Dispatcher 1 - Missoula, United States - State of Montana

Description

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.

The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.


Core Values:

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana's forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries.

We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana.

• We value and respect each other.
• We create collaborative work environments.
• We build and maintain strong relationships.
• We practice accountability.
• We celebrate our successes and take pride in our work.

Work Unit Overview:

The Southwestern Land Office (SWLO) represents the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) within its specified geographic area, which includes the eight western counties of Deer Lodge, Granite, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, Silver Bow and a portion of Lewis & Clark County west of the continental divide.

The Area conducts field activities for the Forestry and Trust Lands Divisions, and is responsible for all day-to-day operations by the Department within that geographical area.

The SWLO is responsible for providing direct wildland fire protection to approximately 1.9 million acres of private, state, and federal lands.

A large portion of the land area is in complex mixed-land ownership conditions with residential urban interface, which presents a complex fire situation.

The SWLO administers the State/County Cooperative Fire Program in Deer Lodge, Granite, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli and Silver Bow Counties, providing assistance to the counties and the fifty-one rural fire departments as needed.

The SWLO is a cooperator with the U.S.

Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes in the operation of the Missoula Dispatch Center (MDC) and the Southwest Zone.

The Missoula Dispatch Center mobilizes initial attack resources for three Ranger Districts of the Lolo National Forest (Missoula, Ninemile and Seeley Lake) and the SWLO Missoula and Clearwater Units.

MDC assists the local Offices of Emergency Services, local government fire organizations and Sheriff's Offices when requested. MDC serves as a contact point between the participating agencies and the Northern Rockies Regional Coordination Center (NRCC).

MDC acts as the Southwest Zone support dispatch center for the Lolo National Forest, two DNRC units (Missoula, Clearwater), the Missoula Field Office of the BLM and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes.

Job Overview:
This position is assigned to the Missoula Dispatch Center and serves as the Assistant Center Manager. The Dispatch Center Manager (U.S. Forest Service) and the Southwestern Land Office Fire Management Officer supervise this position.

The incumbent is expected to use initiative, discretion and judgment to supervise the dispatching of resources for Federal, State, Tribal, and Private Lands initial attack actions and/or support of wildland fires during complex and multiple incidents that are beyond the scope of developed guidelines.

The incumbent is responsible for assisting in the planning, organizing and supervising of dispatch support staffing during periods of high dispatch activity and/or expanded dispatch operations.

A.

In support of large fires or other incidents, the dispatcher determines needs, plans, initiates and supervises an appropriate support organization to mobilize firefighting or other resources for incidents within the Southwest Zone and upon request for statewide or national incidents.

MDC supports the Lolo National Forest, two DNRC units (Missoula, Clearwater), the Missoula Field Office of the BLM, and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes.

A. Dispatch Center Coordination (50% of time)

The incumbent is responsible for supervision and coordination of support personnel during extended and/or expanded dispatch operations.

Their operational shifts are scheduled to meet the increasing and/or decreasing demands of the incident and may be regularly scheduled 12-16 hour shifts from several days to several weeks in length.

