Forest Ranger

Job Posting Title Forest Ranger Agency 040 - Dept of Agriculture, Food & Forestry Job Posting End Date Refer to the date listed at the top of this posting, if available. Continuous if date is blank. Job Type Full time Compensation The hourly pay for this position is up to $19.41 based on education and experience. This position is considered a hazardous duty position that will include an additional hazard pay of $4,000.00 per year, for a total annual pay of up to $44,327.80. Position Description The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) is seeking a full time Forest Ranger I in the Forestry Division. This position (PIN #04000193) is in state government, located in Colcord, OK. The State of Oklahoma offers a comprehensive Benefits Package, including a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents. Position is assigned responsibilities in the suppression and mitigation of wildfires and operation and maintenance of firefighting equipment to support work related to the delivery of the Division’s cooperative forestry programs. This is an arduous-duty position fighting wildfires statewide in adverse terrain under conditions that can be hazardous to personal safety and may require extended periods away from the assigned home unit. The selected candidate must reside within a 15-mile radius of designated hiring points: Junctions of Hwy 10 and 116, west of Colcord, OK. Typical Functions: Engage in initial attack and extended attack wildland fire suppression, prescribed burning operations and fuels mitigation activities; provide fire suppression, prescribed burning and mitigation assistance to employees, partner agencies, volunteers, and other assisting fire crews. Utilize basic Geographic Information System (GIS) skills and equipment to gather wildland fire and prescribed fire data, including but not limited to acres involved, fire area latitude/longitude, and/or GIS files of fire perimeters. Prepare and submit Forestry Division wildland fire and prescribed fire activity reports for state and national fire reporting systems; collect wildland fire information from partner agencies as needed for state and national fire reporting systems. Provide wildland fire and prescribed fire training to employees and partner agencies. Supervise or participate in the construction and maintenance of Forestry Services Division facilities and projects, such as roads, bridges, towers, buildings, and grounds. Operate and maintain assigned equipment, including pickup trucks, fire engines, bulldozers, and other related equipment; supervise and perform preventive maintenance; perform or schedule repairs to assigned equipment after consultation with supervisor. Apply basic investigative skills to determine fire causes, preserve evidence and assist law enforcement agents in law enforcement activities related to wildland fire. Present fire prevention information and education programs for schools, groups, and the public; participate in organizing and training rural fire departments. Present and demonstrate wildfire preparedness information and education, including defensible space planning, to schools, civic groups, and the public. Inventory state and private forest lands by measuring and recording forest data, such as tree species, stem diameters and heights; map forest stand boundaries and calculate acres; determine volume of merchantable timber within given timber stands; assist foresters in the development of forest management plans for landowners; distribute forest management information to landowners. Mark trees for harvesting purposes; designate boundary lines for cutting operations, timber stand improvement work, and timber sales; compute timber volume for use in bid requests. Distribute forest management and fire prevention information to landowners. Use GPS and GIS technology to record property location and boundaries, identify stands, and develop forest type and ownership maps. Use various plot‑sampling techniques to collect data on forest conditions and timber volumes; develop forest stand and stock tables. Analyze aerial photographs, satellite images, topographic maps, soils maps and other resources and collect appropriate data for use in forest management planning and technical assistance programs; may use GIS technology to display data in electronic form for use by professional foresters. Perform related work as required and assigned. Level Description This is the basic level of this job family where employees are assigned responsibilities, which primarily involve participating in the prevention and suppression of wildland fires, the operation and maintenance of firefighting equipment, and the maintenance & construction of forestry facilities. Some responsibilities may also be assigned for providing training and assistance or guidance to volunteer fire crews or serving as Single Resource Boss or as the Incident Commander for low complexity wildland fires. Education and Experience Requirements at this level consist of a high school diploma or GED and one year of farm equipment or heavy equipment operation, or forestry‑related work, or fire prevention and suppression work, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities Requirements at this level include knowledge of the operation and maintenance of heavy equipment; reading and interpreting maps; facilities repair and maintenance; and basic record‑keeping procedures. Ability to assist with presenting fire prevention and education programs; to learn basic Geographical Information System (GIS) skills for fire reporting; to manage a single resource such as a bulldozer, engine, or crew; to write reports and emails; to prevent, mitigate and suppress wildfires; and to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. Physical Demands and Work Environment This position works outdoors 90 percent of the time occasionally working in a shop setting. Field work can be in extreme environmental conditions, such as hot/cold temperatures; high winds; smoke; and dust; the position will be on call, after regular duty hours as needed, especially during fire season requiring travel up to 75 percent of the time. Additional Information Must be able to pass an agency physical and drug test prior to hiring. Must be willing and able to fulfill all job-related travel normally associated with this position. Must be able to pass the Arduous Level of the Wildland Firefighters “Work Capacity Test” each year. Must possess a valid driver’s license at time of employment and maintain throughout employment. Must currently possess or obtain Class A CDL within 6 months of employment and maintain throughout employment. This position is subject to a twelve‑month probationary period. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has determined that some positions in this job family are safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S. § 427.8. Reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities may be provided upon request. Equal Opportunity Employment The State of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of genetic information, race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr