Wildfire Pilot Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Requisition No: 877050 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: OPS WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER - 42903050 1

 Pay Plan: Temp

Position Number: 42903050 

Salary:  $18.00/Hourly 

Posting Closing Date: 06/12/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

OPS WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER

(CLASS TITLE: OPS DUTY OFFICER)

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY --
THIS IS A FULL-TIME OTHER PERSONAL SERVICES (OPS) POSITION***

CONTACT:

Scarlett Porter, (850) 681-5952

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

A high school diploma or its equivalent and one (1) year of experience in radio-teletype operations, sworn law enforcement, dispatching, forestry, firefighting or other public contact work.

College education from an accredited institution can substitute at the rate of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours for the required experience.

Requires a valid class E driver license.

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values
and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Occasional travel for training required.

Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed. 

The incumbent must live within (30) thirty miles of the headquarters located at 865 Geddie Road Tallahassee, Florida, throughout employment in this position. 

NOTES:

To maintain fairness and integrity, applicants are required to provide honest and authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and selection process. Applicants must rely on their own personal knowledge, thoughts, and impressions. A candidate's use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews will be taken into consideration when determining qualification for the position.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

JOB DUTIES:

The duty officer's work is in direct support of fire suppression and other emergency response operations. The incumbent coordinates emergency response of firefighters, supervisors, pilots and law enforcement personnel through the use of a communications center. The duty officer deals with critical situations requiring independent and sound judgment. The incumbent has both operational fire control and other support duties. Work may be scheduled over a variety of shifts and may frequently remain or be called to duty beyond the assigned work schedule.

Dispatch Crews to Wildfires, Smoke Complaints and other Incidents - Receives radio and telephone information from fire towers, law enforcement personnel, aircraft, fire crews, supervisors and general public concerning wildfires and smoke obscuring highways.  Operates a computer, radio and telephone for the purpose of transmitting, receiving and storing information used to dispatch fire crews, supervisory personnel, aircraft and law enforcement personnel to wildfires and other incidents. Follows protocol on 'Smoke on the Highway' issues. Keeps up-to-the-minute knowledge of the locations and status of all personnel and equipment used in fire suppression activities and investigations. Triggers 209s as needed and enters information available. Requests and coordinates assistance with other state, federal and local agencies, as well as, area cooperators with wildfire suppression and other emergency situations. Keeps supervisors, Center Manager, Center Officer in Charge (OIC) and State OIC abreast of wildfire status as necessary. Reads and uses county maps, as well as, various websites and/or software programs (FMIS, County Property Appraiser, ArcGIS, Spider Tracks, Mapquest, etc.) to provide incident locations to responding emergency personnel. Has a good general knowledge of the lay of the land (landmarks, highways, major roads, rivers, lakes, power lines).  

Burn Authorizations, On-Site Inspections, Compliance Checks, and Landowner Assistance - Operates a computer, radio and telephone for the purpose of transmitting, receiving and storing information used to approve or deny issuance of burn authorizations throughout six counties. Continually updates map with new burning authorizations. Maintains landowner and certified burner contact information. Notates landowner accounts regarding any special burning restrictions. Advises landowners of burning laws and predicted weather. Gathers information to relay to Forest Rangers, Senior Forest Rangers and supervisory personnel that is needed to conduct on-site inspections and compliance checks. Tracks landowner assists.

Administrative Functions - Maintains paper and electronic files, records and reports relating to the communication center's responsibilities. Uses a variety of computer programs, software, copiers, scanners and fax machines to carry out administrative functions. Receives and responds to electronic mail as required. Prepares reports and assists supervisor and other personnel. Maintains Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). 

Active member of the Communications Center - Receives and handles or transfers incoming telephone calls. Regularly gathers and relays a variety of information to and from supervisors, crews, other governmental agencies, and cooperators, along with preapproved information to news media personnel and the general public. Maintains up-to-date contact information for fire departments, other governmental agencies, cooperators, etc.

Fire Weather Forecasts - Gathers and relays daily fire weather information and fire weather predictions to crews, supervisory personnel, certified burners and landowners. Acts as a weather observer and reports any unusual weather activity to all personnel.

Performs other related work as assigned. Successfully completes all training requirements for the Duty Officer position, within the time period designated by the supervisor and in accordance with the established training performance standards.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida as an OPS employee is more than just a paycheck. 

• Participation in state group insurance (must meet eligibility requirements*);
• Participation in the Florida Deferred Compensation Plan (457b).  For  additional details and online enrollment visit MyFloridaDeferredComp.com;
• State of Florida 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan (tax deferred Retirement Savings Plan). For more information visit Social Security Alternative Plan (aigrs.com) and read OPS Social Security Alternative Plan (Does not apply to previous FRS Retirees);
• Flexible Spending Accounts; For a more benefits information, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

*Seasonal and part-time OPS employees (less than 30 hours average per week) refer to People First at 877-562-7287 or go to:

 https://www.mybenefits.myflorida.com/myhealth/eligibility_and_enrollment/ops_employees

SPECIAL NOTES:

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.