like escape routes, safety zones, hazards, transportation, medical care, and evacuation. The position reports to the Training and Safety Program Manager and does not supervise agency personnel directly, but is responsible for directing and reviewing the work of temporary staff and contractors.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related scientific field.
• Two years of work-related experience or three years of progressively responsible wildland fire and aviation management.
• Other combinations of education and experience may be substituted (secondary or Adult education, bachelor’s degree in forestry).
• Advanced professional and technical knowledge of wildland fire and aviation management principles.
• Expert professional and technical knowledge of fire service training theories, education methodology, course development, group dynamics, student and instructor motivation, training in context, live fire training safety, training evaluations, testing principles, validations, and adult learning processes.
• Knowledge of program management, budgeting, and strategic planning.
• Skill in public speaking and the operation of various kinds of audiovisual equipment.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, program planning, assessing complex and rapidly changing fire prevention and suppression issues and national trends, directing training activities, and adult learning and education.
• Clearly and concisely communicating an extensive knowledge of current federal, state, local city/county government, and private industry wildland fire and aviation management policies, procedures, organizational structures, strategies, tactics, and safety into effective performance-based training curricula.
• Ability to administer a comprehensive training program and activities directly impacting the safety of DNRC personnel and other agency staff.
• Ability to attain or work towards NWCG wildland fire qualifications as a Safety Officer Type 3 (SOF3), or beyond.
• Must attain and maintain PMS 901 Field Manager’s Course Guide Instructor Criteria for 300-600 Level NWCG Courses.
• Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States.
• A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.

Nice To Haves

• Wildland Fire or emergency services course instruction and experience are preferred.
• While the safety officer qualification is a primary function of this position, and the ability to obtain this qualification is paramount, other unit leader-level positions will be considered for application purposes.

Responsibilities

• Perform and oversee safety operations to prevent accidents in wildland fire operations through organized, comprehensive, and systematic risk management, allowing the department to provide for safety and to minimize the number of injuries or fatalities experienced by wildland firefighters, yet still achieve fire operations objectives.
• Utilizing a variety of methods (e.g. IQS, data capture, readiness reviews, NWCG standards, etc.) to research, develop, and administer the DNRC Fire Training Program to ensure efficient and effective program operations that comply with all applicable standards and meet DNRC’s fire and aviation management objectives.
• Directing and reviewing the work of temporary staff and contractors, including selection, training/instructing, and monitoring performance.
• Providing safety oversight during active fires (escape routes, safety zones, hazards, transportation, medical care, and evacuation, etc.).
• Performing or overseeing risk management, hazard mitigation, hazard analysis, safety operations, and accident investigations.

Benefits

• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays
• Health, Dental, Prescription, and Vision Coverage
• Retirement Plans
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level