$42,175 – $49,440Full TimeEN
Requisition No: 875210
Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services
Working Title: WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER - 42002737
Pay Plan: Career Service
Position Number: 42002737
Salary: $42,174.60 - $49,440.30
Posting Closing Date: 05/10/2026
Total Compensation Estimator Tool
WILDLAND FIRE DISPATCHER
(CLASS TITLE: DUTY OFFICER)
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES
FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE
***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***
CONTACT:
Kristin Bennett, 863-940-6710 or Lisa Frank, 863-940-6700
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.
***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***
To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
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 to moderate travel required.
Position may respond to emergencies, including natural disasters or other type incidents requiring travel, as needed.
The incumbent must live within 30 miles of the headquarters, which is located at 5745 South Florida Avenue, Lakeland, 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.
Work shift on a rotating basis.
ON CALL
JOB DUTIES:
The Wildland Fire Dispatcher works 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 Wildland Fire Dispatcher 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 the incumbent may frequently remain or be called to duty beyond the assigned work schedule.
Dispatch Crews to Wildfires, Smoke Complaints and other Incidents – 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, District Manager, District 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, and 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 three 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. Also 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 and district’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. Also orders uniforms, cleaning supplies and office supplies. Reconciles vehicle logs. Performs purchase card reconciliation, Purchase Order processing and other fiscal responsibilities. 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, cooperators, 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.
Successfully completes all training requirements for the Wildland Fire Dispatcher position within the time period designated by the supervisor and in accordance with the established training performance standards.
Performs other related work as assigned, which may include the handling of revenue.
The Following Special Benefits for this Position Include
The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida
Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:
For a complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.
For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the “Total Compensation Estimator Tool” located above under the “Posting Closing Date.”
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.
VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here. All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.
