Forestry Aide 2 – Wildland Fire Module Crew Member

Job Description:

The TN Wildland Fire Module is a multifaceted crew that travels statewide based on resource needs and weather conditions to conduct prescribed fire, wildfire suppression, and support various programs across the Tennessee Division of Forestry. Under direct supervision, crew members assist with prescribed fire and fuels planning and implementation of moderate complexity, as well as fire suppression, hazard mitigation, and general conservation or forestry tasks. This position is based out of the Westel Work Center in Rockwood, TN, and primarily serves the Cumberland Plateau and East Tennessee districts, however, does travel the state working in all four districts. Crew members should expect frequent travel and overnight stays; housing while away from the home base is provided by TDF.

Specific Job Duties:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Prescribed burn preparation, implementation, and post-fire monitoring with TDF personnel and partners.

2. Possible federal fire assignments.

3. Possible wildland fire suppression assignments.

4. Assist with cleaning and maintaining Westel Shop and TDF lands.

5. Assist with training throughout the state.

6. Assist reviewing and creating Forest Management Plans.

7. Marking and GPS TDF boundaries.

8. Maintain tools and equipment.

9. Ability to perform heavy physical work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.

10. Other TDF activities when needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education equivalent to graduation from a standard high school and experience equivalent to one year of full-time work in one of the following areas: (1) fire suppression or fire prevention, or (2) the conservation of trees, soil, water, or wildlife, or (3) the farming, ranching, or harvesting of forest products or orchards, or

(4) land surveying or mapping, or (5) the operation of sawmills or tractors or bulldozers, or maintenance and repair of heavy equipment or carpentry.

Note: College coursework, with at least nine out of 45 quarter hours in renewable natural resources or horticulture from an accredited college or university may substitute for the required experience. Experience in one of the above areas may be substituted for the required diploma on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of four years.

Must be qualified as a Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2), including Introduction to ICS (I-100), NIMS An Introduction (IS-700), Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service(L-180), Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior (S-190), and Firefighter Training (S-130) with field day.

Applicants for positions that have Fireline activity as one of their primary duties must take and pass the Job-Related Work Capacity Test for Wildland Firefighters (WCT). At minimum, this test consists of walking two miles with a 25-pound pack in 30 minutes or less. Qualification specific fitness levels exist for out of state incidents that may require successfully completing a Work Capacity Test at the Arduous Level of three miles with a 45-pund pack/vest, in 45 minutes or less.

Must be able to obtain related licenses or certifications as required. (e.g. Wilderness First Aid, CPR, CDL (Class B), and driver’s license).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Six months to 1 year of related experience in fire operations or ecological land management, similar field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Maintain physical fitness standards for FFT1/ICT5, and/or Federal Fire Assignment Duties.

Experience operating various types of equipment.

Experience performing physical work.

Forestry Aide 2 - Cumberland County Page 2

For more information, please contact:

TN Wildland Fire Module Crew Boss

Brooke.Couch@tn.gov

Division of Forestry Background

The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2014. One of the Division’s first missions was to plant trees on eroded and abandoned farm land in the western part of the state. Over the decades, TDF has grown to conserve, protect, and enhance Tennessee’s 14 million acres of forest land through forest health protection, rural and urban forest management, wildfire and prescribed fire management, water quality protection, forest business services, state forest management and conservation education. Today, TDF employs over 400 personnel statewide and is well known as the wildfire and forest health experts. The Division resides within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture whose mission is to promote wise uses of Tennessee’s agricultural and forest resources, to develop economic opportunities, and to ensure safe and dependable food, fuel, and fiber for all citizens.

Cumberland Plateau

The Cumberland Plateau & Mountains (CPM) region is separated from the Highland Rim by an irregular escarpment. The region cuts diagonally across Tennessee a length of about 140 miles and on average is about 40 miles wide. The CPM stretches from northern Alabama to West Virginia and represents a western extension of the Southern Appalachian Mountain chain. The entire area is characterized by rugged terrain and elevations ranging up to 3,500 feet on Cross Mountain. Local relief is often 1000 feet or more. Surface rock strata in the Cumberland Plateau have produced varied soils and a wide variety of forest types. The Cumberland Plateau forests differ widely ranging from the hemlock/ basswood/buckeye/yellow-poplar forest found in the cool gorges to the oak/hickory/Virginia pine associations found on dry sandy ridges. The mixed mesophytic forest occupies most of the slopes, with species composition varying with topography and microclimate. Hemlock is usually confined to ravines, and rhododendrons and mountain laurel often occur in the understory. Dry slopes and ridges often contain oak/pine communities. The oak is usually chestnut oak. Shortleaf, Virginia and sometimes pitch pine stands occur over the shallow, sandy soils over sandstone.