Forestry Technician (Fire Dispatch)

This position is located within a National Forest. The position is located on a fire crew as a crewmember within the fire management organization. The primary purpose of this position is to serve as a fire dispatcher in support of fire suppression activities.

Duties

• Serves as a dispatcher, receiving, filling, and tracking resource requests for fire and other emergency incidents.
• Follows established procedures to perform a variety of technical duties common to the dispatch of personnel, equipment, aircraft and/or supplies according to pre-defined plans or in response to resource orders from the field.
• Initiates requests to higher organizational levels for additional resources as needed.
• Maintains resource status and tracking systems and operates telecommunications systems.
• Collects, processes, collates and submits incident information to support fire operations (e.g., fire reports, smoke permits, spot weather forecasts, prescribed fire burn requests).
• Organizes and reviews completed records of all orders placed and actions taken to ensure adherence to established operating procedures.
• Processes and interprets weather information (e.g., spot weather forecasts, weather station observations, current and forecasted weather, lightning detection, and fuel moisture levels).
• The information is used to determine burning indices, preparedness levels and staffing levels for suppression and aviation resources.
• Inputs data into a number of fire-related computer applications (e.g., incident qualification records, fire reporting systems, and automated dispatch systems) and makes the initial assessment of outputs.
• Provides critical logistical support information to supervisor and makes recommendations concerning the efficient uses of available resources.
• Records and maintains communication logs.
• Coordinates and may assist with fire and aviation operational-type training/simulations and orientation in addition to initial attack dispatch and aviation dispatch training.
• Gathers information for the development and maintenance of the dispatch mobilization guide and internal dispatch operating guides.
• Shares information with cooperators and other interested entities.

Requirements