Unit Fire Management Officer

The mission of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is to ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.

The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained. To learn more about DNRC please visit Montana DNRC. 

Work Unit Overview:  
The Clearwater Unit represents the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation within its' specified geographic area, which includes portions of Missoula, Powell, Lewis & Clark, and Granite counties.. The Unit conducts field activities for the Forestry and Trust Lands Management Division and is responsible for all day-to-day operations of assigned DNRC programs within the Unit area. 
The Unit is responsible for providing direct wildland fire protection for 670,000 acres of private, state, and federal lands. A portion of this area is residential wildland interface and presents a complex fire situation. The FMO represents the Unit during correspondence with the Missoula And Helena Interagency Dispatch Centers, providing direction and assistance to the Center Managers as required and/or requested.  In addition, the Unit provides wildland fire support to the local fire departments and federal partners, as possible.

Job Overview:  
The Clearwater Unit Fire Management Officer performs professional Fire Management duties and assists with other forest management activities on the Clearwater Unit. The incumbent has Unit-level responsibility for administering the Department's Fire Management Program, which includes Fire Program Planning and Analysis, Operations, Implementation and Resource Coordination, supervision and training and County cooperative fire functions. 

Essential Functions:

Fire Program Planning and Analysis

1. Plans and directs Unit-wide Fire Management programs and activities including developing and implementing wildland fire prevention plans; managing program budget allocations; managing fire readiness levels; designing and managing comprehensive initial attack plans; analyzing changing fire suppression trends, practices, techniques and issues; designing and implementing comprehensive Fire Management plans for counties within the protection area; designing and coordinating multi-agency fire response simulations; providing management direction for the burning permit program within the responsibility area; planning and organizing a seasonal workforce; and  coordinating and supervising building, grounds and maintenance activities for the Unit. 
2. Provides information, expertise and guidance to multiple cooperating and dependent organizations involved in fire prevention, planning and suppression including county planning boards and local governing bodies, incident management teams, rural fire districts and volunteer fire departments. Promotes interagency and stakeholder coordination and planning of actions that contribute to achieving landscape wildfire resiliency. Participate on DNRC and interagency task forces, boards, associations, and working groups related to local fire & fuels programs.  This includes providing leadership, expertise, and resource support to organizations including; counties, Interagency Fuels Mitigation task force, Forestry Workgroups, NGOs, and Neighborhood/Homeowner Associations. Coordinates and monitors resource deployment and availability to ensure effective and efficient use of personnel and equipment to ensure fire program objectives are met throughout the year and oversees and coordinates Unit detection and dispatch activities. Provides guidance to others on county planning issues associated with subdivision layout and design, fire suppression tactics and strategy, fire laws and codes, interpretation of fire data and changing conditions, fire occurrence and potential, and methods to educate the public on fire prevention. 
3. Directly (line) supervises the Clearwater Unit Assistant Fire Management Officer, one guaranteed seasonal Logistical specialist and one seasonal Logistical specialist. Indirectly supervises the Lincoln Field Office Assistant Fire Management Officer, Fire Operations Specialist and 14 seasonal firefighters. This involves recruitment and selection, assigning and reviewing work, training, establishing performance standards and evaluating performance, handling corrective action, and recommending termination if necessary.  This work requires knowledge of supervisory principles and practices, DNRC and State Personnel policies, procedures, and precedents, organizational theory, employment law, and program requirements.
4. Performs a variety of other duties necessary for the comprehensive and effective operation of the Unit such as coordinating and planning building, grounds and maintenance activities, projects and contracts by providing for accurate property inventory through management of inventories, requisitions and reports on State-owned equipment, and by preparing and administering contracts for outside services required for maintenance.  The position also performs other forest and land management or fire program duties as needed to further the Unit's goals and objectives.

Operations and Implementation Coordination

1. Manages budget allocations and program expenditures within the Unit's fire program.  Determines and prioritizes materials/supplies needed and purchases using most cost-effective means to ensure budgets are not exceeded, Department resources are used in the most efficient manner possible, and that program objectives are met.
2. Manages fire readiness levels for the Unit protection areas.  Analyzes combinations of factors such as daily fire danger ratings, fire potential, equipment availability, communication systems, personnel and work schedules to determine appropriate readiness level for a variety of different scenarios and circumstances. 
3. Designs and manages a comprehensive Unit initial attack plan and coordinates plan components with multiple cooperating organizations. This plan describes the planned initial response for various specific sets of fire behavior and local physical conditions.  Administers and implements initial attack agreements with rural fire departments and provides expertise and assistance in plan interpretation. 
4. Analyzes changing fire suppression trends, systems, techniques, equipment, and concerns used to make decisions about fire readiness for the Unit and cooperators by researching and evaluating new approaches in fire control such as automated fire weather forecasting, computerized fuel modeling techniques, computerized fire resource dispatch procedures and air retardant delivery systems.  Incorporates new systems, techniques and models into fire program planning and service delivery.
5. Takes command of complex initial attack and extended attack or escaped fires in wildland urban interface and other areas by interpreting and responding to fire data, resources at risk, and nature of impending threat.  Serves as Incident Commander on large, complex, unusually dangerous fire situations by commanding and controlling all resources engaged in fire suppression and setting resource priorities. Directs and coordinates Unit detection and dispatch activities to ensure effective initial and extended attack and support of fires.  Sets priorities during multiple fire situations and analyzes and determines the incident command organization needed.

What are some benefits you can expect?

• Health Insurance
• Retirement
• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays

Application Materials Required for this Position Are:

• State of Montana Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter

If you are interested in a complete job description please contact Julie at julie.smith@mt.gov. 

Special Information:
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.

Minimum Qualifications:

The necessary education and experience is typically acquired through a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry or other natural resource management fields including, but not limited to ecology, wildlife biology, Fire Management, recreation management, forest soils, hydrology, or range science, and 5 or more years of related natural resource management experience with 5 or more years of progressively responsible supervisory experience. Alternative combinations of education and experience may be considered. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Developmental knowledge of the theories, concepts, principles, and practices of a wide variety of natural resource disciplines.  In-depth knowledge of the DNRC's missions and programs; a variety of State and Federal laws, rules, and Department policies and procedures related to natural resource management  personnel  personnel management; budgeting; operations; advanced verbal and written communication techniques, including facilitation, problem solving, and group presentation.  Knowledge of fire control strategies and tactics and Agency suppression objectives.

Skilled at professional level administration, technical writing, budget management; communication and negotiation in working with diverse and often contentious people; facilitation, mediation, and conflict management; using a personal computer and management related software.

Able to employ professional level administrative, operational, leadership, decision making, budgeting, and communication expertise; direct the efforts of both professional and technical personnel working on concurrent projects in multiple programs; maintain a delicate balance between resource protection and resource use.

Alternate combinations of education and experience that have resulted in the acquisition of the above-listed KSA's may also be considered.