Wildland Fire Dispatcher

Full Job Description

Job Title: Wildland Fire Dispatch
Location: Richfield, Utah

Job Description:
The Department of Natural Resources is seeking a highly motivated, skilled, and experienced Wildland Fire Dispatcher. This critical role involves working from inter-agency centers to dispatch essential resources—including aircraft, equipment, personnel, and supplies—to meet the tactical requirements of wildland firefighters in the field. The Dispatcher serves as the primary support for wildland fire suppression and related activities, though the center may also respond to all-risk incidents as needed. This position is typically filled by seasonal/temporary employees, with the work period generally spanning the fire season from May through October, with the possibility of extension based on operational demands.

Ideal Candidate:

• Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to manage high stress situations and remain task driven.
• Ability to multi-task with radio traffic, computer data inputs, and phone communication.
• Ability to be a self motivator.
• Ability to be a member of a highly functioning team.
• Ability to stay organized during changing priorities.

The Agency:
For more information abour working for the Department of Natural Resources, please click here.

Requirements

• Receives fire reports and determines location, land status, and current information.
• Dispatches resources based on decisions made by the supervisor to meet tactical requirements for aircraft, equipment, personnel, and supplies.
• Completes resource orders, maintains fire resource tracking systems, inputs and retrieves fire weather data.
• Operates fire radio system, telecommunications, and computers to process and collate fire information from the field.
• Assemble information to help determine burning indices, preparedness levels and staffing levels for suppression and aviation resources.
• Inputs data into fire-related computer applications (e.g., incident qualification records, fire reporting systems, and automated dispatch systems) to gain initial assessments of outputs.
• Completes daily, weekly, and monthly records, reports, and summarizes as assigned.
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Be proficient with computers including typing skills.
• Have the ability to read maps to best determine locations of incidents.
• Ability to document and communicate with all interactions throughout the day.
• Must be team oriented and provide value to the interagency work place.
• Be able to work independently or be able to take direction from others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Be proficient in computer applications on various operating platforms (example: ROSS)
• Understand the different style of communication, verbal, written, non-verbal.
• Have knowledge of wildland fire operations and terminology.
• NWCG qualifications: EDRC, EDSD, IADP

Additional Information

• May require irregular hours and schedules, overtime and holidays worked to meet the needs of emergency situations.
• Risks found in the typical office setting, which is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated, e.g. safe use of office equipment, avoiding trips and falls, observing fire regulations, etc.
• Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the work; however there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying light items, driving an automobile, etc. Special physical demands are not required to perform the work.
• Multi-tasking with several radios transmissions, phones and managers.
• At times there can be confusion as you wait for direction from managers and supervisors.
• At times you may be asked to work 16 hour shifts a day and on your days off.
• Must have a high school diploma.
• Must possess and maintain a valid drivers license.
• Must possess and maintain a valid drivers license in order to drive a state vehicle. Incumbent in this position will be subject to the Driver Eligibility standards found at the following link: http://www.rules.utah.gov
• Must be available to respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, during the designated on-call period if activated.
• During the designated fire season (typically June 1 through October 31), candidate will be compensated for on-call status at the rate of one paid hour for every twelve hours on call.
• Eligible for overtime and hazard pay on fire assignments as per agency policy.

Why You Should Join Our Team:
Competitive wages with full benefit package which includes: full medical, dental and vision insurance, overtime at time-and-a-half, and on-call pay. Flexible schedule. An opportunity to serve the public, making a difference in providing safe and effective fire fighting in central Utah.