Wildland Firefighter jobs provide an exciting and challenging career. Since it is an emergency service, you can get tremendous job satisfaction by being in the forefront of fighting a fire and saving the lives of animals as well as humans. Yes, the nature of the job puts it in a high risk category, but that is something that goes with the territory and if your mental makeup does not suit this type of work, it is better not seeking a career in this line.
Before you hunt for Wildland Firefighter jobs, it would be better to have a general idea of wildfires. A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. They can go out of control rapidly due to extreme dry weather. If it is aided by wind and combustible materials then it can become even worse. There are a variety of reasons for wildfires starting. The entirely preventable ones are due to carelessness on the part of campers. They do not douse the campfire fully and the remnant sparks are enough to fan a major conflagration. The other causes for a wildfire are lightning, volcanic eruptions, sparks created by rock falls or dry tree branches rubbing together and spontaneous combustion. Once a wildfire starts, it can rapidly escalate and go out of control. It seems to jump from place to place and can move in an unexpected direction. Some of the methods of fighting a wildfire are by creating fire breaks, using water, water bombing it from the air using water or a water and chemical mix etc. The risk in fighting a wild fire is enormous, but once you decide that you wish to join Smokey Bear. then you should start to hunt for Wildland Firefighter jobs.
Fortunately, there are lots of positions available for such jobs and a determined job hunter can get one. The Forest Service has a site called ‘Fire Employment’ and you can download the application online, after completing registration procedures. The USFDA has a temporary employment program and this makes it much easier for people to get jobs in this field. To help such applicants, there is a Centralized Nationwide Temporary Employment site where you can find the current vacancy status. Another website that lists federal jobs is USA jobs/Forest Service employment website. It is easy to track down Wildland Firefighter jobs on this site by doing a search by Agency. The OPM website has a bulletin that lists the number of vacancies in fire fighting as well as technical jobs such as archaeology, fire, forestry, engineering and hydrology. A prospective applicant can contact the local Forest Service Office or call the toll free number 1-877-813-3476.
It is not easy to get Wildland Firefighter jobs. You will be screened for aptitude and they will do background checks. There are prescribed educational levels for employment. In addition to this there will be minimum/maximum height and weight stipulations. If you are lucky to be selected, then you will have to undergo rigorous training before you are put on the front line to fight fires. In spite of the risks, the job satisfaction you get in keeping people, animals and property safe will give you a tremendous boost.
