Forest Ranger (Forester)

Full Time

  The State of Florida

  Perry, Florida, United States

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

In accordance with Florida Statute 633, any person employed in this class must:

  • Be a high school graduate or the equivalent, as the term may be determined by the Division of State Fire Marshal of the Department of Financial Services, and at least 18 years of age.
  • Not have been convicted of a misdemeanor relating to the certification or to perjury or false statements, or a felony or a crime punishable by imprisonment of 1 year or more under the law of the United States or any state thereof or under the law of any other country, or dishonorably discharged from any of the Armed Forces of the United States. “Convicted” means a finding of guilt or the acceptance of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in any federal or state court or a court in any other country, without regard to whether a judgment of conviction has been entered by the court having jurisdiction of the case.
  • Submit a fingerprint card to the division with a current processing fee. The fingerprint card will be forwarded to the Department of Law Enforcement and/or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  • Have a good moral character as determined by investigation under procedure established by the division.
  • Be in good physical condition as determined by a medical examination as prescribed by the division. Such examination may include, but need not be limited to, provisions of the National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet 1582.
  • Be a non-user of tobacco or tobacco products for at least one (1) year immediately preceding application, as evidenced by the sworn affidavit of the applicant.

Applicants must complete all fields in the Candidate Profile. Work history, hours worked and education are required to qualify for this position. Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile. Resumes and other documentation can be attached to provide additional information.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

JOB DUTIES:

  • This work is in forest fire prevention, detection, suppression and pre-suppression, providing technical forestry services and information to landowners and wood-using industry representatives, assisting with state lands management, and presenting forestry educational programs.
  • This individual operates and maintains various kinds of equipment in the suppression of wildfires, including engines, bulldozers, transports, and other fire suppression equipment. Investigates wildfire causes, gathers evidence, interviews witnesses, makes recommendations to supervisors, and issues Notification of Violations where appropriate. Performs fire detection through ground patrol or tower staffing. Investigates smoke complaints, conducts onsite inspections of burn authorizations. Intensifies public awareness of wildfires and wildfire damage through fire prevention programs presented in a variety of public forums. Performs wildfire hazard mitigation work. Performs in various capacities, as qualified, within the Incident Command System. Completes appropriate reports associated with wildfire management. Responds to All-Risk Emergency Incidents, as required.
  • Provides pre-suppression plowing and burning assistance to private landowners. Provides technical forestry assistance under the supervision of a Forest Area Supervisor or professional Forester which may include: timber inventory assistance on private nonindustrial land; participation in tree seed collection, lifting and planting tree seedlings; forestry education and environmental education program information for the public and private forest landowners. Assists in public lands management activities such as tree planting, timber marking and inventory, prescribed burning, boundary maintenance, protecting threatened and endangered species, and wildfire protection. Monitors public use and assists the public in utilizing various services and recreation opportunities on state lands. Maintains public facilities such as trails, roads, campgrounds, boat ramps, restrooms and other facilities for user groups on state lands. Operates and maintains other equipment for state lands management purposes such as road graders, dump trucks, loaders, etc.
  • Performs maintenance and construction activities on fixed facilities and equipment. Makes purchases of materials as needed.
  • Performs other related work as assigned.