• Directs dispatchers upon receipt of an order for firefighting resources, prepares a resource order form to the national standard. This ensures that the correct resource is supplied to the fire and properly tracked from home base to destination and return to reduce costly delays and avoid duplication. Arranges adequate transportation for resources supplied, both Federal and State. Notifies fire managers of potential resource shortages.
• Receives aircraft requests and evaluates the type of aircraft needed considering delivery time frames, costs, aircraft capabilities and safety. Proposes alternatives to specific aircraft requests to eliminate duplication, reduce costs, or improve transport times.
• Implements procedures specified in interagency cooperative agreements between state, local and federal agencies. Ensures that resources, procedures, cost accounting, notifications, etc. are being processed and utilized in a legal and cost-efficient manner. Also refers to and follows specific agency finance manuals such as the Interagency Incident Fire Business Management Handbook (IIBMH).
• Executes out of area dispatches for overhead, engines, and Incident Management Teams, and processes all travel arrangements and tracking with proper documentation.
• Executes dispatch demobilization plans in coordination with Incident Commander or incident management team. Arranges transportation, meals and lodging for personnel en-route. Timely and efficient demobilization and reassignment reduces costs and allows resources to be available for other fires.
• Gathers and interprets county, state and federal fire related intelligence to provide current and accurate information needed by dispatchers, incident commanders, and fire managers so fire danger can be assessed accurately, in a timely manner so ultimately suppression of fires can be safer and at a lower cost.
• Directs collection of weather data at remote stations on the SWLO and Lolo NF and enters data into the Fire Danger Rating System; Receives and interprets weather observations from seven to ten weather stations. Provides daily fire weather data and burning indices to units, cooperators, and industry. Analyzes and applies weather data for wildfire behavior prediction, prescribed fire, and other resource uses. Maintains weather databases for reporting weather stations. After inputting the weather data, receives and distributes NFDRS indices and fire danger to firefighters, lookouts, and fire managers.
• Ensures completion of required county, state and federal situation reports for the Missoula and Clearwater Units, the Lolo National Forest and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Sends completed reports and status reports for large fire activity within the MDC Zone to the Northern Rockies Coordina¬tion Center (NRCC). This process requires input from four Forest Service Ranger Districts, two DNRC Units and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes.
• Responsible for supervising and overseeing the mobilization of firefighting forces including personnel, equipment, aircraft and supplies, for Federal and State incidents. Provides initial attack fire suppression actions for wildland and wildland/urban interface fires reported for the responsi¬bility areas of DNRC Missoula and Clearwater Units, the Lolo National Forest Missoula, Ninemile and Seeley Lake Ranger Districts. Incumbent is the acting Dispatch Center Manager in his/her absence.
• This position serves as the Incident Commander; responsible for actions taken in response to the reported fire until a qualified IC arrives on the scene. Based on changing and often conflicting information, determines when fires have exceeded capabilities of initial attack forces en route and modifies dispatch actions accordingly by selecting and dispatching additional resources appropriate for the situation.

B. Staff Management (20% of time)

Supervises dispatch staff including permanent FTE, seasonal temporary and additional support in performance of duties in support of Missoula Interagency Dispatch Center.

• Oversees daily operations of the Interagency Dispatch Center to ensure timely completion and quality control of daily tasks and work assignments.
• Maintains adequate level of readiness. Monitors on-going dispatcher workloads and makes necessary adjustments. Orders additional dispatchers as the need and workload dictates to support incidents. Monitor interagency readiness standards for adherence.
• Coordinates daily activities for up to six other state and/or federal dispatchers during normal MDC operations and up to twenty support dispatchers during peak fire load times.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Retirement
• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF.

Application Materials Required for this Position Are:

• State of Montana Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):

The required knowledge, skills and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a High School Diploma and - 4 years experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Fire management practices and techniques, agency regulations, policies, standards and procedures of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, individual counties in the Eastern Land Office, National Park Service, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S.

Bureau of Reclamation, as related to dispatching of incident resources (personnel, aircraft, supplies, and equipment), fire protection systems, agency jurisdictions, land ownership, and affidavit protection.

Thorough knowledge of the availability, capability, and limitations of resources within the Eastern Zone.

Thorough knowledge of aircraft types and capabilities, various ground implements (fire engine types and capabilities, dozer types and limitations, ground transportation types and capabilities, as well as various personnel types and capabilities).

In addition to this knowledge, the position requires awareness of the various agencies' legal requirements, obligations, and reporting methods pertinent to dispatch operations.

Considerable knowledge and skill in written and verbal communications, and a thorough knowledge of fire management and agency terminology are also required.

The ability to plan for, coordinate and supervise dispatch activities frequently under stressful conditions for long periods of time often without complete information for guidance.

The dispatcher must be able to function during times of critical incidents when the lives and safety of others are threatened.

Skilled in operation of computerized radio systems, multi-key telephones, paging systems, FAX machines, U.S. Forest Service, and IBM compatible personal computers.

Knowledge of and skill in using computer software such as Windows, Microsoft Office software, WIMS (weather), Irwin, WildCad, State IQS, and Federal IQCS.

Other education, training, certification, or licensing desired:

• I-100 ICS General Familiarization
• S-110 Basic Fire Suppression Orientation
• S-130 Firefighter Training
• S-190 Introduction to Fire Behavior
• I-200 Basic Incident Command System
• S-248 Status Check-In Recorder
• D-110 Dispatch Recorder
• S-260 Fire Business Management
• S-270 Basic Air Operations
• J-252 Ordering Manager
• D-310 Support Dispatcher
• D-311 IA Dispatcher

SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.


ELIGIBILITY TO WORK:

In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the person selected must produce within three days of hire documents that show authorization to work in the United States.

Examples of such documentation include a birth certificate or Social Security card along with a driver's license or other picture I.D., or a U.S.

passport, or a "green card".